Holiday Hints For Caregivers Of Seniors With Alzheimer’s

Caregiving Tips for the Busy Holidays.

The holiday season can be a busy and stressful time for anyone. We have shopping to do, parties to attend, gatherings to prepare for, and all the while the weather might be cold and snowy. But such times can be especially trying on those who are caregivers, as the act of caregiving itself adds to the busy holiday schedule.

The National Institute on Aging offers holiday hints for caregivers of those who have Alzheimer’s disease, as a way to help caregivers learn how to balance busy holiday activities with everyday care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. The holidays can be meaningful, enriching times for both the person with Alzheimer’s disease and his or her family, even though potentially challenging. And maintaining or adapting family rituals and traditions helps all family members feel a sense of belonging and family identity. For a person with Alzheimer’s, this link with a familiar past is reassuring.

 

Yet many caregivers have mixed feelings about the holidays. They may have happy memories of the past, but also may worry about the extra demands that holidays make on their time and energy. The following are some ways to balance doing many holiday-related activities while taking care of your own needs and those of the person with Alzheimer’s disease:

 

·       Celebrate holidays that are important to you. Include the person with Alzheimer’s as much as possible.

·       Set your own limits, and be clear about them with others. You don’t have to live up to the expectations of friends or relatives. Your situation is different now.

·       Involve the person with Alzheimer’s in simple holiday preparations, or have him or her observe your preparations. Observing you will familiarize him or her with the upcoming festivities. Participating with you may give the person the pleasure of helping and the fun of anticipating and reminiscing.

·       Encourage friends and family to visit even if it’s difficult. Limit the number of visitors at any one time, or have a few people visit quietly with the person in a separate room.

·       Prepare quiet distractions to use, such as a family photo album, if the person with Alzheimer’s becomes upset or overstimulated.

·       Try to avoid situations that may confuse or frustrate the person with Alzheimer’s, such as crowds, changes in routine, and strange places. Also try to stay away from noise, loud conversations, loud music, lighting that is too bright or too dark, and having too much rich food or drink (especially alcohol).

·       More information is available from the National Institute on Aging in their publication “Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease: Your Easy-to-Use Guide from the National Institute on Aging”.

 

If you’re a caregiver for a loved one who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, there are a great number of senior living options and services available to help, including senior residences with Alzheimer’s specialty services.

 

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