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The holidays are upon us once again and packed with work, family, church, and other activities and obligations in addition to our already full, everyday lives. Whew!!! With that said, let us add the challenges and stress of caring for someone who is living their daily lives caring for someone with dementia.
Holiday expectations are high and the world we live in intensifies the expectations of a happy and wonderful holiday season. A very high standard for all of us to uphold and often not achieved. My hope is that a few suggestions listed below may assist in minimizing stress, adjusting expectations, and emphasizing moments of joy or contentment which may be achieved during this holiday season for you and your loved ones.
- Plan ahead, however plan for the unexpected and practice flexibility in your routine. Communicate to changes in your loved one to your family and what they should expect.
- Down size your holiday celebrations in terms of events, time spent or activity level. Plan for the best time of day for that person to be involved in events.
- Go to the person with memory impairment rather than place them in an environment that may be unfamiliar or overstimulating. If your loved one lives in a residential care facility, participate in their holiday events when you have the opportunity.
- Give yourself permission to say, "No" without guilt and only take on what you can manage.
- Involve the person with memory impairment in holiday preparation meaningful to them, but not overwhelming. This may be a good time to start new, more simple traditions.
- Maintain a normal routine and continue to practice self-care through the holiday season, such as activities of leisure, exercise, social groups.
- Keep expectations low and enjoy the moments that are present.
A few common themes to keep in mind during this holiday season: holiday foods, holiday music, ethnic traditions, holiday stories and poems, and holiday photographs from the past.
Wishing all of you a blessed and safe holiday season.