Season is coming to an end and summer is coming. Here are some tips by our Savvy Caregiver instructors, Jan and Riley
Items to bring:
- Fidget toys, magazines, or other things your person can use to stay busy while traveling
- Pack plenty of snacks and water
o Flying can cause dehydration, ensure your person is drinking water - Updated copies of Power of Attorney documents
- Bring a picture of the destination or a picture of the family you will be visiting
- Pack a recent photograph or have one readily available on your phone
- Bring a change of clothes, wet wipes and adult diapers in case of an accident
Caregiving Considerations and Tips:
- Maintain your person’s daily routine as best as you can
- If flying, call the airline ahead of time to inform them your person has dementia, see what ac-commodations they can make to make the traveling process as smooth as possible
- Make a fun music playlist for the long drive and reminisce about the songs with your person
- Be aware of the warning signs that your person may be anxious, agitated, or uncomfortable
- If your person does become anxious or agitated while you are driving, pull over to the side of the road and allow them time to relax and calm down
- Stay close by your person at the airport and ensure they have some sort of identification on them in case they become lost
- Include rest periods during long travel days
- Consider past travel experiences, if they have never been on a plane, now would not be a good time to start
- Make sure your person is using the toilet every two hours
- When planning the day, only provide two or three choices and be prepared to let go of any plans if your person is having a bad day
- Keep expectations realistic
- In you are visiting a new place, your person may not understand where you are going or why
- Consider having more than one care partner share your responsibilities, ask family for help and support
- Try to travel during less busy times
- Make sure your person wears slip on shoes at the airport and allow sufficient time to get through airport
Comments are closed