With the holiday season around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about plans. Especially when caring for someone with dementia, as those holiday events can take a bit more prep work to ensure the event is safe, comfortable, and enjoyable for everyone. Though the holiday season may look different this year, there are many ways to still enjoy the holidays, create lasting family memories with your loved one, and ensure they have a special and engaging holiday season too.
Why it’s Important Create Meaningful Holiday Traditions for Someone with Dementia
Many people with cognitive decline may not remember or be able to participate in traditions that your family has been doing for years. They may not be able to remember all the people gathering or even recognize that the holiday season is upon them.
It’s important to remember these facts as a caregiver – as hard as that might be. Because of this change to their reality, you may need to adapt traditions or try new ones to keep your loved one feeling included.
In this article, we will break down how to continue to have meaningful holiday traditions for individuals with dementia and how to create lifelong memories for the family who loves them. Let’s dive in.
Create a Familiar Environment
As we’ve already alluded to, an important way to secure and provide a meaningful holiday experience for someone suffering from dementia is to make sure you keep the environment friendly and comfortable.
While there’s no “one size fits all” way to do this, consider things such as:
Using traditional decorations (ones that will be familiar to your loved one)
Sticking to a familiar environment as much as possible, for example, planning an event at a home that they visit frequently
Or playing their favorite holiday songs.
Choosing traditions your loved one feels familiar with will help them to absorb the environment better, giving them a chance to feel more comfortable and at peace.
Keep the Guest List Small
Dementia is already overwhelming – it often creates an entirely new reality (or outdated reality) for your loved one. (Source: Alzheimers.org). One that feels confusing, yet real to them. To help them through the holiday season, try not to overwhelm them with large crowds whenever possible.
Keep the guest list concise – for example, to only those who would usually attend holiday gatherings – and avoid overly crowded events. A more intimate gathering will help make the holiday feel less overwhelming and can minimize your loved one's stress, making the event more comfortable for everyone.
Keep the Volume Low
Along the same token of overwhelm, another thing to keep in mind is that, where possible, you should try to keep the celebrations calm and quiet. Loud environments can easily stress someone with dementia – making them do things like act out, want to hide away, or exhaust them – taking away from the time they should be focusing on the celebrations.
Create An Engaging Environment
An engaging environment (in a familiar, low-stress setting) can help keep your loved one occupied and happy. Keeping them in the conversation to the extent they want to be and picking traditions that include the whole room (so they can bow in and out as they please) will give them options to engage or disengage as they feel comfortable.
It requires a bit of attentiveness, but an engaging environment can take many different shapes and forms. For example:
If they like to watch the big game, make sure they have a comfortable spot near to the TV.
If they have a favorite game to play or dish to cook, offer to play it with them or to sit with you during the kitchen prep.
Or if the noise gets overwhelming (like from screaming children, barking dogs, or chatting guests), make sure they have a quiet corner to retreat to when needed.
Add New Activities
Should you have them, there’s no need to throw out all of your crazy, noisy, or overly fun family traditions to accommodate your loved one. But they may not want to participate (or it may not be in their best interest to participate), so it can be helpful to add in new ones that they can opt for instead.
Good new traditions to consider adding should take into consideration your loved one’s strengths. Consider, for example, planning sensory-based activities, like:
Lighting candles with familiar scents
Playing classical holiday music instead of modern music
Watching older holiday movies or shows they may remember from eras past
Reading a holiday book out loud together
Or try low intensity activities such as:
Driving around to look at holiday lights
Enjoying a hot chocolate together at a local park
Or baking holiday treats together
How to Communicate
During your celebrations, it’s important to not only listen to your loved one with dementia (the things they say) but to also pay attention to their attitude and facial expressions (the things they don’t say). Be attentive to their body language, because that’s often where you’ll sense that something isn’t right.
Approach any conversations with a calm demeanor and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. Reassure them of what's going on and try not to overwhelm them with too much information at once.
Closing Thoughts: Creating Meaningful Holiday Traditions for Your Loved One with Dementia
Creating a meaningful holiday for loved ones with dementia may seem difficult at first glance, but it’s achievable with a bit of attention to detail and adaptability. Try to stick to meaningful traditions – the ones you have been doing for years, keep your loved one on a normal schedule as much as possible, and do your best to not overwhelm them with too many guests, intricate activities, or a loud busy environment. By keeping your holiday traditions simple you can ensure your loved one will find it a meaningful and joyous time.
Caregiver Resource Center OC is here to provide assistance and guidance to help you do that. Check out our library of resources to help you navigate this experience. Together, we can navigate the healthcare landscape and help you provide the best possible care for your loved one(s).
Further Reading: Fitting in Fitness: Prioritizing Wellness as a Family Caregiver
It’s easy for family caregivers to feel secondary to their loved one’s more pressing needs. In this article, we’ll look at why focusing on your health as a caregiver matters, how you and the loved one(s) in your care can benefit from prioritizing exercise each day, and how to incorporate it into your routine.
Comments