Brighten the Holidays with Memories

Making the holidays special may feel like a challenge this year, but regardless of where you are spending your time, you can still connect and improve the holidays for the special seniors in your life.

The magic of the holiday season doesn’t necessarily wear away with age. Many of us get nostalgic during the holidays and most people enjoy some sort of celebration at this time of year.

For many of us, memories begin in the kitchen. We think fondly of the foods we ate during holiday seasons past, especially the foods that delighted us when we were children. Have a conversation with your loved one about the foods they remember. Often these may not be foods that fit within a prescribed diet, but you can find many “classic” recipes online that have been adjusted to meet guidelines for various needs, such as diabetes. Search for “cookies for diabetics” for example, and you’ll come up with a number of options.

If you can’t be with your loved ones this year, you can always make cookies and ship them, or maybe you can make cookies together “long distance” over Zoom! Just set your phone or computer up in the kitchen and get cooking! If you live nearby but are not able to visit in person, you can always drop off cookies or other goodies on the porch.

Many of the things you used to do in person can successfully be done online. If your loved one needs help with technology, this is where a caregiver may be able to assist. Here are a number of ways you can share the holidays online with loved ones:

• Play holiday music in the background during a call, or maybe specifically call to share some holiday music together. After each song, talk about the memories the song brings back to you both.
• Read holiday cards you’ve both received.
• Similar to the kitchen idea, you could also create holiday crafts together.
• Upload old holiday photos to your computer. You can do this by taking pictures of old photos with your phone, emailing them to yourself, and then downloading them to your computer. Use share screen to look at them together and share memories.
• Attend an online event together – maybe a religious service, a parade, a holiday concert.
• Simply sharing your memories and asking your loved ones to share theirs is a great way to remember holidays past.
• Use FaceTime to share a holiday light drive! You need a passenger to be in charge of the phone, but you can call your senior and share the lights with them via phone.

Depression is common during the holiday season. Feeling sad and alone isn’t good for seniors’ health, and this year may be especially hard for seniors. Find ways to brighten the holidays and it will make the season better for all of you. Read more about combatting loneliness during the holidays.

Also remember that decorations can pose a safety hazard. If you or a caregiver are visiting the house, make sure décor like lights, candles, hanging ornaments, glass pieces, and linens are not in places where seniors may be endangered if they slip, fall, or forget to turn something on or off.

Assisting Hands Home Care serving Columbus, OH provides practical care and companionship for local seniors. If you think it’s time to get some extra help for you or your loved one, give us a call today for a free consultation.