Short distance medical escorts can open up travel options for people who can’t or shouldn’t travel without medical assistance. This service can transform a trip that could take a day by car or van into one that lasts only a few hours. Medical escorts also can allow people who have mental and physical limitations to travel without depending on a friend or family member.
As their name suggests, medical escorts accompany people during travel to provide needed non-emergency medical care and support. They are often hired through medical transportation services that handle travel plans and logistics for travelers and their families. In many instances, the medical escort service will coordinate travel and medical-care arrangements with hospital case managers.
Depending on an individual’s needs, medical escorts can help them travel by train, aircraft, van, boat or bus. Services such as SentinelMED provide door-to-door medical escort services. This level of care can ensure that an individual arrives safely at his or her destination, whether that’s their home, the home of a loved one, or a medical facility.
Traveling with a medical escort can make short-distance journeys more comfortable and less stressful for people who cannot travel alone. This includes individuals who are:
- Recovering from an accident or illness
- Frail or elderly
- Cognitively impaired, including those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
- Mentally ill
- Traveling outside their hometown or state for medical care
- Living with a chronic illness, such as COPD
- Receiving treatment for cancer or other diseases
Benefits of Traveling with a Short-Distance Medical Escort
The skill and training of medical escorts can differ, depending on a medical transportation service’s standards. SentinelMED’s medical escorts are nurses, physicians, physician assistants and paramedics who are trained or experienced in emergency and critical care medicine. They are matched to individuals depending on their specific care needs, as well as any language or cultural concerns.
Medical escorts can provide assistance with:
Walking or wheelchair use. This includes securing wheelchairs if needed for temporary use in airports.
Administering supplemental oxygen or medicine. Medical escorts can ensure that prescription medicine and supplemental oxygen are used as prescribed. In addition, medical transportation services should notify airlines or other mode of transport of an individual’s need for oxygen in advance. The service also will ensure that the amount of oxygen available is sufficient for the duration of travel.
Advocating for the traveler during TSA screening and boarding. Medical escorts can ask for alternative screening procedures if needed for medical or mental health reasons. They also can request priority boarding if needed.
Offering routine medical care after a medical procedure or hospitalization. In addition to administering supplemental oxygen or medicine, medical escorts can monitor vital signs and check that medical devices are operating correctly. They can also work to ensure that the traveler remains as comfortable as possible.
Provide peace of mind. Medical escorts can provide peace of mind that a traveler’s physical needs are met during travel. In turn, this can make travel less stressful or confusing, particularly for people who are not accompanied by friends or family.
Medical Transport and Escort Services from SentinelMED
SentinelMED offers a range of medical transport services, in addition to coordinating the services of short-term medical escorts. Our experienced team also provides domestic and international medical transport and medical repatriation services, including for individuals who have more serious or complicated medical concerns.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to people who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
