Caregiving during the holidays

Winter is associated with holiday celebrations for many families, from many cultures. When one is a caregiver for a person with dementia the holidays can become a time of stress. The person for whom you care has changed and their ability to participate in holiday celebrations is part of the change. Celebrations, special events, or holidays, which may include other people, can cause confusion and anxiety for a person with Alzheimer’s. However that doesn’t mean they can’t continue to participate in holidays and enjoy them. It does mean that you should revise your expectations of holiday celebrations and change some of the things you do to celebrate holidays. Keeping family 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.

How do you keep celebrations festive without becoming overwhelming?

• Include the person with Alzheimer’s as much as possible. Participating with you may give the person the pleasure of helping and the fun of anticipating and reminiscing.
• Limit the number of visitors at any one time.
• Prepare quiet distractions.
• Watch for signs that the person with dementia is becoming overstimulated.

How do you prepare guests to interact with your loved one?

• Explain to guests that the person with Alzheimer’s disease does not always remember events or people.
• Describe what behavior is expected and acceptable.
• Explain that enjoying the moment together matters more than what the person remembers.

You can continue to honor holiday traditions and create new family memories if you limit your expectations to align with the changes in your family life. You can’t do everything you used to do in the same way you used to do it, but you can enjoy the company of your family and celebrate the love you feel for family and tradition, by making new traditions.