Anyone ever attempted an RV trip with a cognitively impaired spouse???

RetiredTeacher · July 18

Leaving soon in an RV trip to the Oregon Coast. I have realistic expectations and am hoping for 1 more trip up the Oregon Coast. We have many great memories of previous trips and hoping to take one more trip together while he still remembers. Bitter sweet for sure but wanting to do it for him and for me. Anyone RV'd with their spouse? If so. How did it go??

M5M · July 18

Good luck! I think its good that you have done similar things in the past and know you enjoy it. We are going on a land trip in August, for a sort of " last hurrah". Part of me is anxious about what might go wrong, the other part prays he is in good enough form to do well.

orth · July 18

orth · July 18

we have the same situation. Would love to take a trip.in our RV. I am planning a couple of short two day trips to test the waters. DW started some meds that have masked some of her symptoms so thought we would just give it a test. If she is comfortable we will try longer trips.

Rick4407 · July 18

My first question is who's driving? Are there essential things your LO must do to set up and take down? I've not done an RV trip though we did do longer car trip. I would recommend that you stay flexible, do short trips first and have low expectations. My experience is that dementia only goes one way… While there are plateau's there are also sudden drops. Good luck and enjoy what time you have. Rick

Stan2 · July 18

We have taken two trips since her diagnosis and plan another next month. Things have changed. She is no longer the navigator. She is unable to follow along on the map. She often doesn't know what state we are in. She still enjoys the trip, the travel, the sights and staying in the motorhome. I never leave her anywhere by herself and I frequently need to remind her to be a little conservative with water but she enjoys it and we will continue as long as we can.

Gig Harbor · July 18

For me the biggest concern when travelling with my husband ( and what stopped all our traveling) was his wandering. He could become totally turned around and not know which direction he had come from. I couldn’t leave him standing outside a restroom while I went into it. I also worried about what he would do if I were to become injured. He would not have been able to accompany me to an ER because he would have gotten lost going to the restroom. Staff would not have the resources to help him navigate the hospital. He couldn’t have helped setting up and taking down our campsites. The workload fell totally on me and it took the pleasure out of the trips. I did all the driving and navigating and that was OK even if it was stressful. We stayed home the last 4 years of his life and it was much easier. When he went into memory care i took a vacation by myself. It was lonely but I enjoyed the freedom to just care for myself. Since his death I have taken trips with friends and I have enjoyed them. I have to add that he forgot all trips upon arriving home. The day after an 18 day trip I mentioned it and he had no idea what I was talking about. He enjoyed himself in the moment but had no remembrance of it. Good luck.

PookieBlue · July 18

Dear Retired Teacher,

I am planning a 3 to 4 week trip from Washington State to Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa. I have taken this trip in a 40 foot RV towing our jeep 3 or 4 times in the past 5 or six years with only myself, DH and two small dogs. My DH is not capable of any help at all and needs constant supervision. I do everything, planning and executing, managing any mechanical problems we have. Absolutely everything. It’s been two years since our last trip. This time I will have my youngest sister and possibly my daughter with me so at least I will have companionship. There are always challenges traveling with a PWD, but in our case, he occasionally thinks he is the RV when we are in our house kitchen. I know he will be a little lost using the RV bathroom, but it’s no different than at home. This may be our last trip, but I hope to scale down to a much smaller RV. These trips are overwhelming, but when I finally arrive at destinations and have set everything up, I can somewhat relax. I take him to visit his older sister who also has dementia.

RetiredTeacher · July 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/216167#Comment_216167

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/216199#Comment_216199

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/216167#Comment_216167

Wishing you the best and some good memories to hold onto. This may be our last hurrah, which knows? I just want to make some more memories.,hopefully good memories, before they are no longer posdible.

RetiredTeacher · July 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/216203#Comment_216203

I'm driving. DH lost his license after last stroke in Feb. It is a lot of work doing it all myself. We downsized from a Class A to a Class C and don't tow any more. We took 2 successful local e night trips so this is our first out if state. He is still with it enough to enjoy the trip and thankfully still uses the toilet on his own and doesn't wander. We will continue to go as long as the pleasure outweighs the pain and make as many memories as we can. As this progresses, we may have dinners in the RV parked on the side yard, he won't know the difference.

Anyone ever attempted an RV trip with a cognitively impaired spouse???

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