The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year when families come together to connect, make memories, and celebrate! But the season can also come with extra stress when it comes down to planning, coordinating with relatives, meal prepping, gift-shopping – the list goes on.
On top of that, caregivers can also feel overwhelmed when balancing holiday preparations with caring for a family member. Of course, everyone wants to ensure that relatives are included, loved, and cared for properly, especially during the holiday season. Still, it can be hard to devote all your time and attention to necessary preparations and caregiving.
So how do you receive the proper help? Fortunately, Brickmont has you covered with our Silver Linings Adult Day Care Program.
What is Silver Linings?
Brickmont’s Silver Linings program is dedicated to providing individuals living with memory impairment the opportunity to engage socially and participate in special activities. Our program highlights all of our guiding principles and offers support on a day-to-day basis. In addition, guests of our Adult Day Care Program receive the same comfort and care as full-time Brickmont residents.
Our activities are designed to promote cognitive function in a stimulating and safe environment, so there’s never a dull moment! While our guests are certainly our priority, our services are also here for caregivers. They receive a much-needed break with peace of mind that their loved one is safe, supported, and happy.
Why Utilize Care During the Holidays?
Why should you consider adult day care during the holiday season? Here are a few reasons:
Meal Preparations
Family meals are one of the most beloved holiday traditions, which take a lot of hard work and focus. But, while it might be a family tradition to cook and prep holiday meals with your loved one, it might also be a cause for concern.
Dementia can impact a person’s senses, decision-making abilities, and overall judgment. For a person living with dementia, they might be unable to:
- Detect hot objects, like a stovetop or boiling water.
- Measure ingredients properly, or distinguish between similar ingredients, such as sugar and salt.
- Properly track the amount of time that something has to cook, which could lead to undercooked/overcooked foods or hazards when using appliances.
Gift Shopping
When a person is living with dementia, it’s crucial to understand how they might face certain challenges when at a shopping center and how they could be affected by these challenges. For example, the Alzheimer’s Society released a survey that reported that 80% of those living with a form of dementia listed shopping as a favorite hobby, but 63% found shopping to be an increasingly difficult task due to overwhelming noises, a lack of accessibility, and confusion.
For instance, a person living with dementia might have trouble finding entrances, exits, or even a restroom. They might also easily become overwhelmed by background noises - music, conversations being had by surrounding people, or even announcements over the store intercom.
Decorating
One of the best ways to ensure that a person living with dementia is comfortable is to create a sense of routine in their home; decorating for the holidays might disturb this routine, especially when it comes to blinking holiday lights or overstimulating decorations.
When you begin the decoration process, the amount of clutter and storage boxes can also cause confusion, as well as the rearranging of furniture to make room for certain types of decorations.
Brickmont Can Support Your Family
When preparing for the holidays, you want to ensure your loved one feels included during the process, especially if your family traditions include gathering together for meal prep, decorating, or gift shopping. However, if you feel that your loved one would not benefit from hectic errands, home rearrangements, or kitchen work, it’s important to set boundaries to keep them feeling safe and comfortable.
Our Silver Linings Adult Day Care Program is an excellent form of short-term care that allows family caregivers time to prepare for holiday celebrations so that when it’s finally time to gather together, your loved one and your family can have a wonderful holiday together!
We invite you to visit our website to learn more about our Adult Day Care services and assisted living communities throughout Georgia.
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