The holiday season can be a stressful and action-packed time of the year. Some elderly may find it difficult to keep up, so having enough support from family can help during this busy time of year. Here are a few tips to consider to assist your aged relatives to not just survive but thrive during this holiday season.
Plan ahead
Routine and structure are important to improving the lives of your elderly family members. Having a predictable and stress-free Christmas day will help reduce any anxiety or concern surrounding a potentially unpredictable holiday season. Planning ahead can also assist in making sure that any Christmas plans are accessible for everyone and will still be an enjoyable day for anybody, even with mobility struggles. Pre-planning also assists in extended family being able to attend- which your elderly relatives will love, the more the merrier!
Christmas Traditions
In the past, it may have been your elderly relative’s tradition to host Christmas. If they’re now in aged-care, or simply not up to hosting, it might be a nice reprieve to take the responsibility and host Christmas for them. Keeping them involved and making sure they are still a key part of the celebrations is important to making their Christmas feel special. Perhaps you can ask them to share some traditional Christmas recipes, help with decorating, or even cook their own Christmas meal to still feel involved.
Offer assistance
Christmas is an exciting but busy time of the year. Your relatives may not be up to rushing around and completing tasks associated with the holiday season. Give them a call and ask if they need any help purchasing presents, going shopping, gift wrapping, or setting up their tree. If you’re unable to visit or help, contact them and ask if there is anyone else you can send, or even just talk them through their holiday plans. Assistance doesn’t need to be doing their entire Christmas shopping for them, it can be as simple as reaching out and offering some words of advice or to let them know you are thinking of them in this busy time. The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year to spend quality time with your elderly relatives, and offering a little help along the way is beneficial to everyone involved.
Holiday Activities
If your elderly relatives feel up to participating in Christmas related activities, this can give you an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with them. Any Christmas activities can be a great way of showing them how much you care and how much they are loved, while making sure they still feel involved in the family activities. Christmas activities such as making holiday crafts or cards are not only beneficial to your relatives’ social life and holiday cheer, but to their cognitive function and motor skills as well. Keeping your loved one’s minds and bodies engaged throughout the holiday season will ensure they are happy, healthy, and feeling loved this Christmas.
A little bit of preplanning and extra TLC can make all the difference during the holidays. Show your elderly relatives how much you appreciate them and take the time to keep them involved and joyful this Christmas.
Family and friends are always welcome at Glenvale Villas over the holiday season.
