Top tips to navigate the silly season with dementia mate wareware

Christmas holidays can be a time of celebration, but for many older people – including those living with dementia mate wareware – the silly season can be a challenge.

Community support is often unavailable during the holidays and this can be disruptive for people who rely on these services. Usual visitors may have other plans and priorities during this time which is another big change!

Here are our top tips for whānau care partners to help navigate this time.

Keep it simple and familiar

Someone with dementia mate wareware may feel overwhelmed during the holidays, so it’s best not to overdo it. Keeping the day’s activities low-key will help the person you support to relax. If they usually go to church around this time but are unable to, consider online or televised services.

Sticking to a familiar routine is a good idea where possible. Having meals at regular times and in familiar surroundings will help to limit any potential confusion.

Get everyone involved

There are many ways to involve people living with dementia mate wareware during Christmas – from something as simple as hanging a bauble on the tree to doing a spot of shopping. Playing festive music and singing carols can be a simple way to get somebody involved, and, most importantly, allow them to be included!

Stagger visitors

If whānau and friends will visit over Christmas, try and arrange it so they don’t all arrive at once! This can be a bit overwhelming. Try to arrange staggered visits, and at a time of the day when things are generally more relaxed in the house.

Create a quiet area

If things do get busy, designate one room or space in the home a ‘quiet area’ where people can relax without loud noise. For some people, listening to music on headphones can be a good way to block out the noise. Even a colouring book or a photo album in this room can provide a distraction from all the activity.

Bring back old memories

Whether it’s an old song they used to enjoy or a classic Christmas film, find something you can take part in that is important to the person. Making a family photo album or memory box could be a nice way to spend time together – just be careful about people or events the person may not want to reminisce about.

Be mindful of food

Although many of us  eat a lot at Christmas, a full plate can be daunting for someone who has difficulties eating. If you’re doing the serving, try not to overload plate.

Be flexible

It’s easy to get caught up in Christmas traditions and how things have always been done in the family, but your festive season might begin to look different as dementia mate wareware progresses.  It’s always worth having a back-up plan and being prepared to change if something isn’t quite working.

And don’t forget, too, that loneliness can be a major factor over the Christmas season for many people. So, if you know someone living with dementia mate wareware this holiday season, please make a special effort to get in touch with them.