Traveling With Memory-Impaired Loved Ones

Blog Category: Lifestyle

Whether you have a holiday, family gathering, or vacation coming up, you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. If you have someone in your party with a dementia or Alzheimer’s diagnosis, there may be extra challenges to consider when planning your travels. Here are some helpful tips to help you organize an enjoyable and supportive trip for everyone!

Planning

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when putting together your trip. While it can be stressful to think of every little thing and potential backup plans for those choices, here’s a helpful checklist to get you excited again about this vacation.

  • Choosing a Destination: Keep in mind where you’re going. Is it just a few hours away from home? Are you planning to travel by car or another way that could be potentially stressful for your loved one, like a plane, boat, bus, or train? Will your destination have easy access to emergency health services and pharmacies?
  • Timing Out Travel and Breaks: You’ll want to keep the travel time as short as possible while allowing for breaks as you and your loved one might need them. Plan for faster or more direct routes to limit your travel time, but also give yourself extra time in case of emergencies, natural delays, or any issues your loved one might experience.
  • Work With Staff: Consider preparing the staff for your place of stay, transportation you’re using, or activities and events you’re attending ahead of time that you will have a person with memory loss in your party. This way, everyone can work together to plan for special accommodations and not be too alarmed by any unique behaviors or situations.
  • Get to Packing: On top of packing the essentials of clothes, toiletries, and sunscreen, you want to think about making room for memorabilia. Your loved one might have moments of confusion once you settle into your temporary new stay, and packing familiar items from home to lay about the space could comfort them.
  • Have an I.D. Ready: In the potential case of being separated from your loved one, be sure to have some noticeable form of I.D. on their person they can’t lose so they can easily be identified and reconnected with you as soon and safely as possible. It also wouldn’t hurt to have other vital information on there, such as allergies in the event they try to get food on their own.
  • Create or Modify Routines: Find a way to allow for some of the same routines your loved one relies on at home in your vacation or family itinerary, and yes, you’ll want to create a schedule for your trip as well. They will need to have a familiar structure so they don’t get too confused or develop an aggressive temperament that could delay or end any plans for the day. But you’ll want to create a pre-planned itinerary for your vacation to ensure you get to do some things besides caring for your loved one as well as having a set plan that they can always look back to and know is certain.

Plan B: Always be willing to pivot when traveling with someone experiencing memory loss. That may be changing where you go to get lunch at the last minute or having another way to travel if something comes up with your planned transportation or your loved one’s behavior or comfortability.

The Alternative to Long or Faraway Trips

Maybe after looking at the checklist or knowing how severe your loved one’s diagnosis is, you’re reconsidering where and how you will make your trip this year. You both still deserve time off to enjoy each other and recharge, so know that you can always have a staycation at home! This way, there’s no fuss about travel, packing, timing, or getting lost, and you can do things from the comfort and familiarity of home while visiting some incredible local places, activities, and events. If you’re missing a reunion or holiday gathering, you can always join friends and family virtually, suggest a closer meeting point that’s more accessible, or offer to schedule another time for a personal setting.

Learn more about your options for memory care with individualized resources based on your needs through our 5-minute survey powered by Roobrik here.

At Life Enriching Communities (LEC), we’re committed to ensuring patrons feel well-equipped to plan their future and age how they wish. Explore more resources on senior living or contact us today to learn more about our legacy of services and programs that bring meaning and purpose to every stage of life.