Did You know That There Are Cruises Made For People With Dementia and Their Caregivers?

Being a caregiver is such a rewarding but incredibly difficult job for anyone. When we are helping care for someone and many times a family member, we are seeing many difficult aspects of what they are suffering and the constant needs can be overwhelming. One thing that often happens is that caregivers have to be available at all times and with Dementia and other types of senior illness it becomes almost impossible to take a vacation or get away because there is nobody else to take care of your loved one while you are gone.

I participated in a senior event this past summer and was pleasantly surprised to learn about a travel agency that creates cruises for people with Dementia and other common senior issues, as well as their caregivers. The cruises are to all the same places you might think about going on your own and are offered throughout the year. The cruises have a registered nurse and include daily respite sessions that are designed for dementia and multi-generational travel. Families and their caregivers are all invited to travel together. They have activities for people with a variety of health and cognitive issues. It is a very unique concept and allows people to be surrounded by others going through the same things while allowing everyone the joy of a vacation to remember.

A variety of medical and mobility devices are available for rental during the cruise as well. I am in know way connected to this company at all but I have never seen anything like this before and think it is an incredible gift for caregivers and their families. You can check out their website at www.ElitecruisesAndVacationsTravel.com. The owner is Kathryn Speer Shoaf who is a registered nurse herself. I enjoyed getting to know her at this event and found her to be a warm and knowledgeable person about the needs of seniors and caregivers.