Adapting Holiday Traditions for Clients with Dementia

The holiday season brings warmth, joy, and closeness to people. It brings families together as they celebrate their traditions and make long-lasting memories. But for families who care for a patient with dementia, it turns into a tough season. Dementia brings with it many changes that overwhelm the lives of those afflicted during holiday celebrations, and caregivers are burdened by the stress of trying to live up to family traditions.

But there is hope! Families can continue to enjoy the holiday together by adapting traditions and activities better to suit the needs of a loved one with dementia. Learn2Care specializes in dementia care training and understands the importance of keeping seniors engaged, comfortable, and safe during the holidays.

This blog will provide practical tips for families seeking to create a holiday environment that fosters joy, inclusion, and connection. Whether you seek dementia caregiver training or specific ideas to adjust your holiday traditions, this blog will support you at every step.

Understanding Dementia and Its Impact on Holiday Celebrations

Before we get into specific tips for improving your holiday traditions, here’s a little background on how dementia affects your loved one’s ability to enjoy familiar activities: 

Dementia is a generic term that includes a wide range of impairments to memory, thinking, and reasoning abilities, such as Alzheimer’s. These impairments make it difficult to do routine and even enjoyable things, and sometimes painful.

As dementia progresses, people may be unable to do things that once came easily to them. They may forget names, places, and significant events, confusing them about long traditions. For caregivers, this can be especially challenging during the holiday season, when family members expect things to be like before.

However, the holiday season does not have to be stressful. Understand the needs of people with dementia and modify your approach to create meaningful experiences that bring joy and comfort to everyone involved.

Simplify Holiday Decorations

Decorations are one of the initial things to consider when facilitating holidays. The very bright flashing lights, enormous crowds, and clutter in most spaces can be overwhelming to mentally impaired individuals. Instead of many different decorations, they may be simplified.

Tips on Decoration for Dementia Care

• Use familiar and less overstimulating decorations. Avoid using flashing lights or bright colors resembling foodstuffs, as these might overwhelm the senses and lead to a panic attack. Instead, opt for simple yet familiar decorations by strategically placing ornaments around the tree or small, personal items.
• Keep the environment Clutter-Free: Too much visual stimulation can make it difficult for a person with dementia to focus or feel comfortable. Keep decorations to a minimum, and ensure walkways and spaces are clear of obstacles.
• Involve your loved one in decorating: If your loved one still enjoys doing things, involve them in some simple tasks. For example, hang ornaments or put the decorations on a shelf. This way, they will feel that they belong to the celebration, and even the simplest work will make them feel useful and satisfied.

Modify Family Traditions

The holidays are full of precious traditions—meals with the family, gift exchanges, and many gatherings. But for people with dementia, these can quickly become overwhelming. The only way to adapt holiday traditions is to reduce and adjust activities to make them manageable, safe, and comfortable for your loved one.

Small Gatherings Vs. Large Crowds

Instead of attending huge family gatherings that easily cause overstimulation, opt for more intimate, quiet events with family members closest to you. This will ensure your loved one can participate in the celebrations without additional stress from too many people, noise, or change.

Schedule a structured plan.

Seniors with dementia like a predictable world. Changes that occur during the holiday season often cause anxiety, but using a schedule can help smooth this over. You can work together to develop a flexible and yet predictable holiday plan for:

• Mealtimes
• Nap times
• Activities involving family

Knowing what to expect when makes seniors with dementia feel safe and not become agitated or confused.

Incorporate familiar tasks

Many families love baking, cooking, or even wrapping holiday presents. Make it manageable instead of entrusting a loved one with an already complicated task. For example, instead of baking holiday cookies, have your loved one assist you in mixing the ingredients or decorating the cookies.

If your loved one can’t cook anymore, don’t worry; remembering past holidays or flipping through picture albums can be enough. Recalling old family traditions and memories often becomes an effective way to connect your loved one with the holiday spirit.

Comfort and safety have to be the priority

It’s a holiday, so comfort and joy should not be associated with stress and anxiety. Your loved one’s environment must be comfortable, safe, and calming.

