- There's something special about travelling. Experiencing a whole new world with different sights, sounds and smells, but since my diagnosis of younger-onset Alzheimer's, finding my way around airports and train stations is a challenge. And then, there's also the dilemma of getting around town if you've lost your driver's licence too. I'm Jim Rogers, and this is Hold the Moment, a podcast from Dementia Australia. You can listen to our full episode on travelling in your podcast app right now.
Maybe have a friend or family member help you access the episode if you need. This is a bonus episode to help with tips on how to get around town or take a trip. You can get advice from the National Dementia Helpline 24-hours a day, any day of the year. - I'm Kristin, an advisor on the National Dementia Helpline. When you call us, you'll speak to someone like me.
It can be frustrating coming up with new routines when you've been diagnosed with dementia, because you might remember a time when you could just decide to go to the shops and grab everything on your way out the door. It might take a little more planning now.
You might need to book the taxi in advance for the time that you want to be picked up, and if there's a time of day where you know that you can better organise yourself, that might be a good time to put the bags by the front door, you might put your grocery list in your shoes so that you really find it easier to take things with you.
One other trick is to keep things visible, so if you keep your grab bags in a place where you're likely to see them on your way, you're more likely to grab them as you go. If you're no longer able to drive after a diagnosis of dementia, it can feel like you've lost a piece of your identity, a piece of your spontaneity, and there's a grief involved with that.
There's also the important part of being out in the community, having your independence, being able to still engage in the things that you want to do In order to do that, you might need to make other plans. At Dementia Australia, we've got a webinar that talks about the impact of not being able to drive anymore, and that's something that you could check out on our website and get some further ideas for ways to get where you want to go and do the things that you want to do.
Even if you are not the one that's able to drive yourself there. It's really important that you're still able to get out into the community, and one of those ways might be using public transport. If using public transport is something that you do regularly, you may have already built a relationship with the bus driver, or you may regularly ask for the same taxi driver to help you get around. Those are great strategies for being able to give you confidence in navigating public transport.
If you're going to be going someplace new, it might be helpful to try the route a couple of times with a friend or family member that you trust. It might be helpful to print off a map or a list of the stops. It might also be helpful to plot ahead of time. If you do get lost, how will you get back to where you're going? Things always happen on public transport. You might get off at the wrong stop, or not quite be sure of what's going on, you can always ask for help.
Look for someone in a transport uniform or a high-vis vest, and just let them know you're not sure about what's going on. People are always willing to help, you just have to ask. If air travel is something that you're used to and familiar with, it might be quite easy to consider planning the trip. If this is your first time travelling by air, it might be helpful to have a travel companion come along with you.
Some things to consider when you're travelling in an airport is the time of day that you travel. You might have a time of day that's better for you, where you're feeling more confident in navigating new situations. It might also be that the airport you're going to has a time of day that's a little quieter. Many airlines and some airports do offer services such as greeting you, even at the door, to be able to help you navigate through the airport.
If that's something you think would be helpful for you, reach out to the airline or the airport to find out if that's something they offer. It can be helpful to bring the tools that you use in your day-to-day life with you along on your travels to help you navigate a new situation. If there are things that make you feel comfortable at home, a familiar pillowcase or a watch that always works for you, you want to make sure that you pack those.
If you use a nightlight to help you navigate to the bathroom at night, if you leave doors propped open, you might want to pack a nightlight or a door stop to help you continue to use the tools that you do at home while you're out on an adventure. If you've got any questions or you'd like support in making plans for travelling, you can contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. You'll get to speak to an advisor, someone like me. We're here 24-hours a day, every day of the year.