Navigating a parent's recent dementia diagnosis can be challenging for adult children, especially during the holiday season. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help your parent remember the joy of Christmas and make the season go more smoothly for your family. Here are four helpful tips to keep in mind during the first December following a parent's dementia diagnosis.
Decorate Slowly
Putting up all your Christmas decorations at once may have been an exciting tradition for your family in the past, but changing too much at once can be stressful for a parent with dementia. Instead, adding a few things at a time over several days can help to minimize confusion, especially if your decorating process involves temporarily moving some of their everyday decorations or other belongings.
Prioritize Familiarity
Your parent is the most likely to remember and enjoy decorations and traditions that have been a part of nearly every Christmas throughout their lives this year. This means that prioritizing the most familiar aspects of Christmas is key when it comes to creating a meaningful celebration, rather than trying to add too many new traditions that they may be less likely to associate with the holiday season.
Keep Your Parent Involved
Your parent may not be able to contribute as much to your Christmas celebration as they have in the past, but it is still important to make sure they feel as included as they want to be. Finding small ways to involve them in each aspect of your Christmas celebration, such as helping you decorate the tree instead of doing it on your own, completing the easiest steps of their favorite baking and cooking traditions while someone else oversees the rest of the recipe and handles the oven, and adding stamps to Christmas cards instead of writing out addresses can keep your parent involved to the extent that they are comfortable without feeling overwhelmed.
Make The Most Of This Christmas
As challenging as this Christmas may be for your family, the reality of living with dementia is that your parent may be more capable of enjoying this holiday season than they will be in the future. Many people still have a somewhat high level of awareness of favorite traditions and what Christmas means for your family during the first year after a dementia diagnosis, but their ability to remember past Christmases and understand the importance of this time of year will likely deteriorate as each holiday season passes. This means that this is an important year to fill December with as many activities as you are reasonably able to, even if it is difficult to see differences in how your parent responds to them.
At Senior Helpers of Greenville, we know that a recent dementia diagnosis can make the holiday season more challenging for your family. We are here to assist seniors and their families in the Greenville and Simpsonville areas with both seasonal needs and ongoing care as your parent's dementia progresses. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer or to get started!