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HOLIDAYS
Everyone has different requirements for travel insurance, but it is essential that
ostomates ensure that the level of travel insurance cover is sufficient. All medical
history, surgery and pre-
Likewise, always ensure that the appropriate travel insurance company confirms in
writing that cover is provided for all your pre-
Normally travel insurance does not cover loss of stoma appliances, or if you run out of stock. In this instance, take precautions:
Make sure that the travel insurance policy is taken on holiday with you -
Some insurers will cover stomas, others will not. However, times are changing very quickly, and some may have altered their goalposts. Book travel insurance as soon as possible after booking a holiday, as it will normally cover cancellation charges. Shop around for the best price and cover. After booking travel insurance, if any medical conditions change before the holiday, ensure that notification has been made to the appropriate travel insurance company.
Many ostomates buy travel insurance from a travel agent, when they book their holiday.
In this instance, it is important to check what cover is provided for pre-
It is also important to remember that, generally, comprehensive travel insurance, including repatriation, is required for a cruise ship holiday.
Conditions imposed by travel insurance companies may include the following requirements:
A list of Do’s And Don’ts for patients with pre-
AllClear Insurance Services.
The Colostomy Association, The Ileostomy and Internal Pouch Support Group and The Urostomy Association may be able to supply names of reputable travel insurance companies.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
A few sensible precautions may help prevent an upset tummy. Always eat foods, which
have been well cooked, and in hot countries, avoid foods that have been standing
for long periods of time, especially burgers, sausages, shell fish, etc. Try not
to eat unpeeled fruit and raw vegetables. Salads and fruits may also have been washed
in local tap water, so it is best to avoid these as well. Before eating, wash salads
and fruit with clean water -
Even with taking precautions, a change in climate, food or water, may still upset
your tummy, whether an ostomate is on holiday abroad or in the UK. Therefore, it
is a good idea to take some anti-
Dehydration can happen as a result of diarrhoea and vomiting, as the body loses large
amounts of fluids and salt. Therefore, do not stop drinking -
Some patients find eating marshmallows or jelly babies helps firm up the output.
Sometimes ostomates, who normally use a closed pouch, prefer to take some drainable pouches on holiday, as these can prove more convenient for an upset tummy, until the problem has stopped.
If the problem persists, seek advice from a doctor.
UPSET TUMMY
The telephone number of an ostomate’s home delivery service should be taken on holiday, as some companies may be able to deliver in the UK or abroad, if there is a real emergency. It is important to remember that freephone numbers will not work, when dialling from another country to the UK.
Your stoma care nurse may be able to provide details of a stoma care nurse in the particular area of
the UK or the country abroad being visited.
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
If an ostomate is travelling abroad, a handy, pocket-
The certificate explains the necessary medical supplies being carried and that they must be with the patient at all times, and that the stoma patient requires a private room, with a qualified physician in attendance, should a search be necessary. Obviously, this travel certificate can be extremely useful to facilitate passing through security and customs with your medical equipment at airports, and also in case of a body search, which are becoming more commonplace these days. If a pouch or any ostomy equipment is selected for a search, it is best to ask politely if the content could be viewed ‘somewhere less public’. Hopefully, airport security will respect your privacy.
It is advisable to keep the travel certificate (and the letter from your doctor) in your pocket, in case
you become temporarily separated from your hand luggage.
When travelling, the holder of this travel certificate has more confidence, and is able to explain the medical condition, whilst keeping it discreet.
Depending on the issuing company of the travel certificate, languages available are Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, English, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Middle East, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese. Some of the companies and associations,
who offer these travel certificates free to any ostomate on request, are:
TRAVEL CERTIFICATES
● Medical approval for the journey must be obtained, if a patient has been in
hospital during the last six months.
● Travelling against medical advice is not permissible. Specifically to obtain
medical treatment is not permissible on a holiday travel insurance policy, but
there are some companies who do a specialist Treatment Abroad travel
policy, e.g. AllClear Insurance Services.
● In general, a patient must not have received a terminal prognosis. However,
there are a few companies, who will offer cover subject to certain conditions,
e.g. AllClear Insurance Services will provide cover as long as the prognosis is
not less than six months from the date of return from holiday. In all
circumstances, a terminal prognosis must be declared.
● Normally, a patient must not be waiting for hospital treatment. However,
there are some insurers (e.g. AllClear Insurance Services) who will also
provide cover for people on a hospital waiting list, so that if a patient has to
cancel a holiday because they have come to the top of the list, they can
claim for the money they have paid for the holiday. In all circumstances,
waiting for hospital treatment must always be declared.
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