Traveling with alzheimers

[Woozle]

We are planning a trip to WDW for June. We have been once before 3 years ago. My dad who is traveling with us has late stage alzheimers, probably his last trip to a disney resort. We do take him to DLR (last there in Nov.) but there are major size differences between the resorts. Does anyone have any tips that might help us deal with this situation? We will also have 4 kids with us (ages 2, 8,9, & 10).
Thank you all for your help,

[ElenitaB]

My mom has Alzheimer's as well, and we've found that keeping her to a schedule works well. Not sure how advanced his disease is but one thing I'd want to keep in mind with my mom is to ensure that she gets enough rest (including an afternoon break) and making sure that she feels comfortable in the hotel room and knows where everything (and everyone) is.

Good luck and have a great vacation!

[DlandMommy]

I think loved ones of people with alzhiemers are the strongest people alive=Your father is very lucky to have a daughter like you to take him on this magical experienceWe have found giving my grandma a little trinket or toy to hold keeps her occupied every time she FINDS it again it excites herMaybe something disney relatedYesterday was her birthday and i gave her a new doll she loved it and it kept her busy Finding it over and over againHave fun

[kakn7294]

Be sure to bring familiar, beloved items from home to help your dad settle into the hotel a bit better - favorite pillow, blanket, etc. We also bring a nightlight - it's nice to have a little light in case you wake up in an unfamiliar environment in the middle of the night.

Try to stick to a schedule and don't tire him out too much. You may want to consider a wheelchair if there's going to be too much walking.

Be sure someone is assigned to be on "dad watch" at all times to prevent him from wandering off. If he does tend to wander (even at home), consider one of those wrist alarms that will beep if he gets too far away. If he can't remember information such as names and cell phone numbers, consider a dogtag or some sort of ID that has your cell # on it in case he does wander away.

[Woozle]

Thanks for the tips. We have those paper wrist bands to write his info on, we use them at DLR. We are just more worried because of the size of the parks and he likes to wander.

Thanks!