The holidays can be a very stressful time for the typical family, but for a family caregiver caring for an elderly loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the stress can be overwhelming. To help manage holiday stress, it’s important to find holiday activities that are simple and easy to do. There are literally hundreds of ideas for things caregivers and families can do with an older person with Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are some tips you should keep in mind:
Interests of specific activities of the older adult: It’s always good to find things that have been interesting to your loved one in the past. Maybe it was music, art, crafts, reading, or puzzles.
Dementia Trial: While you and I can easily get bored with repetitive activities, someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may actually find it comforting and reassuring. So think about things that are repetitive like cutting coupons or stringing beads.
sense of calm: For someone with cognitive impairment, additional stimuli in their environment can be disturbing. Try to avoid chaos and disorganization in the home. Try to keep the environment calm and routine.
Significant: Provide options for your older loved one so that they have a sense of value and purpose in the activities they do.
Holiday activities for seniors with dementia With these key factors in mind, here is a list of some wonderful activities that families can do together with an older person who has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease:
- popcorn thong
- make a paper chain garland
- Decorate apples or oranges with cloves and ribbon (pomandra)
- make christmas cards
- Affix return stamps and labels to greeting cards
- Go sing Christmas carols together
- Play old holiday music or try new holiday music
- Read holiday books aloud
- make cookies
- raking autumn leaves
- Make paper snowflakes to decorate the house.
- Take a walk down the main street to see the shop windows.
- Polish the silver for the arriving guests
- Put Christmas candles all over the house
- Find holiday related crossword puzzles (children’s books)
- Place Christmas decorations in a decorative container.
- Make a simple flower arrangement for the holidays
- Invite some friends over for Christmas tea and cookies
- wrap gifts
- Collect pinecones for a decorative basket
- Rent a favorite Christmas movie for the whole family
- do a puzzle together
- Take a nature walk together in the park
- Hang the Christmas cards that arrive on the mantelpiece
- Make a Holiday Card Holder
When caring for an elderly loved one, you may need to make adjustments to your typical family traditions, but this is an opportunity to create new family traditions. You may be surprised how enjoyable the season can be for the whole family when you create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. For more information on activities for seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, visit Sarahcare Adult Daycare.
