Heather View care home helps spread the festive cheer

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Dec 20, 2016

Heather View care home in Crowborough has put together some timely advice for carers of loved ones living with dementia to help make this Christmas a special time for all.

Trish Banks, home manager at Heather View on Beacon Road, has compiled some top tips for carers on how the whole family can enjoy the festive season together.

Trish commented: “Christmas is a magical time that should be spent with your loved ones, but it’s important to ensure that family members’ different expectations are all met. Trying to manage the needs of those requiring additional care, while also delivering the ‘perfect’ Christmas can put a lot of pressure on relatives. However, there are plenty of ways to make sure it really is the most wonderful time of the year for all:

Get everyone involved

Where possible, involve those living with dementia in preparations for the Christmas festivities, so they feel part of the celebrations and retain some personal independence. This approach can give people a great sense of self-achievement, and may well improve their wellbeing.  From stirring the Christmas pudding mix to decorating the tree, and even wrapping gifts – there are a number of ways you can make traditional, seasonal activities as collaborative as possible.

Take a trip down memory lane

Dealing with the loss of memories can be a very frustrating part of living with dementia. Try to ask questions about how your loved one used to celebrate Christmas and what their family traditions were.  You could then try to recreate some of these to encourage a sense of comforting nostalgia, or perhaps make a Christmas memory box together to store their memories and help encourage reminiscence.

Countdown to Christmas

It is not uncommon for a person living with dementia to be full of joy for Christmas one day and to have no memory of the time of year the next.  An advent calendar is a good way of giving your loved one a daily reminder of the time of year and also helps to build up excitement of celebrating the day itself.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear

When it comes to evoking memories, raising cheer and bringing people together, the power of music is incredibly strong; and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit and connect with loved ones than carol singing.  Many people living with dementia can recall favourite tunes from years ago, so gather the family and enjoy a Christmas sing-a-long.

Lower stress, raise the joy

Repetition may seem tedious to the rest of us, but it can often be reassuring to someone with cognitive impairment. You could get crafty and make Christmas decorations: the simple action of repeatedly putting the cloves into an orange can conjure up feelings of accomplishment and pride, or why not try threading popcorn, dried fruit and cinnamon sticks onto string?  The decorations can then be hung around the home, where they will not only look festive, but their scent may evoke calming, happy memories.

Become at one with nature

Access to nature and animals can play a key role in unlocking memories from the past, restoring a sense of wellbeing, and providing a calming effect for people living with dementia.

You could create a bird feeding station in the garden and top it up daily with treats to encourage local wildlife to visit.  For those who can’t easily make their way outside, sitting quietly by a window with a hot chocolate watching the birds come and go can provide just as much enjoyment.

Just have fun!

At Christmas, the most important thing is to make sure that everyone enjoys themselves. There are a number of games and activities which can be played to stimulate minds and, if possible, get people living with dementia moving – for example, a simple “pin the nose on Rudolph the reindeer” game. Velcro can be used instead of a pin and the game can be made portable for those unable to stand.”