Traveling for the Holidays

Our Thanksgiving holiday went extremely well. We spent five+ days in Michigan visiting Gregory's family. It was great to spend time together on the road and to be away from home and the accompanying errands and chores.

While in Michigan, I was extra attentive to Gregory's needs, tried very hard to anticipate problem areas and/or times, helped keep him organized in the guest room where we stayed, planned ahead to make sure I brought everything he would need when I packed.


I made sure that I assured him he was doing well and that he could count on me at any time including waking me up at night if necessary. Our family is well aware of Gregory's situation with Alzheimer's and how to interact with him in a way that maintains a calm atmosphere is supportive, respectful, and easy for him to navigate.

I took care of myself by exercising, not eating too much of the wonderful Thanksgiving food, and arranging to spend some of the time away from Gregory. It was good for him to spend time alone with his nephew and for me to get out with our niece to do lunch, Christmas shopping, and antiquing. One day Gregory and our niece went for a long walk a the nearby forest. I had that time to myself.


The holiday itself was spent his Gregory's brother and sister-in-law, nephew and his wife, niece and her daughter. Dinner was delicious, multi-coursed, and we didn't have to do any of the work. Time with his family is always enjoyable (even with family ups and downs.)

When back home, I was extra alert to what I call "re-entry." Very often it is not being away from home that causes Gregory trouble but rather arriving back home and his trying to get back into routines and home habits. I have learned to have few or no expectations for Gregory for the first few days home.


I will not ask him to do much even of those things he can do like folding laundry and setting the table. I unpack, do the laundry, and put things away. When he has problems readjusting I assure him that, "It is just the re-entry." That makes him feel better. When he wants to help I suggest, "Why not just relax for now. Go have some coffee and read your book."

Most of the above knowledge has not been easily gained and not instantly. It has taken time, observations, trial and error, apologies for being impatient and at times rude. But things, for now, seem to work well when we travel to visit family both for the holidays and other times as well.