Holidays and your loved one…how to be more prepared! by Dori Laack, Arbor Terrace at Crabapple

With the holidays right around the corner, we wanted to share with you some helpful information when it comes to hosting the holidays with a loved one who has a cognitive decline. 

When you think about your loved one and a cognitive decline, we want to remind you that a gradual loss of thinking abilities such as memory, learning, attention, and reasoning can be due to aging but also is considered a cognitive decline.  Levels range from mild to severe and can be categorized as: No Cognitive Impairment (NCI), Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and severe cognitive impairment or Dementia.

Some signs of a cognitive decline can include:

• Forgetting important appointments

• Losing your train of thought

• Forgetting things more often

• Difficulty finding your way around familiar environments

• Challenges with processing and understanding information

• Trouble speaking or writing

Even when a loved one has a cognitive decline, being all together and surrounded with familiarity and love is a wonderful way to spend time during the holidays.  You may be asking, “How do you have this time together not be so stressful?” Some “tips” we can provide include creating a safe and comfortable environment. Keeping things simple is key along with continuing holiday traditions because they provide a routine for your loved one that may be familiar to them due to their long-term memory.  Some other great things to consider are the following:

• Keeping it safe:  Secure large decorations and trees to a wall and avoid candles with open flames.

• Limiting decorations:  Avoid blinking and flashing lights, large displays and decorations that could be confused with food.

• Creating a quiet space:  Set aside a room for your loved one to retreat to, if they need a break. Please make sure a family member is with them in this private room.

• Playing music:  Choose favorite or familiar holiday music at a relaxing volume.

• Involving them:  Ask your loved one to help with preparations like folding napkins, setting the table, or even wrapping gifts.

• Staying flexible:  Be prepared to adapt your plans based on their preferences and their needs, i.e. time to have the holiday meal.

• Limiting the number of attendees:  If you have a lot of family and friends over for the holidays, limit the number of attendees because it can become overwhelming.

• Reminiscing:  Encourage sharing stories and memories to help your love one feel connected.

• Maintaining routines:  Try to keep your loved one’s normal routine as much as possible. 

While preparing for your loved one with a cognitive decline does take more preparation and time, fun and enjoyment can be obtainable—and a great holiday will happen!

If your loved one is living in a community, personal care home or a nursing home, please consider bringing the traditions to them where they are residing because they are living with the experts of cognitive decline. With their routine already established where they are residing, bring the holidays to them. If you would like more information about community living that offers assisted living and memory care, please contact Arbor Terrace at Crabapple at 770-649-1009.

Learn more: https://www.arborcompany.com/locations/georgia/alpharetta-crabapple