The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dementia patients finding airports friendlier
At some, traveling during holiday will be more inclusive.
PHOENIX — Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-yearold husband, who has Alzheimer’s disease, for a solo flight from Arizona to Oklahoma to visit family. She worries about travelers and airport officials misinterpreting his forgetfulness or habit of getting in people’s personal space, and she feels guilty about not being able to accompany him.
“People say, ‘He has dementia. You can’t let him go by himself,’ ” Nissen said.
But attending a dementia-friendly travel workshop in July helped ease some of those fears. She learned about the resources avail- able at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and what assistance airlines can offer when asked.
It was the first time Phoenix hosted such a workshop, making it the latest U.S. city pledging to make flying friendlier for people with dementia.
More than 14 million people were expected to check in to airports nationwide for Labor Day weekend, and, inevitably, some are travelers with dementia or another cognitive impairment. Nearly a dozen airports — from Phoenix to Kansas City, Missouri — in the past few years have modi- fied their facilities and oper- ations to be more demen- tia-friendly, advocates say. They’ve added amenities like quiet rooms and a simulation center where travelers with dementia can learn about fly- ing or get a refresher.
Looking for a gate, trying to remember flight times or following terse commands from Transportation Security Administration agents while in line with others can over- whelm someone with demen- tia. Symptoms like forgetting words can be mistaken for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
But most large U.S. airports are behind the curve on serving travelers with dementia when compared with some airports in Aus- tralia and Europe. Dementia isn’t covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, so nobody is compelled by law to make changes, said Sara Barsel, a former special edu- cation teacher and founder of the Dementia-friendly Air- ports Working Group, which lobbies for airports and airlines to enact dementia-in- clusive policies.
Part of the reason she sus- pects there aren’t more quiet rooms or family restrooms with adult changing tables is that doesn’t generate rev- enue, she said.
“I don’t know what their constraints are in terms of economics. I know what the impact is, and the impact is that there’s less for people who need quiet spaces,” said Barsel, who is based in Ros- eville, Minn. The group, which was founded in 2018 by experts in dementia and Alzheimer’s, helped add lanyard and other programs to airports. Lon- don’s Gatwick Airport created the Hidden Disabili- ties Sunflower lanyard pro- gram in 2016, which is now in over 200 airports globally.
A light-green lanyard with a sunflower pattern is issued to anyone who wants to sub- tly indicate they or a travel companion has dementia or a not-as-visible disabil- ity. The lanyards let airport and airline personnel know the traveler may need infor- mation repeated and more attention.
One of the first airports the group reached out to was the Missoula Montana Airport, which became certified as a “sensory inclusive” facility in March. The group went over issues that can arise with lighting, floor design and noise. It also incorporated the sunflower lanyards.
“It’s already a highstress, anxiety-driven environment for anyone not suffering from a hidden disability,” airport Deputy Director Tim Damrow. “One reason peo- ple come here to Montana is for friendly people and obvi- ously for the amazing scen- ery. We wanted to make sure that everyone is welcomed and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Dallas Fort Worth Inter- national Airport is launch- ing the sunflower lanyard program in mid-september. All employees who interact with customers and volun- teer ambassadors will receive formal training on how to engage with travelers don- ning the lanyards. Its incep- tion has been a long-time coming, according to air- port spokesperson Heath Montgomery.
“We’re continuing to evolve the way we interact with customers from all walks of life,” Montgom- ery said.
Jan Dougherty, a registered nurse who has written a book on traveling with dementia and led the Phoenix work- shop, said it’s unfortunate that people with dementia have gone missing. With the right support, she said they can travel safely.
“So many people early on (after diagnosis) are capable of travel with some accommodation,” she said. “We’re still an ageist society.”
The need for accommodations will become more prevalent as more Americans move into retirement age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts nearly 10 million adults among those 65 years or older will have dementia by 2060. Experts, however, say dementia often is underdiagnosed. Similarly, more than 6 million people nationwide have Alzheimer’s disease, which is expected to hit 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Carol Giuliani, who is part of the airports working group, can testify to the growing need. For the past eight years, she has worked as a travel companion for seniors with dementia. She has accompanied them on flights, vacations or relocations in 42 states and 12 foreign countries. Giuliani wears a company jacket and has a sunflower lanyard for her client. She also has explanation cards for security agents to “put a little TLC in the TSA.”
“Ninety percent of the time, it’s a family member that hires me,” Giuliani said while seated at Phoenix Sky Harbor after escorting an elderly man on a flight. “The one I did today, (the wife) was like, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you!’... I know how to pace it so that he gets safely and comfortably back home.”
‘So many people early on (after diagnosis) are capable of travel with some accommodation. We’re still an ageist society.’ Jan Dougherty, a registered nurse who has written a book about traveling with dementia