The Prime Minister's Dementia Friendly Air Travel Group
Hilary Cragg
Solicitor and Partner specialising in Elderly Client Law. I do Wills, LPAs, care advocacy and Court of Protection work.
The Prime Minister's group met at Exeter Airport on Thursday 24 March. The group is amazing, it is made up of a very diverse set of individuals with different backgrounds and disciplines, but one aim - to make things better.
We bring a wide range of skills and had a very interesting discussion. Many people living with dementia don't have the courage to travel far, let alone by air. But those that do are trying to build memories for themselves and their carers, so that they can all make the most of whatever time they have left, it is a fairly universal story.
By making it easier to travel, it will increase the opportunities to build those memories and allow people with disabilities to live as full lives as the able. It also enables businesses that chose to engage with this to have out of season trade. And in order to know that people may need help, they will need to ask for it and declare their disability.
The aim of the group is therefore 2 fold, to try to persuade business that this is worthwhile doing and try to persuade people that it is OK to ask for help.