anyone have experience touring WDW with someone that has Alzheimer's?

[disneyberry]

my grandmother has Alzheimer's, but is still in the early to mid stages of it.
she has not yet progressed to the point where she needs to be in a nursing home, but she does now require supervision much like a child requires supervision.
plus she exhibits some wandering and sundowning symptoms, and has had a few hysterical outbreaks when she is prevented from going out to wander.

i want my grandma to come with my family to WDW this December.
she has never been to WDW, and i am sure she will enjoy it very much, with the beautiful decorations and everything.

but, i am worried about what Park Attractions she is capable of handling. i'm sure it is overwhelming enough for many older senior citizens: the amazing special effects, and high-tech rides, etc.
i worry that many of the attractions will be too much stimulation for my grandma to handle. or that some attractions may seem too real for her, and may startle her.
i don't think that following the guidelines for children will necessarily work in this case, as children today are growing and learning, and are used to this high-tech world.
but all these new things must be hard to take in, for some elderly visitors, don't you think?

if anyone has any experience with this kind of situation, could you provide some tips for what Attractions (Rides, Shows, other things to do in WDW) might be best?

thank you!

 

[SueM in MN]

I see you did not get any answers yet, so I'll add some information and bump this up for you. I don't have any personal experience with someone with Alzheimers, but being a nurse, I have some ideas. A lot of her needs would be similar to the needs of some of the people with autism who visit WDW.
First, I'd suggest to get a wheelchair for her even if she can walk just fine. The wheelchair becomes her "safe haven" and also a way to keep her from wandering off on you. If you rent a "companion chair" from off-site, she would not be able to take off on you in the chair, since that type of chair has four small wheels instead of 2 small and 2 large wheels. One thing to remember is to make sure the wheelchair is always locked when she gets in or out of it.
Then, for the rides and attractions, think of things that are loud or might startle her. For example, parts of the Great Movie Ride might be too real for her, as well as rides like the Maelstrom in Norway (trolls tell you to go back over the falls). A book called WDW for Kids, by Kids gives a lot of insight into rides from the standpoint of what might be scary or loud. Some rides that you might not think about (like Small World) have a lot of stimulation, with all the movement, colors and that song that keeps repeating. You might want to bring some earplugs for the loud or repetitive rides to help her cope with them. Things she might really enjoy would be the parades or even just sitting and people watching.
This website has a lot of information that might be helpful, especially the info about touring with "sensitive" kids.
Good luck and let us know how things went when you get back.

 

[shoes99]

My Mom had early onset Alzheimer's. When she was 67 we went to Tampa for the World Roller Skating Championships, then we drove to Disney. It was the last trip we took together and it was happy and sad.
If your hotel room opens to the outside, make sure it is fastened with the double locks. Mom got up in the middle of the night and attempted to go outside.
Keep the pace slow, she didn't need a wheelchair so we walked alot. She used to stop children to say hello, she didn't know that she couldn't take their hand or tap them on the head, so stay close. I did have to quickly tell the parent that my Mom was sick so they understood.
I took her into all the shows and all the family rides, no mountains.
We went to Sea World and I wanted to go on the motion simulator. I took her with me. She did ok. She had no idea or concept of the ride, only that she was with ME.
Since her attention span was so short, we ate mostly at fast food counters..
The best advice, do not let her out of your site, even for a second and you will have a great time.
Michele
PS: Mom died last year at the age of 79.

 

[LindaR]

I have to say that you are a brave soul.

I took my mom (dementia) home to Columbus the year before she entered a nursing home. This was a place VERY familiar to her (lived most of our lives there).

The traveling, sightseeing, noise, etc. was alot more than mom could handle. She stayed upset most of the time.

Each person is different or handles the different stages their own way. Just be prepared in case WDW is "too much" for her. She may say that she will be just fine, but when you are actually there she may react differently.

Good luck!

 

[Pooh1219]

Before my "surrogate" mom passed away 2 years ago, she suffered from dementia for about a year. I learned so much about the condition and how to deal with its many aspects.

Although you may want to bring your grandma, it may not be best for her. Change in any shape or form can be immediate triggers for more confusion and disorientation, not to mention what stimulation can do. Only you can judge your grandmother's condition and what she can handle, but my experience showed me that maintaining the norm as much as possible, constant reassurance and stability, helped in some instances but certainly not all. Once an episode started, it sometimes took hours to calm her down again. Please think carefully before exposing her to too much. Whatever your decision, best of luck to you and your family.