10 Tips to Enjoy the Holidays With a Loved One That Has Dementia

Everyone deserves to enjoy the holidays, especially those caring for someone with dementia. The holidays are a tough time to get through as a caregiver. To help maintain not only your loved one’s health but also your own, here are ten tips to help de-stress during the holidays.

1. Resolve to be alright with however the Holidays turn out. Remember that your priority for your event is to love and have fun. Everything else is incidental. 

2. Plan ahead. Have an outline for the day, minimize the rules.

3. Plan activities that everybody can join in. Consider taking walks, icing cookies, telling stories, doing chores together, making a memory book or family tree, or keeping a journal.

4. Ask your family for help. Share activities of the day, from laughter to clean up, which will allow everyone to help you. Sharing creates caring.

5.Educate yourself. Familiarize family and friends with behaviors and condition changes. Let everyone know that Grandma might forget things but that she will remember the way she feels around you.

6. Remember to enjoy yourself. Everything doesn’t have to be on a schedule.

7. Self care is important. Pace yourself so you can be present with your loved one, family and friends.

8.  Respite care. Enroll other family member to watch after your loved one. Create a team of support.

9. Develop new family traditions that has everybody involved.

10.  Take deep breaths, drink water, ask for help.