Try: Care givers may need to make some changes in order or the Care recipient (cr) to have an enjoyable and memorable holiday season some traditions may need to be adapted to provide the joy of the season without added stress and exhaustion here are some suggestions for enjoying the holidays communicate the changes to family and friends this would include physical or cognitive limitations the cr may be experiencing create new traditions for example instead of a large tree put up a smaller one with handpicked family ornaments this will also give you and the cr an opportunity to travel down memory lane when choosing the decorations if possible take the cr on a drive through the residential neighborhoods to enjoy the decorations cut down on the amount of blinking lights throughout the house this could cause confusion for the cr watch all of the classic christmas movies complete with snacks and hot chocolate keep to a normal schedule try not to disrupt the daily schedule too much around the holidays setting aside a specific time each day for holiday preparations can make it an enjoyable activity instead of a whirlwind of confusion eat sensibly sample and enjoy the treats but don’t go overboard sticking to a sensible diet will help you and the cr feel better both physically and mentally instead of a large family gathering which adds to the confusion for the cr plan several smaller personal family visits if a large gathering is necessary just serve desserts instead of trying to prepare a large meal or go out to a restaurant for the family meal ask for and accept help plan some respite for yourself so that you can attend and enjoy your own holiday gatherings and traditions simplify gift giving for the cr family and friends making homemade gifts for others may provide an activity that you and the cr can both enjoy without the hustle and bustle of shopping ask others to write down favorite memories of the cr in a journal or provide a photo album as a gift these gifts can be enjoyed over and over throughout the year don’t forget during the holiday season to give thanks for all of the blessings in your life and the cr’s life celebrate the joys in life the love and support of family and the wonderful gifts of caring and compassion information references
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Categories: Caregiver Needs&Support, Emotional Psychological, Social
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Keywords: Christmas eve new years eve
*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed