Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia
Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old 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 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 available at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and what assistance airlines can offer when asked. It was the first time the city of Phoenix hosted such a workshop, making it the latest U.S. city pledging to make flying friendlier for people with dementia. Over 14m people are expected to check into airports nationwide for Labor Day weekend and, inevitably, some will be travelers with dementia or another cognitive impairment. Nearly a dozen airports — from Phoenix to Kansas City, Missouri — in the last few years have modified their facilities and operations to be more dementia-friendly, advocates say. They've added amenities like quiet rooms and a simulation center where travelers with dementia can learn about flying or get a refresher. Looking for a gate, trying to remember flight times or following terse commands from TSA agents while in line with others can overwhelm someone with dementia. Symptoms like forgetting words can be mistaken for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. But most large US airports are behind the curve on serving travelers with dementia when compared with some airports in Australia 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 education teacher and founder of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group, which lobbies for airports and airlines to enact dementia-inclusive policies. Part of the reason she suspects there aren't more quiet rooms or family restrooms with adult changing tables is because that doesn't generate revenue, she said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-08-31/general/some-us-airports-strive-to-make-flying-more-inclusive-for-those-with-dementia
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Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia
Andrea Nissen is trying to prepare her 65-year-old 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 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 available at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and what assistance airlines can offer when asked. It was the first time the city of Phoenix hosted such a workshop, making it the latest U.S. city pledging to make flying friendlier for people with dementia. Over 14m people are expected to check into airports nationwide for Labor Day weekend and, inevitably, some will be travelers with dementia or another cognitive impairment. Nearly a dozen airports — from Phoenix to Kansas City, Missouri — in the last few years have modified their facilities and operations to be more dementia-friendly, advocates say. They've added amenities like quiet rooms and a simulation center where travelers with dementia can learn about flying or get a refresher. Looking for a gate, trying to remember flight times or following terse commands from TSA agents while in line with others can overwhelm someone with dementia. Symptoms like forgetting words can be mistaken for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. But most large US airports are behind the curve on serving travelers with dementia when compared with some airports in Australia 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 education teacher and founder of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working Group, which lobbies for airports and airlines to enact dementia-inclusive policies. Part of the reason she suspects there aren't more quiet rooms or family restrooms with adult changing tables is because that doesn't generate revenue, she said.<br/>
