What Are the Best Holidays to Visit My Senior in Memory Care

Holidays can trigger a wide variety of emotions, from the euphoria felt during celebrations to the depression that develops from feeling loneliness and isolation. Residents of assisted living facilities are especially vulnerable to experiencing the ups and downs of the holidays. One of the most effective ways for your loved one to experience the ups of the holidays is to choose which ones to visit with your senior who lives in a memory care facility.

Senior living facilities that offer memory care services typically organize holiday events. However, nothing does more to enrich the life of a senior loved one during a holiday than to receive visitors.

Let’s find out what are the best holidays to visit your senior in memory care.

Christmas

No other holiday generates the strongest emotional highs and lows than Christmas. Although spending other holidays alone can be traumatic, spending Christmas alone can trigger devastatingly negative emotions. Christmas should be the first holiday on your list to spend with a senior in memory care, and not just on December 25. The senior housing facility in Phoenix, AZ providing memory care for your loved one should have scheduled one or more events leading up to Christmas, such as putting on a concert featuring the most popular Christmas songs.

Thanksgiving

Because food is the centerpiece of a Thanksgiving celebration, the holiday represents the best holiday to enjoy a communal approach to celebrating it. Most assisted living facilities host some type of Thanksgiving meal for all residents, including residents living in a memory care room. Visiting a loved one on Thanksgiving allows you to interact with your loved one, as well as the caregivers providing memory care services. You might even be able to bring a dish from home to celebrate a potluck Thanksgiving meal.

Grandparent’s Day

Although not considered a federal holiday, grandparents day has morphed into a day that rivals Mother’s and Father’s Day in importance. You can celebrate Grandparent’s Day in several ways, from taking your loved one to a restaurant with other family members to remaining onsite to allow your kids someone-on-one time with their grandmother or grandfather. A growing number of memory care facilities in Phoenix, AZ have organized special events to commemorate Grandparent’s Day. For example, MorningStar at Arcadia celebrates grandparents on their special day.

How to Help a Loved One Get the Most Out of a Holiday

A loved one living with some form of memory loss requires special consideration when spending time with you during a holiday celebration. Allow your loved one to retain a familiar schedule. Seniors suffering from dementia have a difficult time adapting to changes. Get your loved one involved in simple activities that involve nostalgia, such as designing Christmas tree ornaments or baking a pie for Thanksgiving dinner. Emphasize the good times, while avoiding discussions centered around less appealing memories. Consider your loved one’s needs throughout a holiday celebration and above all, ask your loved one what he or she wants to do.

Celebrate Holidays With a Loved One in Phoenix, AZ

MorningStar at Arcadia closely follows our founder’s mission “to honor, to value, and to invest.” Our operating foundation revolves around God and the dedication to serve others. Discover how MorningStar at Arcadia approaches each holiday by connecting with one of our resident services representatives.