It’s the happiest time of year for some, but for the elderly, the holidays can bring a deep sense of loss. Spouses, friends or family members have died. Other seniors have a wife or husband saddled with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. For others, sickness or old age make it impossible to do traditional, simple holiday tasks they remember fondly.
Visiting Angels, one of the nation’s largest in-home senior care companies with a local office in your area, fills a void for the elderly this time of year with caregivers who provide the holiday companionship many seniors miss.
Visiting Angels “Holiday Angels”:
- Decorate home for the holiday, perhaps with new items that don’t bring up sad memories of the past, but instead, create new looks and traditions.
- Help seniors address and mail out holiday cards to friends and family.
- Bake old favorites or new recipes to bring a new twist to the holiday.
- Run holiday errands: buy groceries, prepare meals, shop for and wrap gifts.
- Help arrange holiday travel, pack and create itinerary.
An Alabama man and his wife know the benefits of having an “angel” on board during the holidays. Gene’s wife Ann suffers from Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Gene says his wife is no longer able to communicate with him, and she is no longer able to prepare his meals or take care of him. Her disabilities are especially pronounced during the holidays when she sits at the table and she can’t feed herself. “Ann's diagnosis does make the holiday different than in the past, but I am glad to still have time with her, she is as beautiful as ever. Our ‘angel’ helps make the time together easier. She is not just a caregiver, she is part of the family; she is Ann’s buddy,” Gene said.
Besides bringing in a caregiver, Visiting Angels’ senior care experts recommend creating a box of Senior Holiday Cheer for elderly loved ones. This is a great project for grandkids, and it could become part of family tradition each year.
Visiting Angels: Box of Senior Holiday Cheer
- Mini photo album - A UCLA study found that simply looking at a photo of a loved one can reduce pain.
- Holiday cookies or candy - All ingredients should meet requirements of a senior’s diet.
- Ornament - It could be premade or one a Visiting Angels caregiver could the help the senior create — a hands-on activity to engage a senior.
- Adult coloring books - Coloring allows the fear center of your brain (amygdala) to relax, thereby relaxing you AND not just while coloring. Giving that part of your brain a rest actually reduces stress overall.
- Gift card - Plan a special holiday outing to the senior’s favorite lunch spot or coffee shop, without a large, noisy crowd.
Holiday Blues:
- Experts suggest relatives keep an eye out for signs of depression during the holidays; it can be a time when seniors feel the most lonely or isolated.
- Holiday music and festive food can trigger memories of the family life they’ve lost.
- Stress related events, such as the holidays, may trigger half of all depressive episodes, according to the U.C. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science.
Signs of Senior Depression:
- Lack of appetite
- Extreme fatigue, excessive sleeping — the body shuts down to escape from the outside world
- Problems concentrating
- Antisocial - may stop normal routine, like going to church
- Abuse of drugs or alcohol
- Expressions of anger, sarcastic or critical of others’ joy
Visiting Angels’ caregivers are trained to help give family members a heads up about their senior’s state of mind, to differentiate between the holiday blues and full blown depression.
Visiting Angels has more than 500 private duty agencies throughout the United States. Visiting Angels agencies employ only experienced caregivers and conduct the most comprehensive background screenings to ensure that their caregivers meet or exceed the company’s high standards. For companion care, Alzheimer’s care, Dementia care and the country’s best palliative care program, make Visiting Angels your choice in senior home care. For more information on Visiting Angels or to find a location near you, please visit www.visitingangels.com.
