How to Help Alzheimer's Patients Enjoy Holidays
Easy Changes Can Make Season Enjoyable, Despite Illness
Nov 11, 2008
Millions of families around the world will celebrate this winter holiday season with an older loved one who has Alzheimer's disease. While the ill person obviously will be different than at past holidays, Alzheimer's need not rob the season of joy.
Family caregivers can use simple strategies to change holiday traditions to make them more Alzheimer's friendly. The result: the Alzheimer's patient may feel happier, more calm and less confused during Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hannukah get togethers. This, in turn, will also enable family and friends of the Alzheimer's patient to relax and enjoy the festivities.
Parties Can Cause Problems
Alzheimer's experts say that it’s essential for caregivers to let go of the expectation that the holidays can be exactly the same as they always were. Alzheimer's disease affects a person's ability to process stimulating, unfamiliar activities, so patients generally do better when they have a calm daily routine.
This, of course, is the opposite of what occurs at the typical holiday party. Holiday get-togethers often include adults having several loud conversations in the same room, bright or blinking lights on the Christmas tree and excited children running around the house. Also, party food may vary from the usual meals, and be served at a different time. An Alzheimer's patient - even one who once was the life of the party - will probably be overwhelmed in this kind of environment, and can feel more confused, anxious or irritable.
Ways to Adapt Parties
Instead of courting failure, the family can follow a few strategies to tone down some holiday events, and increase the chances of the patient doing well at parties and other festive activities.
- When planning a party that includes the patient, it's crucial for the family to remember that a lot of noise and confusion can upset an Alzheimer’s patient, and aggravate symptoms. If a party is bound to include hours of non-stop noise and activity, the caregiver can make sure the patient, accompanied by a companion, can have a quiet, low lit place to go to at the first sign he or she is acting anxious or irritable. The family can also decide, guilt free, to keep the party as usual, and plan for the patient to have an alternate, quiet activity.
- Once at a holiday event, an Alzheimer's patient should be settled into a comfortable seating area that is away from the main hustle and bustle of the party. Patients can have a lot of trouble trying to focus when several people are talking back and forth to each other. It's easier for the patient to talk to one person at a time, so friends and relatives can take turns visiting with the patient.
- Holiday activities that include the Alzheimer's patient and young grandchildren can be structured to minimize chaos and noise. A patient might enjoy decorating Christmas cookies or making a Thanksgiving decoration with a few grandchildren, rather than trying to sustain a conversation or have open-ended play. If a patient starts to become anxious or agitated during a visit, the caregiver can intervene and direct the children to another activity, or guide the patient to a quiet place.
- Depending on the day or hour, the patient may or may not remember certain relatives and friends. When making introductions, the caregiver can say something like, “Mom, your grandson Matthew wants to wish you Happy Holidays. Say hello to your grandson Matthew.”
- Partygoers can help the patient by bringing up past events, rather than talking about the present and future. Patients often still maintain good long-term memory, so will be able to enjoy the reminiscing. Scrapbooks with clearly labeled photographs can also be shared, and may bring much pleasure to both the patient and the visitor.
- The caregiver can get further ideas for holiday planning by talking to the patient's physician or staff and volunteers at their local chapter of the national Alzheimer's Association.
Living with and caring for a person who has Alzheimer's disease is a challenge every single day of the year. But by making some simple changes to holiday get togethers, caregiving families and their ill loved ones can continue to enjoy the holidays. They deserve no less.
Sources: Baylor College of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
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