Dementia and Christmas
Christmas – the most wonderful time of the year – the perfect time to spend with your family and to make memories.
If you have a loved one living with dementia, it can be tempting to make the most of the occasion and go all out to make it “special” for your loved one – but this might be overwhelming for them, so much better to keep the day low key – and as normal to their routine as possible.
We’ve put together some tips for helping someone living with dementia to enjoy Christmas.
- Share Christmas cards – when cards arrive in the post, it can sometimes be difficult to place the names to people – so if possible, share the cards with a photograph of the person who sent it – particularly if it is from a family member or close friend.
- Play Christmas songs – using a CD, or the radio (there are some radio stations that only play Christmas songs!) – have familiar Christmas songs to sing along to. If your loved one is singing along – sing with them, encourage the activity.
- Small appetites – we know that the traditional Christmas dinner is a plate, heaped with delicious food and all the trimmings – but this can be overwhelming and daunting – so much better to have smaller portion sizes – with the option of a second helping if it is wanted.
- Decorate in stages – putting the decorations up is a joyful occasion – but too much change can disorientate the person – so introduce the decorations slowly.
- Prepare guests for the situation – if you are having visitors at Christmas – make them aware of how the person living with dementia might react, and how they can help the situation.
- Cut the celebrations short – it’s easy to get tired with so many different sights and sounds on offer at Christmas – your loved one needs rest – so don’t be afraid to cut the celebrations short and give everyone a break.
- Be present – enjoy the time together, even if it’s doing nothing. Hold hands, if that works for both of you, and just be present.
If your loved one is in a care home, some of these tips won’t apply – but it’s useful to check with the home what their plans are for Christmas Day – some have reduced visiting hours, or there may be increased safety measures in place – checking before your visit means that nobody will need to be disappointed if the visit can’t go ahead.
