Reducing Caregiver Stress at Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving! Holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, can remain very significant for families. These holidays can involve reuniting with relatives that one hasn't seen for some time, sharing laughs and memories, feasting until one's belt buckle needs to be loosened a notch and enjoying good company. However, when Mom or Dad grows older and lives in a care facility, the traditional familial celebration must change. While these events take on a different form, families can still partake of the festivities, while still involving Mom or Dad. Here are a few ideas of how to do this:

Bring the holiday to your parent: Decorate Mom or Dad's room, bring in a plate of home-cooked turkey with a wedge of pumpkin pie or revisit old photo albums to remember the good times from holidays past. At Christmas, why not arrange an impromptu barbershop quartet to visit your parent and sing holiday carols? Chances are that other residents, along with the care staff, in the home will greatly enjoy your music.

Shorten a family visit: If Mom or Dad is mobile and well enough to travel, bring her/him to a relative's home for part of the day. As an elderly senior will tire more easily, it will be wise to limit the stay ... perhaps to a couple of hours. Consider the best time of day for a parent to visit ... when is he/she most lucid and/or awake? In the wintertime, remember to clear the front sidewalk of any snow or ice to reduce the risk of accidental falls. Don't forget to also clear the inside of your home as well ... Christmas wrapping paper strewn over the living room floor can become a slipping hazard.

Occupy children: Youngsters, bless their hearts, can be great joys at holiday time. Their excitement can be very contagious. However, enthusiastic children can easily become boisterous children and noise levels can increase. With my father, sudden noises startled him - this may well be disturbing for your own parent. If Mom or Dad is visiting you at-home, provide a distraction for your children ... can you take them skating? Tobagganing? Hunting for Easter eggs out in the back yard?

These are just a few ideas to help your holidays continue to go well. Yes, holidays can - and will - change for families and family caregivers; however, they don't need to be as stressful.