Celebrating festivals and occasions with your loved one with dementia

The holiday season is just getting over and I cannot help but reflect on how my elderly clients have spent their time in during these festive days.

The festive season is a time for family to get together, share stories and gifts and have special meals together. As we get older, it is these holidays, parties, outings and events that we remember and cherish the most. With our busy and erratic lifestyle, it is tough to balance out everything especially for the ones who stay far away from their parents. It is important for both (the children and parents) to spend time with each other. Elderly feel lonely and isolated during the holiday season, they would love to spend their time with their children and grandchildren.

Now this becomes more challenging when your loved one is also suffering from dementia. The progression of dementia may hinder your loved one to recall these beautiful memories, but what we can best offer is our company and time.

It is especially noted in the early and middle stages of dementia, how the right amount of planning, care, and concern can make things better for the loved ones especially when it comes to their emotional well-being. When everything around is confusing and disturbing for the elderly, it is the feeling of being connected to their family that assures them that they have their family’s love and support with them through this journey.

I got to see this first hand with one of our 65 years old home client, of how family presence can change the holidays. Since the time her son has come to meet her, her mood has uplifted, she has been keeping very happy as he spends most of his time with her. They have engaged in various activities together such as having a cup of coffee together, celebrating her birthday and also her grandchild’s birthday, taking her for family outings and preparing her for the same.

We all know that the holidays matters a lot to everyone. A person with dementia may no longer remember a lot but they can still experience happiness.

Here are some tips to help you plan your holiday with a loved one with dementia well :

1) Sense of involvement:  As dementia progresses they won’t be able to express their views and thoughts well. Though it is very tempting to take decisions for them (knowing their condition), but for the elderly, the very thought of being involved in the preparation will convey the message: you are important. Plus it is a great form of mental activity as well.

2) Choosing an accessible place: A patient with dementia may get confused and frustrated especially in noisy and crowded place. It’s better to choose a place where they are at ease and comfort.

3) Share your memories: Sharing good thoughts and stories are always a great endeavor. The best way to share the memories is to capture the moments in an album so that later in their life if they wouldn’t be able to remember the picture but they can try to recall the happy moments.

4) Keep them connected with their loved ones: Elderly always love to get connect with their loved ones. One of the best way is to make sure that they can interact with all of their loved ones regularly. Spending some valuable time with the family members will be always be special.

When the family comes together to celebrate the good times, it multiplies the enjoyment and fun for everyone. Holidays like Christmas, New Year or on any other family occasions can bring families together with the goodness of spirit and warmth among each other.

We at Samvedna Care aim to help seniors live happy, active and independent lives, in the comfort of their home and community through interactive caregiving.

Samvedna Care was established in October 2013 with two complementary goals – firstly to provide quality home care services to seniors with limited mobility or dementia and hence social interaction, and secondly to facilitate stimulating community interaction and participation.

Our Dementia Care services are –

At-home services –
Dementia intervention activities by trained Care Specialists (already mentioned above). These services are available in Delhi NCR
More – Dementia Care
Please call us for more info – Delhi NCR – 98184 21446, 124 4229659

Dementia Support Group –
Our Dementia Support group in Delhi NCR is a platform for caregivers to share feelings and support each other.
Please call us for more info – Delhi NCR – 98184 21446, 124 4229659

Cognitive Wellness Programme, Sector 57  Gurgaon  –
Samvedna’s Cognitive Wellness Programme is designed for seniors with mild cognitive impairment, early dementia or Parkinson’s, and elderly lacking in enthusiasm and motivation. The aim is to stimulate the mind of the elderly to slow the progression of the disease or impairment. The sessions are 3 days a week, 11AM-1PM.