Planning for Holiday Gatherings
For some. it has been a while since everyone has gathered together. With more people being vaccinated, your family may have more confidence to gather together during this holiday season!
When family members see an older adult that they have not seen for quite a while due to the pandemic, they might be surprised or taken off-guard by their current condition. We know the toll that isolation takes on all of us, much less an older adult who has had limited interaction with others, has felt lonely or isolated. Being surprised could cause a family member to treat the older adult poorly or insist on making unwise changes to their care. Some things that become noticable are a loss in weight, a person looking more frail, sensitive to larger croweds and too much noise.
To minimize unwanted behavior, give your familly a heads-up about what to expect before holiday events and gatherings, explaining current health conditions, frequent behaviors and suggest ways of interacting that will help your older adult enjoy the family time together. It may even be wise to limit the number of guests during each gathering as large groups can often startle a senior due to noise levels and elevated activity in the home.
Finally, reminiscing with photo albums, listening to music they enjoy, having conversations surrounding their fond memories, and visiting with the children and grandchildren will add to their joy.
