How to Make Holidays Special for Someone with Dementia

The holiday season can be a difficult time for individuals living with dementia, but there are steps that loved ones can take in order to make this time of year special and enjoyable instead. Chaos should be minimized as much as possible, and the individual with dementia should be treated as normally as possible. Family members should take care not to correct the person with dementia and should try to stick to conversational topics that are based on the individual’s long-term memory. Foods should be kept relatively simple and familiar, and, when traveling, family members must maintain routines.

Key Takeaways for handling the holidays with dementia:

• To the greatest degree possible, loved ones should try to keep chaos at a minimum in order to avoid needlessly overwhelming the person with dementia
• Loved ones should be careful not to correct the individual with dementia and should keep conversations rooted in the person’s long term memory
• If traveling is necessary, then make sure that a routine is maintained for the person with dementia to minimize their stress

“At Silverado, we have nearly 20 years of dedicated experience in caring for individuals with memory impairments, and in that time we’ve developed numerous best practices that have been adopted industry-wide. “

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