Submitted by Sarah Lane for FirstLight Home Care
Shopping for holiday gifts for friends or family members suffering from Alzheimer’s or other dementia can be tricky. You may be unsure about what they enjoy or what they’re capable of doing. When choosing a gift, think about their personality, their hobbies, their abilities and their favorite pastimes.
As someone trained to care for those with dementia, here are a few gift suggestions I know work well:
- A family calendar. Give your loved one a personalized calendar that includes pictures your family — grandchildren, children, nieces, nephews, cousins, anyone who is close with your loved one. In addition to photos, take the time to fill in special dates like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and family reunions.
- Buy them a CD full of their favorite songs by their favorite singers. Music can help those with Alzheimer’s to remember enjoyable events and times from their past marked by specific songs or groups.
- Comfortable clothing. Any clothing that you’re buying for a loved one with Alzheimer’s should be comfortable, easy to put on or take off and machine washable. Consider items like sweatshirts, sweatpants, pajamas, sweaters, slip-on shoes or a warm robe.
- Identification bracelets. This gift is especially great if your family member is prone to wandering from the house. Identification bracelets are available from many different providers and help to ensure that your loved one makes it home safely if they leave the house unattended.
- Video entertainment. DVDs of movies, musicals or plays can be a great gift and also rekindle wonderful memories from the past. Make a list of their favorites and pick them up as they’re available. You can also purchase tickets for a movie, play, sporting event or a fun day trip with friends and family.
My favorite part of the Holiday Season is the time we get to spend together with extended family. My family has lived in the Olympia area for four generations, so as you might imagine, I have aunts, uncles and dozens of cousins nearby. All month long there are wonderful family functions for us to enjoy each other, reminisce and reconnect.
As your family gathers at “home” over the holidays, try to involve your loved one suffering from dementia in the festivities. Let them help you put together the decorations, prepare food or set the table for the family meal. They will enjoy the party and feel accomplished because they helped to contribute something to the celebration. For loved ones who are in the later stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, another great activity is to take a car ride around their old neighborhoods looking at holiday light displays.
With the family together, you might also want to take the opportunity to collectively assess how things are going for your aging loved one. Has their cognitive condition worsened? Is their living situation still healthy and safe for their capabilities? Should they be receiving some regular, or additional, care? FirstLight HomeCare offers
customized services based on what they need. Our trained, compassionate caregivers are outstanding, and can help them live a quality and independent life in their home – and give you peace of mind.
From our FirstLight HomeCare family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Holiday Season!
Sarah Lane is a certified Home Care Aide and owner of FirstLight HomeCare — South Sound. To learn more about home care, respite care, dementia care, or any of the non-medical home care services offered by FirstLight HomeCare, give Sarah a call at 360-489-1621 or go to www.southsound.firstlighthomecare.com.
