There are an increasing number of “sandwich generation” caregivers, typically female family members, who are caring for their children as well as their aging parents. In this light, I would imagine that there will be increasing numbers of families who wish to vacation together and enjoy the good times.

From what I can tell from the market now, is that the main options for families in this position are to:

1. Put the person with dementia into an institution while the family goes on vacation (many long-term care facilities will take a person with dementia for a week of respite for the caregivers), and will cost an average in the US of $3000 for the week.
2. Find a caregiver to hire to come on vacation with you to take care of the person with dementia (through a local long-term facility, a caregiver already hired by the family, or a hired caregiver specifically for this vacation). These services might also include the family covering insurance, transportation, and hotel costs for the caregiver in addition to pay, easily totaling thousands of dollars.
3. Bring the person with dementia with and plan care shifts with the family going along (which will often fall back on to the primary caregiver – so they don’t really get the R&R they need).

• What did/do you worry about when taking your loved one on vacation?
• How did you find a way to give care?
• What are your motivations for taking them on vacation with you?
• What kind of care services would you expect, if you hired someone to care for your loved one while on vacation?
• What are the “main things” a hired caregiver could take over or take off your mind, so that you can relax and enjoy yourself?

Sunset on Lake Patagonia (Arizona) at our campsite