Should someone with Alzheimer's disease travel alone?

Oh, my! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I was so flummoxed and appalled when I read this. I have to ask since dad doesn't have dementia, why isn't he traveling with? Would it be an airline with direct service from Arizona to Logan or would she have to stopover in  Chicago?

As a former flight attendant, I must ask some questions that you need the answers to:
1 - is the flight non-stop? - direct only means you don't need to get off the plane not there are no stops - only non stop so that she doesn't get off at wrong place/city
2 - there is a service for unaccompanied minors [UM] - I have seen those kids as young as 6 flying on their own but there is a hand off procedure when the UMs change from ground staff to air crew & back to ground staff - see if there is a similar service for your step-mom - might be a charge but the wheelchair service might work out for this 
3 - how far will she be accompanied by family/friends within the airport at each end?
4 - is this trip really necessary?
5 - make sure she only carries a big purse but she may be a target to some bad people so all valuables should be left at home
6 - buy her a silver ID bracelet with contact info in case she gets lost [she should have this anyway] 
7 - write out travel info & place a copy in her pants' pocket

You sound like a caring person to be so worried about her - GOOD ON YOU!

If I were in your shoes, I would first call the person she was going to visit and explain just how confused and incontinent she is. If that person won’t recind the invitation to visit, I would then call her doctor AND the airline and explain again. I would think one of those three avenues would get the trip cancelled. You might even be able to pull it off without them knowing you were involved. They are leaving themselves open to a visit from Adult Protective Services, believe me, you do not want to be on their radar. Best of luck.

I was on a flight and sat next to a woman that was traveling alone with dementia. She had connecting flights to make and panicked when she asked me where the flight was going and it did not match her final destination. This caused a delay in the flight while the attendants checked to make sure she was on the correct flight. During the flight she continually checked for her things and could not find her other boarding passes. I helped her find them then she forgot where they were again. By the grace of God she was seated next to me whose mother recently passed from dementia so I was able to deal with her. Can you imagine her sitting with someone who did not understand? I managed to calm her and told her I would help. I alerted the attendant that she would need assistance. When the flight landed none of the attendants helped her and no one was waiting to help. I assisted her to the restroom and had time to help her onto her connecting flight. I once again told the attendants of the new flight that she would be needing help and could easily lose her boarding pass and have problems finding it. I was very doubtful that they would help her as they had not on the previous flight. So as I watched her board her next flight I hoped there would be another good Samaritan on board to help because it seems most airlines only help physically handicapped people and have no patience or help available for dementia customers so no no no from personal experience should they ever fly alone!

Unless someone with the airline can help, and I am skeptical about that in this age of people not caring about their fellow man, I would be worried. I love to travel and dread this happening to me at some later stage in life as I have so few people or no one at that stage. Check with the airline. It may also depend on the level that person is in.

My mom has late stage Alzheimer's and I work for a major airline.

The airline policy is if a person cannot safely evacuate during an emergency they should not travel alone.
As an airline employee we are limited in the type of questions we can ask to ascertain a passenger's ability to travel.

You should be very concerned if you think your loved one isn't capable of traveling alone, especially if it isn't a non-stop flight. Yes, planes do divert if a passenger is ill, disruptive, or if for any reason the flight crew determines that comfort and safety of passengers is compromised. And some airlines pass the cost of the diversion on to ill passenger!

Personally, I have seen it happen too many times; family members putting an elderly person on a plane who is incapable of flying alone and easily confused in unfamiliar surroundings. I think it's elder abuse!

My mom has flown one time in the last 16 years and was with my dad and sister. It was so difficult my dad said never again! Mom was agitated and confused.

I certainly hope you can prevent what could be a crisis!

Moecam, Dlanz and I have brought forth several suggestions from the Professional Travel Industry point of view. The point that can't be stressed enough is you must consider the safety of the crew and other passengers in the event the plane must be evacuated. When there is an emergency people panic and instinct of self preservation kicks in and the crew can't focus on just one passenger who is either physically or mentally disabled. Fast action and the ability to respond to commands is essential.
Having traveled throughout this world much of it on my own, my career allowed me to have those adventures. Now is the time to acknowledge I can't do it anymore on my own, for the safety of others. End of point.

As far as I know, there are no airline regulations re: someone with dementia flying. When I flew *with* my husband who has early- to mid-level Alzheimer's, I alerted the airlines that an elderly man with memory problems would be travelling on their flights so that there'd (maybe) be extra help in case of an emergency. My husband was a regular solo business traveler (worldwide) , but it was clear by the end of our journey that he couldn't have managed alone. For me, the important questions to ask are: Could your mother cope if something went wrong? Would she have a problem managing gate changes or flight delays or cancellations or an emergency in the terminal? Would she understand and respond appropriately to announcements over the airport loud speakers? Could she manage an unexpected overnight at the airport or a hotel? If at a hotel, could she manage a shuttle to/from the airport and getting meals? Is she savvy enough to AVOID being victimized by the sleazy/criminal people who regularly frequent large airports and to communicate effectively with airport personnel? Sad to say, this may be a situation where the only answer is that flying is not as easy or safe as it used to be and that she would not be safe travelling alone.

Bandnerdsmom... There are a lot of good answers here, but I would be very careful with some of the advice. I was a caregiver for my mom for many years...trust me when I tell you that this is different from just being a child of a parent with Alzheimer's. The one thing about Alzheimer's is that a "switch" can be thrown overnight...literally. What if your mom is by herself when that happens. Can you even begin to imagine the absolute terror that goes through a person who is in that situation?! Let's say you let your mom get on a flight by herself. She does fine. But, there is a plane delay for some reason at one of the cities, and now she must navigate dealing with a change of plans. That's bad enough, as she probably will not be able to handle it. Let's say that she has to stay in a hotel at an airport overnight. Let's say she can figure that out. Now...unexpectedly...she wakes up the next morning and has no clue as to where she is or...who she is. And, for those of you out there who say this cannot happen, oh yes it can. The fear that will go through your mother will be utter terror. Please do NOT send anyone with Alzheimer's on a trip by themselves. That's just plain irresponsible, and I don't care if I am stepping on anyone's toes. When you take care of someone with Alzheimer's, as I did for years, you have to think one step ahead at all times.