Regardless of age—3 or 93 or anywhere in between—most of us look forward to the holiday season. As children, we anticipated presents, but as we get older, the presence of family and friends often becomes the most meaningful part of enjoying the season. That’s certainly true for residents of retirement homes. Whether living healthily in senior independent living, receiving support in personal care or needing care in skilled nursing facilities, they welcome visitors to share holiday celebrations with them.
At our senior living community, we encourage and welcome family visits over the holidays. In fact, we invite guests to join residents here for concerts, carol sings and other programs. Our residents also enjoy a wide selection of holiday-themed social activities. These include preparing Christmas cards, holiday-themed arts and crafts, cookie baking, storytelling, book readings, classic movies and games.
We know, however, that the holidays can be a difficult time for some families, particularly those whose loved ones have dementia. To support these families, we have prepared tips for visiting residents with dementia. Here is a sampling:
- Visit at a time of day when loved ones are at their best.
- Make eye contact and address them by name.
- Share memories. The past can be easier for them to discuss than the present.
- Avoid correcting them, which can cause stress and frustration for everyone.
- Listen actively as they talk, and pay attention to their emotions.
We also have tips for you on celebrating the holidays with someone with dementia and memory loss. You can find them in our new guide, “Understanding Dementia’s Effects on Your Loved One and Family,” which you can download here now. It offers insight into assessing if loved ones might have dementia, communicating with them, addressing concerns about driving, determining if memory care is needed, and legal and financial planning.
Memory Support Services
At Country Meadows Retirement Communities, we realize that memory loss can be upsetting and debilitating for seniors, which is why we developed Connections Memory Support Services 30 years ago. Since then, we have cared for more than 10,000 people.
Our Connections Club helps alleviate feelings of frustration and anxiety that accompany early-stage memory loss, using one-to-one assistance to create personalized support plans. Our Connections Neighborhood meets the needs of individuals with more serious memory loss, who need hands-on assistance with daily activities, a structured, supervised setting or a safe, secure living area.
If you are choosing a retirement community near you and are interested in our Connections program, we invite you to view this video. Families often prefer memory care support delivered within our caring senior community over a nursing home or long-term care facility. We hope you will contact us to learn more about Country Meadows and tour any of our Pennsylvania or Maryland retirement homes.
We would be happy to introduce you to our retirement communities in Pennsylvania—Lancaster, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Pittsburgh, Wyomissing, two in York and three in the Lehigh Valley—or Frederick, Maryland. At all 11 locations, you will discover senior living that is personalized, active and fulfilling.
Country Meadows
