Vacation Safety Tips

After spending a substantial amount of time in social distancing and isolation, this summer may lead you more than usual to want to journey to visit friends and family, or even to simply experience a change of scenery in addition to some pleasant activities. And if you provide care for a family member with Alzheimer’s or dementia, having a senior loved one accompany you may be a viable option, with some preplanning.

These vacation safety tips, from the professional dementia care team at Absolute Companion Care, are the ideal starting point.

  • Don’t rush. Pack a reasonable amount of additional time in your itinerary to allow you to move at the pace that is most comfortable for the senior, in order to provide plenty of downtime once you reach your destination, allowing her or him to relax and adapt to the change.
  • Pack paperwork. If you do not already have a document in place that outlines all of your loved one’s medications, doctor and emergency contact info, allergies, etc., now is the time for you to create one, and bring a copy with you.
  • Include identification. Make sure that your family member wears an ID band, or that his / her clothing, shoes, luggage, etc. are labeled clearly with his or her name and an emergency contact number. A list of the senior’s medical conditions should be tucked into his / her wallet as well.
  • Stay close to home. It’s best for someone with dementia to limit travel time to ideally no more than 4 hours. When your journey requires a longer time in transit, bring along another trusted family member, or a professional caregiver from Absolute Companion Care, to help.
  • Aim for familiarity. Unfamiliar settings are often especially disturbing for a senior with dementia. Bringing along items from home that bring comfort, such as his or her bed quilt, pajamas, pillow, etc. will help. Maintaining a schedule that’s close to the older adult’s normal routine can be a good idea, such as maintaining set times for meals and bed.
  • Be reasonable. Match your expectations to the reality associated with the older adult’s current stage of the disease. If she or he is experiencing hallucinations, aggressive behavior, wandering, and significant confusion, it’s potentially best to keep your senior loved one at home.

Absolute Companion Care, provider of expert in-home care in Cockeysville, MD and surrounding areas, is happy to provide an experienced professional respite caregiver to allow you to travel while a senior loved one remains safe at home, or even provide accompaniment for the senior to enable you to completely enjoy your time away while knowing his or her needs will be fully met away from home.

Email or call us at 410-357-9640 and let us help both you and the senior you love with Alzheimer’s disease to enjoy new and rewarding experiences this summer. Learn more about our top-rated in-home care in Cockeysville and the surrounding communities.