There are more than 400,000 Texans living with Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, more than one million family members and friends are serving as caregivers.
As pandemic conditions continue to shift and change, travel is becoming possible in varying degrees. The Alzheimer’s Association suggests, while the symptoms of this progressive brain disease can sometimes make travel more difficult, it doesn’t mean families can’t travel with a loved one.
Theirs and other experts have collected some tips to ensure a safe and smooth trip when traveling with a person with dementia.
- Stick with the familiar. Travel to known destinations. Try to visit places that are familiar to the person with Alzheimer’s.
- Be prepared. Create an itinerary that includes details. Give copies to family members or friends. Keep a copy with you.
- Pick the right time. Travel during the time of day that is best for the person. For example, if he or she becomes tired or more agitated in the late afternoon, avoid traveling at this time.
- Learn to recognize the warning signs of anxiety and agitation and identify strategies to reduce them. Discuss this plan with the person living with dementia.
- Try not to overload the person with a lot of directions or too much information.
- Consider everyone’s needs and desires as you plan your trip; elaborate sightseeing trips or complicated tours may cause anxiety and confusion.
- Allow for plenty of downtime. Overscheduling can lead to overstimulation and agitation.
- Prepare friends or family members for the visit by explaining dementia and any changes it has caused. Go over any special needs and explain that the visit could be short or that you may need to change activities on short notice.
- It may be helpful to stay as close to your normal routine as possible. For example, keep meal and bed times on a similar schedule to that followed at home. Eating in may be a better choice than at a crowded restaurant.
- Don’t find logic. Your loved one has already lost some sense of judgment and reasoning, so you should not try to be logical with them. Correcting every single instance may trigger agitation or also lower self-esteem. It is best to agree to an illogical explanation rather than correct frequently.
- Best of all… if your loved one gets nervous or anxious about being out of the house, try holding his or her hand! Holding the hand of someone you love is proven to relieve stress and reduce pain.