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Help Your Loved One with Alzheimer's Make the Best of the Holidays

December 14, 2016
christmasThe Orlando home health care experts at BrightStar Care know that the holiday season can be stressful for anyone, but even more so for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers. Frequently, there are feelings of loss for the way things used to be and guilt about not knowing what to think or feel in certain situations. Helping a loved one make the best of the holidays can be accomplished by relying on familiarity, comfort, and caregiver support. Familiar items and activities will help loved ones feel more at ease throughout the busy holiday season. Music can help manage agitation and inspire positivity because the rhythmic and rehearsed responses require little to no cognitive or mental processing. Holiday music can inspire even late stage patients to sing and dance. Combining music with going for a drive to view holiday lights and displays is an easy way to enjoy the beauty of the season. Achieving physical, mental, and emotional comfort during the holiday season can be tricky. As the weather changes, temperatures drop and daylight hours become shorter. This can be uncomfortable for older loved ones. They have a harder time staying warm and the lack of light causes some to experience seasonal affective disorder. Gatherings during the holidays can be noisy and overwhelming. Having or creating a place where an overwhelmed loved one can retreat is essential. Confusion can also be mitigated by going through photo albums or digital slideshows of people who may be in attendance. Most importantly, caregivers need extra support from their friends, family, and even from Orlando home health care providers like BrightStar Care. Caregivers need to decide ahead of time what they will and will not be able to do and plan accordingly. With so many friends and family around, caregivers should utilize all available help so that they can take regular breaks to avoid overburdening themselves during the holiday season. When friends and family aren’t available, home health care can offer trained medical staff to take care of loved ones while caregivers take the necessary time for themselves. BrightStar also offers home support to help with laundry, light housekeeping, and meal planning and cooking. Relying on familiarity, comfort, and caregiver support makes the best of an otherwise difficult holiday season. Allow music to lift the mood, pictures to eliminate confusion, and caregivers to take a necessary break. If you or a family member need Orlando home health care this holiday season, call BrightStar Care at 1-866-618-7827 for a complimentary in-home assessment.