Caregivers of travelers with dementia – a neglected travel population

Extract

As life expectancy increases, the aging population increases, and with it, age-related illnesses including dementia. By 2030, 66 million people are expected to live with dementia worldwide.¹ Most people living with dementia are cared for by informal (unpaid) caregivers, usually adult children or spouses who are older or even elderly themselves. The literature provides ample evidence of ‘caregiver burden’^2,3 due to various factors relating to caregiver and care recipient.

At the same time, tourism has increased tremendously with the industry catering for the ever-growing senior market. These products also allow many travellers with dementia to enjoy travel while it is still possible when accompanied by a caregiver. In other cases, the caregiver wishes or has to travel and has to take the person with dementia along. Only recently have travellers with a disability appeared in the travel medicine literature⁴; the appreciation of travellers specifically with dementia is still lacking.

Travel medicine’s remit extends from pre- to post-travel care, such as vaccinations and travel health advice, to the attendance to the traveller returning with health problems. In clinical practice, this care would extend to the special needs of the traveller with dementia. Anecdotal evidence suggests neglect when it comes to the inclusion of the special needs of the caregiver who travels with the burden of caring for the travel companion and may return home exhausted, depressed, distressed, and disappointed.