- Preserve, as much as possible, the person's daily routine regarding times for meals, exercise, activities, and so on.
- Don't think you have to make the holiday exactly as it always was. Emphasize a few favorite traditions and let go of the rest.
- Adapt longstanding traditions to the person's present abilities. If Mom always decorated the tree, help her attach ornaments rather than completely taking the job over. If Dad carved the turkey, let him sit in his customary seat but bring the bird to the table already sliced, and let him help fill plates.
- Keep the person's hands busy while you handle holiday chores. Some ideas: decorating sugar cookies, kneading dough, stirring a pot, sorting through a box of unbreakable ornaments, stringing popcorn or cranberries, looking at Christmas cards.
- Safety-proof: Avoid candles (fire hazard), artificial fruit (a choking hazard if mistaken for real), gingerbread houses (if made of inedible items), blinking lights (disorienting), garlands that obscure railings on stairs.
- Take advantage of the powerful sensory memories of this time of year. Whether it's playing in the background or sung in the form of carols or hymns, holiday music taps into deep emotional memories and usually brings a great deal of pleasure to someone with dementia. Expose the person to familiar holiday smells, such as clove-studded oranges, evergreens, cinnamon, and peppermint.
- Reminisce by bringing out photo albums or telling old family stories. But don't make it feel like a quiz by asking, "Do you remember…?" Just start the story.
Holiday Trouble Spot #3: Frenzy at Home
Page 3 of How to Handle Holiday Travel and Celebration Problems Common to People With Alzheimer's and Other Dementias
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