Tips to Celebrating Holidays with Seniors

While we like to think the holiday season brings joy to everyone, this time of the of the year can be very depressing, filled with loneliness and anxiety for many people. Often times, seniors suffer from feelings of disconnect and isolation due to the fact that they don’t feel a connection or relate to anyone or anything around them during the holiday season. Finding ways to create new holiday traditions that fit the lifestyle of you or your loved ones can greatly reduce stress levels and keep everyone connected and happy. Here are some tips on how to make their time back home more enjoyable.

Put up decorations for the holidays:

As the holiday gets closer, entire yards and houses are being decorated with holiday colors and ornaments. The feeling of belonging can help seniors reduce stress and increase socialization. Caregivers should encourage older adults to participate in putting up holiday decorations as this could help them get into the holiday spirit. Creating a positive environment by decorating your home with holiday trinkets can help seniors mood, especially those with Alzheimer’s and provide a feeling of acceptance.

Encourage Them to Bring Something:

Providing your senior loved ones the opportunity to contribute to everyone’s happiness will allow them to gain a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Caregivers should encourage seniors to bring something to their holiday party It can be anything from a tasty dessert to a family photo. The feeling that their voices and contributions to the holiday festivities are being appreciated can have great benefits to a seniors’ health.

Make a holiday craft together:

Not only is Art therapy proof that something as simple as putting a paint brush to a canvas can yield life-altering results for senior citizens, but can make their holiday more enjoyable. Whether you craft a winter scene or a holiday flower, these simple holiday activities allow senior citizens to express themselves in ways that transcend language. In addition, making holiday crafts together gives seniors a way to interact and socialize with everyone and, it can even bring generation gaps together and spark conversation!

At Spring Hills Senior Communities, we understand that this is the most wonderful time of the year and one that should be enjoyed by everyone. By implementing these tips to during your holiday gatherings can make a huge difference in your loved one’s experience. Whatever you celebrate, we here at Spring Hills Senior Communities hope that you enjoy your holiday.