Traveling with Someone Who Has Dementia

Travel can remain an option when the person wants to go and the plan fits their needs. A short visit to family may be easier than a packed tour; a day trip may be better than an overnight stay. Ask what the person wants from the trip, then build a plan with room to pause or change it.

The Alzheimer’s Association travel guide and Dementia Australia’s travel advice both emphasize planning around the person’s comfort and routines. This guide offers general preparation ideas, not a decision about whether travel is safe for a particular person.

How do we decide if a trip is right for us?

Talk about the trip with the person, using familiar words and a simple description of where you are going and who will be there. If they do not want to go, accept that. You might plan a meal, a call or a familiar activity at home instead.

Think through what the person manages comfortably now. Consider how they respond to changes in routine, noise, crowds, walking distances, waiting and unfamiliar rooms. If several parts of the trip are likely to be difficult, simplify it or choose a different way to spend time together. Dementia Australia advises asking a doctor when you are unsure whether a journey fits the person’s health or support needs.

If the person has a new health concern, needs help with medicines, or has mobility needs that may change during travel, ask the appropriate health professional before booking. Do not stop, change or reschedule prescribed medicines for a trip without advice from the prescriber or pharmacist.

What kind of trip should we plan?

• Choose a familiar destination when possible. A place the person knows, or a visit with familiar people, may involve fewer changes than a new route and busy sightseeing schedule.
• Keep the route simple. Prefer fewer transfers and avoid tight connections. Check where the toilets, seating and quiet areas are before setting out.
• Travel at a good time of day. Plan around the person’s usual energy and daily rhythm. Leave time for meals, medication, rest and getting ready.
• Keep the schedule light. One main activity may be enough. Avoid booking every hour; leave space for delays or an early return.
• Ask about assistance before you go. Airlines, train companies, hotels and venues have different services and rules. Contact them early to ask about mobility support, seating, accessible toilets and help finding the right place.

The guide to calmer holidays has ideas for visits and family gatherings. If you are meeting relatives, our visiting guide covers conversation, short visits and how to leave without pressure.

What should we pack?

Keep a small travel bag with essentials that stay with a trusted companion rather than in checked luggage.

• Medication and health information. Bring the person’s usual medication in its original packaging, enough for the planned trip plus a reasonable delay, and an up-to-date medication list. Check current transport and destination rules before traveling with prescription medicines. Keep doses and timing as prescribed.
• Identification and contacts. Carry the person’s identification, the accommodation address, emergency contact details and a written itinerary. Where helpful and agreed, include a card with the caregiver’s contact information.
• Comfort items. Pack glasses, hearing aids and their batteries or charger, familiar snacks, water, tissues, a light layer and a change of clothes. A familiar object or photo may make an unfamiliar room feel easier to settle into.
• Copies of important details. Keep a paper or digital copy of tickets, bookings, insurance and relevant health information. Share the itinerary with a trusted person who is not traveling with you.

The amount of information to carry depends on the trip. Keep personal details secure and share them only with people who need them to provide assistance.

How can we make the travel day easier?

Tell the person what will happen next, one step at a time. Give extra time to get ready, check in, use the bathroom and move between places. If plans change, explain the next step simply rather than repeating a long itinerary.

Stay together in busy or unfamiliar places. If the person becomes tired or unsettled, stop in a quieter place, offer water or a familiar activity, and decide together whether to continue. Do not leave the person alone in an unfamiliar setting where they could become confused or distressed.

If you are flying or using a large station, ask the provider what assistance is available and how to request it. Procedures can change, so confirm details directly with the airline, station or venue before travel. Do not rely on an old checklist for current security or accessibility rules.

What is a useful backup plan?

Decide in advance what you will do if the person wants to leave, the trip runs late or someone needs a rest. Choose one contact person who can help by phone. Keep the accommodation address and return route easy to find, and know where you can sit quietly or use a bathroom.

If you need to shorten the trip, do so. A missed attraction or an early return is not a failure. If travel becomes stressful, choose a calmer activity when you get home. The communication guide has ideas for speaking calmly and giving one piece of information at a time.

Should we tell the hotel or travel provider?

If the person agrees, tell staff only what they need to know to offer useful help. For example, you might ask the hotel to note a mobility need or request an accessible room. If the person does not want their diagnosis shared, discuss another way to ask for assistance that protects their privacy.

For a longer trip, keep the person’s usual meals, sleep and medication timing as close to normal as the schedule allows. Plan an unhurried first day and leave time to rest after you return. Small, familiar choices can make the trip easier to adjust to.