Sunday, December 13, 2015

Holidays and Alzheimer's Families – Part II
The holidays are a time when family and friends often come together. But for families living with Alzheimer's and other dementias, the holidays can be challenging. Take a deep breath. With some planning and adjusted expectations, your celebrations can still be happy, memorable occasions.
·   Involve the person with dementia
·   Adapt gift giving
·   When the person lives in a care facility
Involve the person with dementia
Build on past traditions and memories.
Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia. Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums.
Involve the person in holiday preparation.
As the person's abilities allow, invite him or her to help you prepare food, wrap packages, help decorate or set the table. This could be as simple as having the person measure an ingredient or hand decorations to you as you put them up. (Be careful with decoration choices. Blinking lights may confuse or scare a person with dementia, and decorations that look like food could be mistaken as edible.)
Maintain a normal routine.
Sticking to the person's normal routine will help keep the holidays from becoming disruptive or confusing. Plan time for breaks and rest.
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Adapt gift giving
Reduce post-holiday stress.
Arrange for respite care so you can enjoy a movie or lunch with a friend.
Encourage safe and useful gifts for the person with dementia.
Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia. If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items the person with dementia needs or can easily enjoy. Ideas include: an identification bracelet (available through MedicAlert® + Alzheimer's Association Safe Return®), comfortable clothing, audiotapes of favorite music, videos and photo albums.
Put respite care on your wish list.
If friends or family ask what you want for a gift, suggest a gift certificate or something that will help you take care of yourself as you care for your loved one. This could be a cleaning or household chore service, an offer to provide respite care, or something that provides you with a bit of rest and relaxation.
When the person lives in a care facility
A holiday is still a holiday whether it is celebrated at home or at a care facility. Here are some ways to celebrate together:
Consider joining your loved one in any facility-planned holiday activities
Bring a favorite holiday food to share
Sing holiday songs and ask if other residents can join in
Read a favorite holiday story or poem out loud

Copied from: http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-holidays.asp?s_oo=zGnEm5Dnou4aWIrvOQSsOQ

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