Travel

Val D. · November 18

My DH is about 5 years into it now, he was a very active, intelligent man. Now he mostly sleeps and watches TV. We have always traveled to Arizona from Mn. to avoid the harsh winters. We did share the driving but now of course, I do all of it. But Im worried how he will do on 4-5 days of travel and motels. I've read that unfamiliar surroundings will confuse those dealing with Alz. So far, he's been mild mannered but he has had a temper in the past and I worry about being on the road if he gets too upset. We have a place there but he is constantly confused on which place he's in. And of course the repeated question will drive me nuts. "How much gas do we have?" Over and over.... Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Quilting brings calm · November 18

if you choose to go, do two things: 1) call his doctor ( a neurologist is best if you have one, else PCP) and request sedatives and something to calm him. 2). Ask someone to go with you - offer to fly them home after you get there. You will need someone to help you supervise him while you are in the hotels, going to the bathroom, getting gas etc. You don’t want him getting agitated and wandering off.

SDianeL · November 18

people with dementia have been known to open a car door while the car is moving. So I would have him sit in the back seat on the passenger side. Use the child locks. Getting him to jeep the seals belt on may be a challenge. Ditto on having someone go with you. You won’t be able to let him go in a bathroom alone. Travel is difficult but not impossible.

harshedbuzz · November 18

@Val D.—

It might be time to reconsider your snow-birding lifestyle and pick a lane.

For many, moving a PWD from a familiar place and routine can result in a worsening of symptoms and ability to function. The increasing likelihood of having medical issues, for you both, can bring risks as well. It might be time to be full-time in one home (ideally where you have the most support) and rent or sell the other depending on whether you'd split the year in stage 8.

My parents used to snowbird between MD and FL. It was great early on, but as dad hit the middle stages (undiagnosed, I might add, in part because of continuity of care glitches) it became riskier. The last winter there, mom wasn't feeling well. I was checking in daily from 1000 miles away. When she didn't answer I'd call dad and he'd give me some plausible but conflated story— she was napping, at Publix or at the pool with friends. Once a couple days went by with no answer, so I called local police for a well check. Dad assured them they were fine. Three days later I got a call from the local hospital. Mom was in autoimmune liver failure. Dad was too impaired to recognize how sick she was— and the woman was the color of a school bus— and advocate for her care. He even ignored medical advice to take her to the ED; a neighbor did. With caregiver roles reversed, mom nearly died in his care.

That said, if you have a team in AZ and wish to make the trip, flying with a 3rd party might be best. An adult son, brother of friend would be handy for bathroom visits. You can register with TSA Cares and ship a car ahead of time. I suspect the cost would be a wash with 4 nights in hotels and meals on the road.

HB

JDancer · November 19

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/258713#Comment_258713

If your Dr prescribes any new meds, trial them at home before traveling so you know how they will affect your LO.

I haven't travelled with my spouse for 2 years because the last trip didn't go well and he's declined significantly since then

JulietteBee · November 19

After recently having gone on a 12-hour roadtrip with my pwd, I would NEVER recommend you do that.

On our way back home, my person's brain went on auto-play. For FIVE whole hours she kept telling us that we needed to turn around because we were going in the wrong direction.💔

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