While the young love the holidays and all of the festivities it brings, many elderly folks are at home feeling isolated and lonely. Aging brings about wisdom, patience, and a wealth of knowledge, but it also brings about multiple losses. Your loved one may have lost those she loved, lost the ability to be as mobile as she’d like, lost her health, and lost some friends along the way. These losses can be felt especially hard during the holidays when it seems the rest of the world is filled with joy.
The good news is that there are some steps you can take to help your loved one feel the spirit of the holidays and not feel isolated from the festivities around her. Whether you live with your elderly loved one, live nearby, or live far away, consider these four ways to make her holidays merrier.
Decorate Her Home
Sure, it’s a lot of work to drag down the Christmas tree from the attic or put up strings of lights. That family menorah may be stored in the back of the closet, but displaying your loved one’s favorite holiday décor is worth the effort in many ways. It connects her to her past joys of the holidays as well as reminds her to enjoy this season too. Many decorating tasks are physically difficult so consider having her home care assistance team help by getting all of the décor out and ready for her to use. The home care assistance provider can also help with hanging lights or getting the tree set up for decorating.
Prepare Holiday Cards
It’s just a little thing but for many seniors, going to the mailbox during the holiday season to see if they’ve received any festive cards is a bright spot in their day. It’s also a great way for them to connect to long-time friends and family. Have your home care assistance provider help your loved one address, stamp, and deliver her cards. You might also want to consider reminding family and friends to send your loved one a card even if it’s no longer a big tradition in their family. It will brighten her day.
Consider Her Needs and Abilities During Family Gatherings
If a large family gathering in another state is too overwhelming or costly for your loved one, plan a more intimate gathering for her and those she holds most dear so that she still can connect and celebrate the season. Or, if you have a nearby family gathering, but the time length is too long, consider having her home care assistance provider bring her late or pick her up early so that she can enjoy the time together but not wear herself out too much.
Focus on the Important Things
Talk to your loved one about what she most wants to do to celebrate the season. It might be attending a special service at her place of worship, or watching A Christmas Carol on TV. Plan to include those special events and let others be bypassed.
Your loved one will feel less alone and isolated when she sees the efforts you are making to include her in thoughtful ways.
