Can my loved one with dementia travel?

 Advice

• Use wheelchairs at airports
• Take medication on board
• Turn down hearing aids during take off noise
• Sit near toilet if risk of incontinence or use diapers
• Take adequate travel insurance include medical return

It is not advise to travel went badly in these situations

• Dementia was unrecognised or undiagnosed
• Untreated BPSD
• No travel advice give
• Long haul by themselves
  Source: Perkins and Hancock

Care giver related issues

• Can you cope with it or not?
• If you feel embarrassed when patient does something inappropriate
• If care giver cannot adapt with new environments, then better don’t go.
• If care giver does not do a good planning, good discussion
• Think the trip to familiar places will be just like it used to be

Avoid overnight travel 

• For incontinence loved one is willing to wear diapers, then it is fine to travel overnight
• If patient can’t recognise caregiver
• Not listen to caregiver

 Recommendation

• Travel companions
• General health advice-medication and how to use it
• Itinerary suggestion
• Reduce stimulation – go for more quite place
• Don’t leave it too late/do you really want to go?
• carry medical information/insurance
• Try not to take sleeping pills
• Do you preparation well

The Flight

• Plan for jet lag – 3 hours difference max is better. If have long haul, then find airline with stopovers, max travel is about 3-4 hours flight time
• Travel during daylight is better
• Plan for sleep at destination, stopovers, maybe take hypnotic.

The Airline

• Inform airline
• Ask for help include wheelchair to avoid queues
• Good to take business class

Information should bring along

• Carry ID
• Doctor’s letter and clinical information
• How to contact usual doctor via email, may be can bring pain killer.
• Education for caregiver

 General health

• Avoid dehydration
• No alcohol
• Have enough food

Decision to go?

• Is it worth it? For whose benefit is travel? Should PWD stay behind? You must be realistic when the PWD fits to go for travel.
• Do it now/don’t travel with advanced dementia
• Avoid if BPSD/mentally unstable
• Avoid if physical unwell
• Caregivers often exhausted by journey and PWD has forgotten most of it.
• Request a rental car the same colour as the car at home