The holidays can be a fun and magical time. For those living with a type of dementia and their caregivers, the holidays may also bring about a number of emotions, including grief and distress. You can have an enjoyable holiday season with a little planning and forethought! Consider some of the tips below:
Keep Traditions (with Adjustments):
Holiday traditions can bring a lot of joy, but as dementia progresses, it can also be stressful. There are a few things that can help reduce potential stress with holiday traditions.
• Make activities dementia friendly by doing them together, reducing the steps, or altering how it is done. An example may be putting up holiday decorations together or putting up just a few favorite items. If making a special dish is part of the festivities, adjustments could be making the dish together or having the person with dementia be the taste-tester.
• Give time for recovery between activities and stick to your routine. It can be overwhelming to have back-to-back activities, even if it wasn’t in the past. It’s best to give some down time between things. Routine is very important for everyone, and this is especially true for individuals living with a type of dementia. Stick to the normal routine as much as possible. Keep meals, bed times, naps, etc. as consistent as possible to ease stress for everyone.
• Manage expectations. The holidays may be different than they have been in the past. Adjusting our expectations of what we think should or should not happen and instead focusing on the joy in the moments we have together can help in a significant way.
Guests and Visitors:
• Update them on what to expect. Things may have changed for the person living with dementia since they last saw them. A quick update can help reduce any surprises.
• Provide visitors tips for dementia friendly communication, such as facing the person when talking, being direct, and waiting a bit so the person has a chance to respond. Your expertise as a caregiver can help others have a better time as well.
• Be aware that you may need to limit the amount of people to one or just a few at a time. Large gatherings can be fun but they might be overwhelming. This can be especially true for a person living with dementia. Limiting the number of people at one time can also help for more meaningful visits.
Take Care of Yourself:
• Take time for you – do relaxing things you enjoy. Time for yourself will help you feel good throughout the year, so be sure not to forget you!
• Help your loved one have downtime, too. Taking time to relax may not always come as natural for those living with dementia. Help your loved one take a break by putting on some relaxing music or other activity that is enjoyed.
•Reach out to others for support. This may be having a visitor help with a household task, attending a support group, or calling a good friend when you’re feeling off. Need some extra help but not sure where to start? Give us a call at ADRC, we are happy to help! If you know a caregiver or a person with dementia, reach out to see what you can do to help their holidays be a little brighter.
Enjoy Yourself!
The holidays are about enjoyment – slow down and have some fun! Laugh and be merry together. The holidays can be tough, but we can have a good balance.
For more tips and information, check out:
www.nia.nih.gov/healthy/holiday-hints-alzheimers-caregivers
dailycaring.com/5-best-alzheimers-holiday-tips-for-an-enjoyable-season
