The holiday season is a time of year when family members often physically get together. It can also provide the opportunity to have discussions about a loved one with dementia and his/her care. Disagreements about decisions, roles, and responsibilities add significantly to overall stress and can erode both relationships and care quality for the person living with dementia. Everyone on the "support team" wants the best for their loved one with dementia. Following a set of best practice tips can reduce the stress for the person living with dementia and family care providers.
Leaving a loved one with dementia in someone else’s care is emotionally hard, but not impossible. If you are planning for some time away this holiday season, with preparation, transparency, and the right mix of human and digital support, you can protect the person’s safety while protecting your own mental health. A well-structured plan transforms guilt into confidence — and ensures your loved one continues to thrive even when you are away.
Antcipation of holiday gatherings may leave you feeling anxiety for many reasons. There may be concerns about how your loved one with dementia will handle the anticipated interactions and conversations. You may also worry that your loved one with dementia could leave others feeling awkward when out-of-context comments are made. To help, we pulled out this formally-published resource about therapeutic fibbing, which is a caregiver tool that can be useful in certain contexts.
If you are caring for a person living with dementia at home, Ask Mary is the place to get your questions answered and to learn about helpful resources. In her role as a skilled care services professional at St. John’s, Mary provides care and support for people living with dementia and their families. Check this page on St. John’s Online Dementia Resource Center to see Mary’s answers to submitted questions.
