“There’s still so much that’s possible, including going on vacation” writes Annick Germeys, member of the European Dementia Carers Working Group

27/12/2024

My husband Geert and I both love to travel. For Geert, who was diagnosed a few years ago with young-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type, it’s quite an experience. He really wants to keep traveling for many more years, but at the airport, we run into his limitations. What used to be easy and routine for years has now become stressful and difficult. Everything needs to go smoothly and quickly, but for people with Alzheimer’s, that’s no longer so simple. To make this more comfortable for Geert, I began searching for solutions. I contacted Brussels Airlines at Brussels Airport to ask if there was a special process for people with young-onset dementia who are still physically very capable (don’t need extra assistance or a wheelchair) but who, even with support, get overwhelmed by stress and find it harder to function smoothly. I asked what they could do to help with the security process, where in Brussels there can easily be hundreds of people ahead of you in line, all impatient to start their holiday. The last few times we flew, we also had additional checks at the security . Coincidence? Geert can appear very nervous because he doesn’t always understand the staff’s instructions, which I think may trigger suspicion. This causes him enormous stress. Simple things, like taking off his belt or watch, become difficult. Boarding and getting on the plane is also stressful — people push in the line, and others become impatient because things aren’t going as quickly as they’d like. And if you're unlucky, you don’t sit next to each other on the plane unless you pay extra. Luckily, we received a quick response from the medical service at Brussels Airlines. We are very grateful to Brussels Airlines for this. 

Their approach really deserves a compliment. Here’s what we could expect: 

• Seats at the front of the plane, next to each other 

• A separate line at security 

• Priority boarding 

• Disembark last We found these adjustments to be truly special. 

The calm at security, the understanding, the reduced stress for my partner — it made a huge difference compared to our previous trip. Everything went smoothly. It’s wonderful that this is available to us. One small comment: because Geert doesn’t appear to have any obvious disabilities — no wheelchair, still mobile — I had to explain each time to every new person we met what his limitation was. How can we make this process smoother in the future, so we don’t have to explain each time that there is indeed a limitation? I will definitely share this feedback with Brussels Airlines so they can continue working on this. We hope that other airlines and airports will follow this example, so they too can tailor their services to the needs of people with dementia. We now have the European Disability Card — can we also expand its use to transportation? I’m happy that - just before our trip - I received a questionnaire from Alzheimer Europe asking Geert, as a person with dementia, about his experience with accessibility at airports. I’m very curious to see how Europe will take further steps in this regard and reduce barriers for people with dementia, so they can still enjoy a carefree trip.