Summer is a challenging time for patients with ostomies, wounds, and medical problems. Here are some helpful online resources for your patients:

Online Resources for Travel and Summer Tips

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Traveler’s Health is an organization devoted to the safety of Americans. The Traveler’s Health center lists the most current update of travel warnings and precautions whether you are traveling in the US or abroad. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible to keeping travel systems safe. The website has travel tips and information for the general public and those with special conditions. The TSA provides passenger support in a couple of ways. The TSA care helpline helps people with medical conditions and disabilities by giving additional assistance during the security screening process". They also have Passenger Support specialists who can provide assistance at the airport. https://www.tsa.gov/

Passport Health has over 250 travel medical clinics across the US that provide the vaccines necessary for overseas travel. The website has information on travel vaccines and tips and recommendations for healthy travel. They can also help you get passports and visas and register you with the embassies in foreign destinations. https://www.passporthealthusa.com/

United Ostomy Association of America (UOAA)  has a section, Ostomy Travel Tips, devoted to travel tips including TSA security screening tips and a downloadable Travel Communication card. https://www.ostomy.org/ostomy-travel-and-tsa-communication-card/

Ostomy Life has Traveling with an Ostomy  and Swimming with an Ostomy videos by Laura Cox, Shield Healthcare’s Ostomy Life Specialist.

Vegan Ostomy  has a detailed 3-part Traveling with an Ostomy series and also a blog and video on how to put together a travel kit. https://www.veganostomy.ca/ostomy-travel/  Summer Ostomate tips is also on this website. https://www.veganostomy.ca/the-summer-ostomate-ostomy-tips/

Other Helpful Resources:

Eakin Foreign language phrases for traveling with a stoma foreign-language-phrases-for-traveling-with-a-stoma http://www.eakincohesiveseals.com/

Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA): Traveling with IBD                                https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/what-is-ibd/traveling-with-ibd

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Traveling with Cancer https://www.nccn.org/patients/resources/life_with_cancer/traveling.aspx

Oley Foundation, an organization for people who get their nutrition through an IV or feeding tube. They have several articles and resources for people traveling with IV nutrition, feeding tubes and medications https://oley.org/

All of the Ostomy manufacturers and many DME/supply companies have travel tips on their websites.

Don't Let Your Summer be a Bummer: Tips for Surviving the Summer with an Ostomy, a powerpoint presentation created for the Plano Ostomy Support Group May 2016.

Happy Summer!