I'm wondering if any of you have gone on vacation with your elderly parent. I don't find myself needing to get away from HIM, so much as I just need to get away. Dad has early to mid-stage dementia, so I'm thinking a condo or townhome would be better than a hotel room. He gets around okay and likes to walk, but within reason for a 78-year old man with bad hips and knees. We'd like something near a city (casinos a plus) but somewhere that we could unwind quietly at night.
try looking for a bed and breakfast since they often have porches to relax on. I imagine you could also call a chamber of commerce or business association of some kind that will direct you to someplace nice in their town.
how about a town or two with a small museum ?
rent a wheelchair. They can fold and go behind the seat or in the trunk of the car.
if you listen to the negative opinions you can be denying some nice last memories of time spent with your dad.
I have found asking for a handicap room gives you lots of space and easy access to the casino and restaurants.
I took my mom and aunt to mesquite, NV and it was great for them, both gambler's, but nothing for me to do outside except golf and that's no fun alone.
So deciding what you want to do will help you decide where to go.
I am close to your Dad's age, without the bad hips and knees, and I found I don't have the energy to sight-see like I use to. My gosh, I use to walk all day long, but that ship has sailed a couple of years ago. My walking trips now are down the driveway to the mailbox.
Except, you have to bring everything and no facilities in cabin. Showers available in the park.
We love them and have an induction cooker and 2 cubic feet freezer that we take to make ice for our food cooler and freeze any fish or crawdads we catch. Oh yeah, we bring our laptop and some DVDs for crummy weather.
Great idea. My dad loved these types of trips.
Your situation isn't like mine, but being 100% responsible in a new environment isn't the same as being responsible at home. Some people say, "don't do it," but hopefully, you know what you & he can handle: Does he get anxious easily? Can he go to a public rest room on his own? How much activity can he take (walking, for example)? Does he need naps? Can he use a cell phone in case you get separated? Renting a wheelchair is a great idea. This won't be much of a get-away for you because you'll be on call 24/7, unless you get someone to go with you & share the responsibility. If you think you & he can handle it, make it a short trip & not too far away.
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