Bringing family and friends together at Christmas and New Year is a great chance to catch up, celebrate and exchange gifts. However, for the 90,000 people affected by dementia across Scotland, there can be extra challenges, routines disrupted, unfamiliar environments and some services being unavailable over the holidays.
Alzheimer Scotland has pulled together some steps that can be taken to make the holidays as stress free as possible and more enjoyable for people living with dementia, their families and friends.
Play some familiar Christmas music or reminisce over photos to engage those living with dementia.
Introduce Christmas decorations gradually. This will help the person living with dementia to feel more comfortable with the festive changes.
A large number of guests at one time can be overwhelming, so ask family and friends to visit you at different times.
If things do get busy, designate one room in your house as a quiet room.
Serve meals at usual times to help the person living with dementia feel more relaxed.
Try not to serve large portions as this can be daunting for anyone with difficulties eating.
Try to get some fresh air.
Try to ensure you’re still eating enough fruit and veg each day and taking in lots of fluids.
You don’t need to face dementia alone; talk to friends about it or, for information or a chat with someone who understands, call the Alzheimer Scotland Freephone 24 hour Dementia Helpline 0808 808 3000. www.alzscot.org
