Hello Care Partners,
Celebrating family events gets more difficult as our person living with Dementia declines. Challenges like over stimulation or sheltering them from everything can both cause problems. Personalized care is important and we need to recognize this chronic debilitating disease is unpredictable and will affect your loved one in a different way than it does mine.
There can also be a more activities during the holidays than are reasonable. For example, parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and decorating not to mention the added expenses. Yikes!! Frequently we have unrealistic expectations for ourselves and our person living with Dementia.
Let's consider whose needs are really being served by these traditions.
What do I really want or need?
What does the Person Living with Dementia (PLwD) want or need?
Should the goal be to just ENDURE the Holidays?? I vote NO! Let's think outside the box.
What can we change to serve both of our needs? How can we choose wisely: Let's have a family meeting if there are other decision makers involved.
1.Call a family meeting to discuss which traditions are a must or what is open to change.
2. Do you include the PLwD in the meeting? That depends on their awareness.
3. Consider what we are willing to give up.
4. Ask for Help! Let go of your ego and save yourself.
5. At large events, assign a person to be one on one with your PLwD and tend to their needs. They can give them insight and serve them quickly before they get agitated.
6. They can also recognize when this person needs to leave the room with all the activity for a time out, potty break, snack or something else. Preventing a larger reaction is always good plan.
7. Put yourself first when it comes to your health habits.
8. Take time to to step away for a break to breathe and recharge your physical batteries.
It's important to share this information about your person with friends and family so they will have realistic expectations, but the sad truth is not everyone will understand what you are going through.
We can always do a zoom call with A Better Approach to Memory Care so they can hear explanations from me. It is so important to have them on the same page pulling in the same direction with you. Care Partners need to acknowledge their feelings.
Please reach out to family, community, social, spiritual and homecare support as needed. As families grow and change, traditions will too. Choose a few to hold on to and let go of the rest. Maybe go to online visits and exchanging pics instead of gifts to save money. These little changes can provide huge relief for you and your loved one during the Holiday Season.
YOU GOT THIS,
Teresa
So here is it 👉 https://bit.ly/4a93oRg
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