Observing the holiday season through the lens of Alzheimer’s disease can feel far from merry and bright. Family members might be weighed down with caregiving responsibilities, and the interruption to routine can cause additional distress for a senior dealing with the effects of dementia.
However, with a little creativity and modification of expectations, the holiday season can bring meaning and fulfillment to families who are factoring in dementia this year. Independence-4-Seniors Home Care’s experienced Alzheimer’s caregivers offer the following advice:
- It is important to take time for personal care. First and most important, it’s vital for family caregivers to manage a healthy lifestyle in an effort to provide the very best care for their aging loved one – and to prevent caregiver burnout. Select a certain time period each day for an uninterrupted calming activity like curling up by the fireplace to read, writing inside a journal, doing exercises, engaging in a favorite pastime, walking the dog, etc.
- Help the senior participate. Come up with holiday responsibilities and fun-filled activities that're in accordance with the older adult's present ability level and interest, and include him or her in taking an active part of the celebrations. Some ideas include making holiday homemade projects such as paper snowflakes, helping with gift wrapping, hanging decorations, or rolling/cutting out/decorating cookies.
- Dedicate quality time with one another. There’s beauty in simply just being in the presence of one's loved one, without having expectations or responsibilities. Pick up a couple of soft, warm quilts, put on some quiet holiday tunes, and cuddle up on the sofa with photo albums to reminisce. At times the simplest of memories become some of those we treasure the most.
- Forgive yourself. There will perhaps be situations when you respond to a challenging behavior in your family member with much less patience than you would have liked, and the consequent feelings of guilt can be overwhelming. It is necessary to learn from mistakes, forgive yourself, and determine to deal with things in another way the next time. Enlisting the assistance of a dependable caregiving team that specializes in dementia care, such as Independence-4-Seniors, can lessen a great deal of stress for family caregivers, permitting them to spend much-needed time free from care duties.
Independence-4-Seniors Home Care of Hinsdale can help in so many ways by supplying the reputable care for seniors with Alzheimer’s that allows family members to fully enjoy the holidays together. Whether it is just for a few hours each week to permit family caregivers a break, full-time, around-the-clock care and supervision, or something in between, we offer a free in-home consultation to determine how to best enhance total well being for aging adults with Alzheimer’s. Contact us at (630) 323-4665 to learn more.