Alzheimer's Care Travel Tips from Visiting Angels Kansas City

If you have a loved one who receives Alzheimer’s care in Kansas City, you know that traveling with a senior who has dementia can be challenging. At Visiting Angels^® Kansas City, our Alzheimer’s care program assists seniors and families in Kansas City, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Lenexa, Leawood, Mission, Shawnee, and the surrounding communities. We have come up with a few tips from our experience in Alzheimer’s care to help make traveling with your loved one as smooth an experience as possible.

Travel Tips for Seniors Who Receive Alzheimer's Care

Before you decide to travel with your loved one, it is important to consider whether or not travel will be beneficial for them. Those in the early stages of dementia may enjoy traveling to familiar places, but travel may simply be too overwhelming for others. If you do decide to travel with your loved one, take a look at the Alzheimer’s care travel tips Visiting Angels Kansas City has put together to help you prepare:

• Be especially vigilant about wandering. Being away from the Alzheimer's care routine in Kansas City and in a new environment that is difficult to navigate may lead your loved one to wander. It’s important to take safety precautions by enrolling your loved one in MedicAlert^® + Alzheimer's Association Safe Return^®.
• Keep important items on hand at all times. Carry a bag with you containing your loved one’s medications, an extra change of clothes, snacks and a water bottle, various activities, and a detailed travel itinerary.
• Bring extra copies of documents. Be sure to bring your loved one’s updated medical information, copies of any necessary legal documents, and an emergency contact list.
• Make sure others know where you are. Write out a detailed itinerary to give to your emergency contacts, including information about your accommodation choices. Also keep a copy of this itinerary with you.
• Take precautions with air travel. If you are flying to and from your destination, be sure to avoid tight connections and inquire about the airport’s escort services so that you can be sure you get where you are going. Stay next to your loved one at all times both in the airport and on the plane.

Does your loved one in Kansas City, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Lenexa, Leawood, Mission, Shawnee, or the surrounding communities require Alzheimer's care? Call Visiting Angels Kansas City today for more information about getting started with our Alzheimer's care program.