Can a person with dementia fly on an airplane?
Many people in very early stages of dementia can fly on an airplane, though I find that careful planning may be necessary to keep the flight as calm and organized as possible.
However, as dementia progresses, it would be wise to avoid air travel. These days, air travel is stressful enough for those of us who can understand our surroundings. As the brain deteriorates with dementia, making sense of surroundings becomes difficult. Noise, crowds of people and the hurry of getting on and off of planes can be disturbing to someone with dementia.
Also, many people with dementia become paranoid. Can you imagine being searched during security if you were paranoid about strangers, anyway? People in later stages are sometimes aggressive when frightened, which would be a huge problem on a plane.
I’d say a person with dementia can fly on an airplane, if they are in a very early stage. Otherwise, it’s wise to find a calmer mode of transportation, if possible.
