Family holidays should be enjoyable and relaxing. However, for caregivers who are taking a parent or elderly loved one with Alzheimer’s or any other dementia along, these trips can become stressful. When your loved one is in an unfamiliar environment, they could feel lost and confused. Traveling with your loved one with dementia can seem daunting, but it is possible with enough planning and foresight.
A pleasant trip can benefit family caregivers and their loved ones with dementia if they plan ahead and are well-prepared. The whole family may have a less stressful and more enjoyable trip if everyone is aware of the potential challenges that those with dementia may encounter and takes steps to lessen those difficulties.
Challenges of Traveling for People with Dementia
Before planning a trip, the family caregivers should crucially recognize the challenges their loved ones with dementia can face while traveling. Understanding these challenges will help caregivers to be better prepared.
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Difficulty with New Environments
Individuals with dementia may experience increased anxiety and confusion when traveling in a new and unfamiliar environment. Disorientation might raise a person’s chance of wandering and becoming lost.
People with dementia may get uncomfortable or even agitated in crowded airports, bustling cafes or restaurants, or long queues with strangers. Unfamiliar noises, announcements made over the loudspeakers, and being surrounded by other visitors’ bustling and constant chatter can also be quite uncomfortable and upsetting for many people.
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Time Zone Differences
Shifting time zones might make it more difficult for someone to stick to a sleep schedule and may make them more confused. Traveling may also exacerbate symptoms frequently linked to sundowning, especially if the person already exhibits agitation and confusion in the late afternoon, early evening, and during the night.
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New Routines and Schedules
A person with dementia may become more agitated and prone to negative reactions if their routine or schedule is changed or if they have a day full of activities. This may be especially noticeable when new activities replace all the regular routines that had previously kept them focused and grounded.
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Fatigue
Due to increased caregiving and travel demands, travel fatigue affects not just the person with dementia but also the family caregiver, who is unable to give their loved one the quality care they need. Family caregivers may find it difficult to concentrate on their tasks when they receive little support or rest, which increases the likelihood of errors and lowers the standard of care.
Tips for Making Travel Easier for Someone With Dementia
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Pick Familiar Destinations
Find places that your loved one with dementia is familiar with and that evoke happy memories. Review favorite vacation experiences, encourage the person to share their fondest memories, and, if feasible, go through images from prior journeys together. It can be helpful to narrow down future travel options by talking about past travel experiences and getting comments on the person’s favorite vacations.
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Choose Favorable Travel Times
The choice of when to travel requires careful thought, particularly if you are going with someone who has advancing dementia, such as Alzheimer’s. Selecting a time slot that does not interfere with the person’s everyday activities is advantageous for both Alzheimer’s patients and family caregivers.
Similarly, understanding that some Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit sundowning symptoms, such as confusion, emotional outbursts, and agitation, in the late afternoon, early evening, and night can help narrow down schedule and time alternatives. If your loved one is more relaxed in the morning, making morning travel plans may be beneficial.
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Evaluate Your Loved One’s Ability to Travel
When organizing a trip with someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or any other dementia, you should probably consider the available information and determine whether or not travel makes sense.
Consider whether agitation, wandering, and disorientation are common signs of the condition your care receiver is experiencing. If these symptoms interfere with your daily routine, they might worsen when you are in an unfamiliar place, making traveling more stressful or even dangerous.
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Schedule a Medical Appointment in Advance of Your Trip
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests scheduling an appointment with a healthcare practitioner at least one month before leaving for a trip [1].
Family caregivers should examine their loved one’s capacity to travel outside their usual place and inform the family physician about any trip plans. The physician can examine prescription drugs and all essential vaccines, particularly for customers traveling out of state or internationally.
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Provide Your Loved One with Adequate Identification.
Ensure your loved one with dementia has enough identification before you leave for the trip. If you unexpectedly become separated, wearing an ID bracelet or using other identification methods like a wearable GPS unit that is difficult to remove or misplace could help keep you calm.
To ensure that anyone attempting to help your loved one can quickly reach you, consider writing your mobile phone number and the person’s name on this identification.
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Carry a Calling Card and a Picture with You.
Always have a recent picture of your loved one with dementia with you in case you get lost at the airport, at the gas station, or anyplace else you might need assistance from others to get back together. Keep a laminated card with a brief description of your loved one’s dementia with you. Hand it to a fellow traveler or airline staff to provide a candid, discrete revelation while saving embarrassment and frustration.
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Request Special Accommodations
Many travel agencies, including airlines and bus companies, will try to arrange special accommodations for caregivers taking a loved one with memory impairment on a trip. Inform the travel agent that you will be traveling with a person who is impaired when you purchase any tickets.
They could be able to assist you with scheduling the bulkhead seats that have more legroom or are near the bathroom, or they could let you board early to spare the confusion and commotion of boarding a new mode of transportation, which could agitate a person with dementia.
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Plan Breaks in Your Day
Even though traveling can be a hectic event, scheduling time for solitude can be crucial for both caregivers and care receivers who are coping with dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms.
If you’re traveling by air, get there early and spend some time relaxing in a quiet area for twenty minutes or so. Alternatively, take a break from road journeys and stop for a nice dinner snack. These breaks can help you both regain your breath and provide care for your loved one. Bring a change of clothes and something cozy for them.
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Pack Lightly
Carrying a big luggage through the airport is difficult enough when traveling alone. Managing it while serving as a caregiver on-the-go can be nearly impossible.
Try to pack as little as possible and check your bags when you can. In an emergency, Carry a small, lightweight bag containing your loved one’s favorite snacks, prescription drugs, and emergency contacts can help in case of any emergency. Having less in your hands will allow you to concentrate more on the person with dementia.
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Maintain Routines
Although there will be changes, it’s crucial to take charge of what you can to give your care recipient the impression that part of their routine is still in place. Try to maintain mealtimes and bedtimes similar to those at home to help lower the chance of unanticipated agitation. If at all possible, plan flights and drives around these times. Cary the medication with you all the time instead of placing them in checked luggage.
Alzheimer’s Research Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. We provide the latest information and news about the illness and helpful tips to help caregivers cope with their daily caregiving challenges. We realize the most important thing that a caregiver needs is financial assistance. Therefore, we provide grants to caregivers to ease their financial burden. Caregivers can apply for grants here: Alzheimer’s Grant Application.
You can also help caregivers in their endeavor by donating as much as possible: Donation To Alzheimer’s Research Associations.
References
- Traveler’s Health: Before You Travel. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/before-travel. Accessed: 10th June, 2024.
- Tips for Traveling with Someone with Dementia. Senior Helpers. https://www.seniorhelpers.com/fl/orlando/resources/blogs/tips-for-traveling-with-someone-with-dementia/. Accessed: 10th June, 2024.
- Navigating Travel with a Loved One Who Has Alzheimer’s Disease. Family Caregiver Alliance. https://www.caregiver.org/news/navigating-travel-loved-one-who-has-alzheimers-disease/. Accessed: 10th June, 2024.
- 10 Caregiver Tips for Traveling with Alzheimer’s. Our Parents. https://www.ourparents.com/senior-health/traveling-with-alzheimers. Last Updated: 21st April, 2023. Accessed: 10th June, 2024.
