Dementia occurs because of a number of physical and neurological disorders. In the senior population, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of dementia. Although treatment for this disease has come a long way, there’s still no cure. During the holidays, the difficulties that come along with dementia might seem a lot more pronounced than normal.
Rather than let this be a tough time, it’s important to try and take steps to make the holiday season a lot more enjoyable. Although the holidays can be an emotional time for families, there are things that can be done to relieve this tension.
The reality of having a loved one with dementia in your family is a very real struggle. This goes for all family members, but especially the one that is dealing with dementia themselves. Being around a lot of people, having extra stimulation around, and the general tone of busyness and chaos that can come with the holidays can be a lot for someone that is struggling. It can lead to a strong surge of negative emotions and feeling overwhelmed. People in these positions can lash out verbally, might cry, or otherwise show their emotions in an unexpected way. This is probably not a situation that you would ever want to be put in yourself, and it’s a situation that your loved ones certainly don’t want to experience, either.
Rather than have a lot of people over for the holidays and overwhelm a loved one, keep it small and intimate. Even if someone has trouble remembering those that they are close with, there are likely to be some bits and pieces of familiarity. It’s much easier to find this when things are not stressful or loud. Additionally, it’s important to try and keep an eye on nonverbal body language. Difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings is normal with any sort of dementia, but if you can intervene and keep things calm before your mom or dad gets upset, the likelihood of a meltdown or outburst can be drastically reduced.
These tips–and others–can extend well beyond the holiday season, helping a loved one live a higher quality of life. They’re things that can be practiced year round to try and make life a little bit better for the ones that you love.
Good senior care that takes dementia and memory issues into account can also help. Senior care is meant to make someone’s quality of life a little bit better, which is why it’s so important to take into account the training and background that the caregivers you rely on when choosing the right service for your family. If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s then you will want to ensure that the people helping have the right training to effectively and safely assist someone with Alzheimer’s. Ask questions, think about it, and be sure that your care service really is doing what they can to help give your family the best care experience possible. This is important during the holiday season, and the entirety of the year.
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