For caregivers of loved ones dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, the holiday season can be difficult. Many caregivers have mixed feelings about the holidays. While there may be happy memories of the past, there are also many concerns about the extra demands that the holiday season will have on their time and energy. The holiday season is full of many opportunities to join friends, family, and even coworkers in festive activities. To make the season enjoyable, self-care is crucial for caregivers. Here are four ways to balance the many holiday-related activities and your own needs as a caregiver with the needs of your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Pick and choose what holiday activities and traditions are most important to you. Remember that you can’t do it all and it is unreasonable for anyone to expect you to.
- Manage others’ expectations of your time by letting people know what you can reasonably contribute to holiday celebrations. Are you actually able to provide food, clean, or decorate for a crowd along with your caregiver responsibilities? Or will you need help from friends or family members just to make sure you and the loved one with Alzheimer’s disease will be able to attend necessary events?
- Delegate certain tasks to other family and friends. As Alzheimer’s progresses, caregivers spend more and more time helping with day-to-day tasks which can leave little time to handle other necessary holiday activities such as making and addressing holiday cards or shopping for gifts. Let family and friends help with cleaning, addressing cards, or shopping for gifts. Arrange for address labels to be printed for friends and family to assist with your cards and use curbside pickup and a friend to obtain all the necessary gifts.
- Make time for yourself. Find time for holiday activities you like to do. For example, go for a walk in the neighborhood to look at holiday decorations or bake holiday cookies. If you receive invitations to events that the person with Alzheimer’s cannot attend, consider going yourself. Ask a friend or family member to spend time with the loved one while you’re out.
This is a joyous, if difficult, time of year. If there are no friends and family available to give you a hand, take advantage of elder care options such as those offered by a home care service like Griswold Home Care Orlando to keep this a joyful and rested time for all. Homemaking Care will make sure your loved one stays on top of all their home chores while you’re away handling other holiday needs. Personal Care will make sure that those who struggle with standard tasks will be up, dressed, and fed. Respite Care and Overnight Care allow time-crunched caregivers to be away for extended periods of time to handle their personal needs or enjoy a holiday party. With 40 years of care experience, Griswold Home Care Orlando is the place to contact for all your home care needs this holiday season. Click here to contact Griswold Home Care Orlando online or give them a call at 407.638.8116.
