Caregiver Tips For Holiday
December 5, 2009
Caregiver Tips from our Clinical Team Gina Jamison, BSN and Kristin Akins, LPN.
During the holiday season, it is important to involve your loved one with Alzheimer’s or other dementia in safe, manageable activities. Encouraging the elderly to be involved in activities may enhance their cognitive recall and bring a smile to their faces.
While Alzheimer’s disease can severely diminish short-term memory, long-term memories about childhood traditions often remain well into the later stages of the disease.
Try these activities to get your loved one involved and looking forward to the activities surrounding the holidays: Gently engage your aged family member in conversations about their past holiday gatherings. Sing traditional Carols or talk about their childhood Christmas memories.
Encourage your family member to help decorate the tree, create cards, make simple gifts and wrap them. Another great idea is to prepare favorite holiday recipes together. The smell of cookies baking might prompt fond memories to be shared.
Create a calm environment and try to stick to a familiar routine so that holiday preparations or crowds won’t cause confusion or disruptive behaviors.
Just have fun with your aged loved one, and help them revisit the happy times of their lives. We hope our tips help you enjoy this special season!
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Thanks for the tips. It is hard to know what to do at the holidays. I am going to try to encourage more participation by my mother this year. I find she likes her favorite foods at the holidays more than everyday fare.
What can I do to help my mother with “the blues” this time of year?