RVing with early dementia

I think I'd recommend either RVing or boating but not both at the same time. If possible put the boat in a slip so you have somewhere to come home to every time. I've done the boat on a trailer trick and it is a lot of work. RVing is a lot of work also. How about renting a cabin in an RV park for a few times?

So sorry for your husbands diagnosis. I would say to go with what you feel comfortable with. We went through dementia with my Mom for 14 years. She passed two years ago. It is very difficult to see and hard on the spouse or family members also.

I would get a small B or C class and learn to drive it and operate everything. Start with short trips to see how it goes. Not sure I would take the boat. Maybe go somewhere you can rent a boat instead so you won't have the upkeep. We met a couple in NC and his wife had dementia and they traveled in a Class A. He had a golf cart and stayed in parks that allow him to ride around with his wife on the cart. Just one thing that will be an issue. As it progresses you won't be able to leave him alone at all. So things like going to the grocery store when you travel will be challenging. Hopefully you will have many years before that happens. God Bless.

Dick_B wrote:
I think I'd recommend either RVing or boating but not both at the same time. If possible put the boat in a slip so you have somewhere to come home to every time. I've done the boat on a trailer trick and it is a lot of work. RVing is a lot of work also. How about renting a cabin in an RV park for a few times?

"Try" before you buy an RV.

Without the boat, another option would be to rent a small Class C for a weekend, or?
Most of the rental outfits have a 20 ft as the smallest.

See how that works out - and if *you* will/may be a driver, find a no-traffic area for some street driving, and an empty parking lot for backing.

Book a pull-thru at a/the campground to make it easy to set up.

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Everything else has been answered quite well! I would say go for it! We never know how long it takes for dementia to get worse. Their is medication now that can prolong it! Had a brothers who lasted 5-6 yrs and an aunt who made it 10 yrs before being admitted to a nursing home. Ages between 64-75 yrs old when they passed!

I am sorry that you and your husband are facing this diagnosis. My dad was diagnosed with dementia(not severe) and had some other health issues, but enjoyed travelling. We have a motorhome and it was great having his own bed, our own bathroom, and not hauling suitcases in and out of motels. He would often lie on the sofa while we drove down the highway. We took him on numerous trips around our state of Texas, visiting relatives, and even took long road trip up north too. We paced ourselves so not to wear him or Mom out, would camp for several days, or just overnight. We traveled several years until his health worsened. I am so thankful that I could do this for him. I choose a motorhome because I did not have experience in towing a vehicle. If we stayed somewhere for several days and needed transportation, we rented car.
My suggestion:
As some of the other posts said, check out many different style RVs, find what you are comfortable with. I rented a small Class B+ RV to get the feel of driving it before I purchased our Class C 30ft.
If you and your husband enjoy traveling, go for it while he is still able to travel. Make the memories while you can.

I agree with all others on here, to get an rv that you are able to operate by yourself. My husband also suffers from dementia as part of his Huntington's Disease. He is in the middle stages currently and his short term memory and cognitive thinking are the most effected, however he is still able to walk on his own. We have enjoyed our trailer for many years and thankfully I learned early on how to drive and work everything on the trailer so the transition to me being the sole driver/navigator was easier.

Also depending on how severe the dementia is, they can become lost very easily in a new campground setting. I do not leave my husband alone as if he wanders away from the trailer, he would not be able to find his way back. Thankfully, he still has enough sense to stay on the site unless I am with him.

We still enjoy camping very much and have our summer trips planned. I tend to pre-book campsites to avoid some of the stress of trying to find a campsite last minute. I say go for it as long as you can manage if it is not a financial burden. As someone else said life is short so go out and enjoy today

sancoots, just a thought how about a small tracking device one could clip to his clothes taht could be monitored with a computer or smartphone! I know there is a program that asks me if I want to activate to help find my phone if it's lost! Can't remember the name of it! maybe do a search in your browser!