Providing Care During the Holidays

The holidays can be tough for people. This is a time where families come together, and if someone is unable to get around easily, then it might be impossible for them to go and see the people that they care about. Some individuals are able to have their families come to them while others are not. Even when families are able to come together, seeing an elderly loved one that is having issues with their health can be a trying experience.

 

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the focus for many of us in the coming weeks will be on Christmas. Regardless of what you celebrate or how you meet up with your family, it is important to act in a loving and compassionate manner toward the people in your family. Here are a couple things that you can consider as we head into the holiday season.

 

Observe

 

Pay attention to the older people in your family when you are with them, especially if you haven’t seen them in a while. Are there significant changes to their health or to their behavior? These things are not necessarily indicative of a need for senior care, but they can be. Keep an eye on them and watch to see if any symptoms of dementia or any other disability are at play. There are plenty of resources out there that can help you to know and recognize the signs of dementia if you are not familiar with them.

 

The holidays can be tough, but they are a great way to connect with an older loved one.

 

Talk

 

Sometimes, you won’t know if your mom or dad needs help around the house unless you ask them. In some families, this is not an easy conversation to have, in others it’s something that should be steered far away from. However, yours might be one of the families that this is a good conversation to have. If it is, ask your mom how they are doing and see if they want or need any help. An honest conversation can go a long way toward finding out what your loved ones’ needs are, and can lay the building blocks for talking about how to meet those needs in a manner that everyone approves of.

 

Engage

 

Once you have a better feel for what your loved one needs, you can go over what options they have before them when it comes to care. There is a lot of information out there about the various types of care and what they can and cannot accomplish. If you have further questions about what type of care will benefit your mom or dad the most, get in touch with their doctor for guidance.

 

Perhaps the holidays are not the best time to talk about this with your parent. However, the time that you spend with them during this period will make sure that when you talk to them later, you will have a foothold to start the conversation with. Approach it with tact and love, and make sure that you show that you truly care about them and want the best for them.

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