Keeping the Holiday Environment Safe and Calming

• Clear passageways: Your elderly loved one may be unable to walk around easily due to various mobility issues. Thus, it is important to maintain clear passageways devoid of clutter to avoid falls.
• Designate Quiet Spaces: Holiday celebrations can be overwhelming. Designate a quiet area where your loved one may rest and recharge if needed. This would prevent overstimulation and provide a safe space for him to relax.
• Monitor Energy Levels: Dementia patients tire much faster than others. Be aware of when your loved one tends to be most alert, often in the morning or early afternoon, and schedule the more active parts of the day at those times.

Change Mealtime Rituals

Most holidays have food at their core. However, with a new family member having dementia, mealtime is suddenly stressful. They complain constantly about the texture of their meals and always question the portion size; they can’t use the utensils properly. Mealtimes, therefore, ought not to be overwhelming while having minimal changes.

Rules of Modifying Holiday Food Traditions

• Serve Familiar Foods in Smaller Amounts: Large portions can be confusing. It is better to serve familiar foods that your loved one enjoys in smaller portions that are easier to manage. Ensure that the food served does not conflict with your loved one’s special dietary requirements.
• Finger Foods: The elderly with dementia may be so frustrated with manipulating utensils that finger foods are appropriate. Examples include small sandwiches, cookies, or even easily manipulated fruits.
• Engage your loved one in cooking: If your loved ones enjoy being in the kitchen, give them simple work such as setting the table or peeling vegetables so that they feel involved in the holiday meal.

Encourage Meaningful Involvement

If older adults with dementia are treated similarly, all of them would feel included in the holidays. They do not necessarily need to follow every tradition; various meaningful activities help them bond with others.

Encourage participation

• Gift wrapping: if the person likes crafts, it can still be a source for staying engaged in gift wrapping. That activity is still known, within their abilities, and in contact with the holiday spirit.
• Caroling and singing: This is another good way to get them involved if they enjoy music; singing holiday carols is a great idea. Music often evokes positive memories and feelings that help them connect with the holiday season.
• Decoration of Cookies: Decorating cookies can be an easy and fun activity involving holiday preparations. On the other hand, this activity gives great flexibility for your loved one to get into as long as they feel comfortable doing it.

Focus on Reminiscence and Memory

For the elderly with dementia, the holiday season may be a time to reflect on past experiences. Inducing reminiscence supports emotional connections and can also bring forth good memories.

Reminiscence Activities

• Look through Photo Albums: Get older family photo albums and reminisce about the pictures taken. This will help your patient regain his past and keep holiday traditions moving.
• Watch Holiday Movies: Classic holiday movies that your loved one would have watched as a youth can create nostalgia, familiarity, and enjoyment.

Seek support from Dementia Care Professionals

Dementia caregiving to a family member can be the most exhaustive work, particularly around holidays. Professional support makes a big difference in ensuring your loved one is cared for during your holiday.

Dementia Caregiver

Dementia Caregivers can provide all kinds of assistance, from companionship to help with daily activities and even safety issues. So, whether they need dementia caregiver training or require assistance around the holiday season, professional caregivers are here to make life a little bit easier.

Training for Dementia Caregivers

The dementia care courses and Learn2Care are online and provide dementia training, arming family members and caregivers with the tools they need to give the best care possible. Through these varied programs, you can learn how to work with your loved one differently and communicate better when providing dementia training for caregivers.

The End

The holiday season is such a special time, and accommodating your traditions to meet the needs of your loved one with dementia does not have to mean sacrificing joy. Consideration in making adjustments—whether it’s simplifying decorations, modifying meals, or encouraging meaningful interactions—can make the holidays as meaningful as they’ve always been.

Searching for dementia care training, either online or in class, can help families provide the best possible care while creating an environment that fosters comfort and connection. With a little planning and patience, families can celebrate holidays with their loved ones with dementia in the most fulfilling and memorable way for everyone. For more information about how dementia caregiver training programs or dementia home care services may benefit your family during the holiday season, contact Learn2Care. Let us help make these special moments together last throughout the holiday season.