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Some US airports strive to make flying more inclusive for those with dementia

Carol Giuliani, who is a member of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working group and works as a travel companion for seniors with dementia, walks through Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after bringing a client from Minnesota Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Phoenix. “Ninety percent of the time it’s a family member that hires me,” said Giuliani, 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.” (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Carol Giuliani, who is a member of the Dementia-Friendly Airports Working group and works as a travel companion for seniors with dementia, walks through Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after bringing a client from Minnesota Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Phoenix. “Ninety percent of the time it’s a family member that hires me,” said Giuliani, 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.” (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

By TERRY TANG / Associated Press August 31, 2023 6 min read

PHOENIX (AP) — 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.