Travel

The most important thing to do when traveling with someone with Alzheimer's disease is to plan ahead and try to anticipate the person's needs so you'll be ready for any changes or problems. As you plan, be sure to consider the stage of the person's illness and any behaviors that may be affected by traveling away from home. You may want to try taking a short trip to see how he or she reacts to traveling. Here are a few other tips to consider:

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: Exercise your mind and body to fend of Alzheimer's Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control The miracles of brain repair America's Best Hospitals for Neurology and Neurosurgery See the top five websites for information about Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's patients still benefit from an early diagnosis Alzheimer's Disease-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

• Plan some activities for the person with Alzheimer's disease. Simple things--such as a magazine, a deck of cards, a favorite music tape, etc.--can help keep the person calm when traveling.
• Never leave a person with dementia alone in a car. When moving, be sure to keep the seat belt buckled and the doors locked.
• Plan regular rest stops.
• Bring an extra driver if your trip involves more than six hours of driving time.
• If the person becomes agitated while traveling in a car, stop at the first available place. Don't try to calm the person while driving.
• Consider planning your vacation at a place that is familiar to the person with Alzheimer's disease; for example, at a lake cabin that he or she has visited in the past.
• If your loved one is easily agitated, it may be wise to avoid places that are very crowded. You also may want to avoid fast-paced sightseeing trips.
• If your loved one has never been on a plane, it may be wise to consider driving, if possible.
• Alert the airlines and hotel staff that you are traveling with a person who is memory impaired. Make sure the person is carrying or wearing some sort of identification.
• Don't forget that your caregiving responsibilities continue, even though you are on vacation. It may help to bring someone along who can help you with these duties.