Mild dementia, short term memory loss. She says that she is OK to fly, I agreed to accompany her back. We've lined up an AL close to us. I'm trying to be very organized about this and wondering what all I'll need to have in place. We've been managing her bank account, etc., already. My biggest concern is traveling all day. One hour drive to the airport in NC then one hour drive to home on the MI end. One stop on the flight. Total travel time with driving, flight and layover would be more than 9 hours.
Keep her medications in your purse rather than packing them, in case the luggage is lost or your flights get delayed. If she uses Depends, have extras in your purse or carry-on for the same reason.
Can you somehow make it a direct flight? Even if that means driving to a different airport? Just concerned that if your first flight is late and you miss the connection, you'll be stuck for hours or even overnight in an airport which might be overwhelming for her and tiring for you. Or you might not be able to sit together if you have to be rebooked for the second flight.
If you do need to do the connection and miss it, or a flight is canceled, have the airline app on your phone so you can quickly rebook the flight yourself instead of waiting in line or on the phone for the airline to do it for you, while the people ahead of you get the available open seats.
Be prepared for the unexpected. It might be a good idea to up your mom's anxiety meds for the trip, if she takes them. If she doesn't, ask her doctor if it would be appropriate.
I hope you continue to contribute to this forum. Sharing your experience on a State -2- State move will be quite valuable to others.
I think the transport company is the way to go.
Let us know how it goes.
PS. I think flying is hard on able bodied people.
Not all insurance crosses state lines. If she has actual Medicare with a supplemental she should be fine, part D might not travel and if they do she may be paying more.
If she has a Medicare Advantage plan you need to find out if it travels, some are only for emergency care (their idea of what that means, not ours) outside of her county.
Another thing, doctors, does the AL have an in house doctor or will you be needing to find one?
I live in a place that you can not find a PCP because of the shortage, is your area the same?
Oh, if she has any dementia, change can and often does cause it to become worse and she may never recover from the step down. Just a heads up.
Best of luck with the move.
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