THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 19, 2024 Page 19 Sa nir Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Healthy Travel Tips for Older Travelers Dear Savvy Senior, What tips can you off er retirees with health issues who are planning some trips? We’ve been looking forward to traveling again after staying home the past few years, but my husband has a heart condition and some back problems that worry me. Concerned Wife Dear Concerned, A dream vacation can turn into a real nightmare if you get ill or injured while you’re away and aren’t prepared. Before setting out, here are some tips to help ensure a safe and healthy trip for you and your husband. Get prepared: Before you go, talk with your doctor about your travel itinerary and what precautions you need to take before traveling. You should also have your doctor’s contact information with you when you travel, as well as a list of the medications you’re taking in case you need emergency medical care while you’re away. It’s also a smart idea to locate health clinics or urgent care facilities near the areas you’re visiting. Your hotel can help you with this or a simple internet search can identify nearby health care services. If you’re traveling abroad, the U.S. consulate or embassy in the countries you’re visiting (go to step.state.gov to enroll your trip) is a good place to get a referral. Or use the International Society of Travel Medicine’s directory at ISTM.org. If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you also need to find out the health conditions of the country you’re visiting and what, if any, vaccinations and/or preventative medications are recommended. See CDC.gov/travel or call 800-232-4636 to get this information. Check your insurance: If you have private health insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan through an HMO or PPO that covers in-network doctors only, check your plan to fi nd out what’s covered if you need medical care when traveling outside your geographic area. Beneficiaries that have original Medicare are covered everywhere in the U.S. But if you’re traveling abroad, you won’t be covered outside the U.S. and its territories except in rare circumstances, although some Medicare Advantage plans and some Medigap supplemental policies do provide limited coverage. Most private health plans don’t pay health care costs outside the U.S. either. Be sure to check. Many retirees traveling abroad purchase travel insurance with medical coverage, which may cover expenses if you cancel the trip, need to be treated while traveling or need to be evacuated for medical care. Make sure the policy will also cover your preexisting medical conditions. To shop and compare policies visit TravelInsurance.com, InsureMyTrip.com or SquareMouth.com. Organize your medications: Make sure you have a suffi cient supply of medications to last the entire trip. If traveling by air, you need to pack your medicine in your carry-on bag, so if your checked luggage gets lost or misdirected you won’t be without. It’s best to keep your medications in their original containers to get through airport security without delays. It’s also a good idea to bring along a note from your doctor that explains why you take these medications, especially if syringes or other medical supplies are involved. For airport security requirements visit TSA.gov – click on “Disabilities and Medical Conditions.” You can also call TSA Cares at 855787-2227 prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Maximize technology: Keep a list of your medications and other important health and medical information handy on your smartphone so you can easily access and share it with emergency health care providers when you’re traveling. Some good apps that can help with this are Backpack Health (BackpackHealth.com) and Capzule (Capzule.com). Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior After six months, new tracking tool identifi es 50 lithium-ion battery fi res Standard nationwide method recorded about 20 per year S TOW – The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ new tool for tracking lithium-ion battery fi res has helped to identify 50 such incidents in the past six months, more than double the annual average detected by a national fi re data reporting system, said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. The Department of Fire Services launched its Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Investigative Checklist on Oct. 13, 2023. It immediately went into use by the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s offi ce, and local fi re departments were urged to adopt it as well. Developed by the DFS Fire Safety Division, the checklist can be used by fi re investigators to gather basic information about fi res in which lithium-ion batteries played a part. That information is then entered into a database to identify patterns and trends. “We knew anecdotally that lithium-ion batteries were involved in more fi res than the existing data suggested,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “In just the past six months, investigators using this simple checklist have revealed many more incidents than we’ve seen in prior years.” Prior to the checklist, the state’s fi re service relied on battery fi re data reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS), a state-level tool that mirrors and feeds into the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). NFIRS tracks battery fi res but does not specifi cally gather data on the types of batteries involved. Some fi elds do not require the detailed information that Massachusetts offi cials were seeking, and some fi res may be coded according to the type of device involved rather than the type of battery. Moreover, MFIRS reports sometimes take weeks or months to be completed and uploaded. “Investigators using the Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Checklist are getting us better data faster,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “The tool is helpful, but the people using it are the key to its success.” From 2019 to 2023, an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fi res per year were reported to MFIRS – less than half the number identifi ed by investigators using the checklist over the past six months. The increase since last fall could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention by local fi re investigators, or other factors, State Fire Marshal Davine said. For example, fi res that started with another item but impinged upon a battery-powered device, causing it to go into thermal runaway, might not be categorized as a battery fi re in MFIRS or NFIRS. Lithium-ion battery fi res were reported in 38 cities and towns. Nine of the fi res involved micromobility devices such as battery-powered scooters, e-bikes, and hoverboards, making them the most commonly involved in fires, according to the data. Eight fi res involved laptops and another eight involved cell phones, tablets, or similar devices. Power tools were involved in six fi res. The device’s charging status could be determined in 41 of the 50 fi res: surprisingly, 56% of these devices were not charging at the time of the incident. Lithium-ion batteries power everything from small devices like e-cigarettes and smartphones to scooters, e-bikes, and electric vehicles. If they are overcharged, overheated, or abused, they can fail rapidly and without warning. A lithium-ion battery that goes into thermal runaway will erupt in an explosion of toxic gases and fl ames that will ignite nearby furnishings. Water and traditional fi re extinguishers are signifi cantly less effective against lithium-ion battery fi res. State Fire Marshal Davine off ered the following safety tips for preventing lithium-ion battery fi res: • Be sure you have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home. • Use only the original equipment manufacturer’s batteries and charging equipment. Aftermarket or generic batteries and chargers may be cheaper but are more likely to pose a burn, fi re, or explosion hazard. • Store scooters and e-bikes outdoors if possible. If you must store them indoors, keep them and their batteries clear of doors, windows, and stairways. • Charge the battery directly from a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip. Place it on a hard and stable surface, not a bed, couch, or pillow. • Charge only one battery or device at a time and unplug it when it’s fully charged. Don’t allow a charged battery to continue charging. • If you notice changes to the battery or the device, including damage, an unusual odor, a change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking, smoking, or not keeping a charge, stop using it right away. • If and when it’s time to dispose of the battery, don’t put it in the trash. Lithium-ion batteries should be recycled, and you can fi nd a location to take them at https://www.call2recycle. org/locator/. Residents can learn more about lithium-ion battery safety at https://www. mass.gov/info-details/lithium-ion-battery-safety.
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