Why do dementia patients get anxious in car rides?

There are a few different factors for this. First, it is likely the patient used to be able to drive and be in control of the car, but is now disempowered being in the passenger seat. Second, dementia patients can have tunnel vision, causing things to come at them extremely fast even if that’s not the case. Watching cars pass by on either side can be stressful as they are just watching everything and not being able to control any aspect of it.