Tips For Increasing Your Elderly Parent’s Holiday Cheer

 

Many seniors require additional medical care and assistance with everyday tasks as they get older. The type of care is often left for the adult parent to decide. While nursing homes seem to be a common choice, in home nursing care is also available. In home nursing care allows the senior to remain in the comfort of their own home, while still receiving the nursing services that they need. This can be especially beneficial during the holiday season, when most seniors would prefer to be surrounded by their families and joining in the celebrations of the season. Consider the following strategies for including your senior parent in the celebrations.

Host holiday events in their home

If possible, host your family?s holiday events inside of their home. This makes it so they do not have to travel anywhere and they have close access to all of their medications and medical needs equipment. You can even request that their elder caregiver comes as scheduled, allowing them to continue caring for their needs, even during the holiday event.

Request assistance for out of the home events

You may want to bring your senior loved one to events that occur outside of the house. If you are worried about their safety or their proper care during this time, consider requesting that their in home nursing caregiver also accompany you to the event. Most will be willing to help you transfer your loved one to another location.

Find senior programs

There are many charitable organizations that have the main goal of improving senior?s holiday spirits. You can request something as simple as a caroling group come to your senior parent?s home. You can also request that family members and volunteers send your loved one numerous holiday cards, if they enjoy that type of thing.

As of February of 2015, the vast majority, 80% of elderly people receiving assistance, including many with several functional limitations live in private homes in the community, not in institutions. Although these seniors are able to keep their independence with in home nursing care services, they often feel alone. They do not get the social aspect in the home health care industry. Adding these special, small holiday events to their day can really improve their mood.

Find local senior holiday events

You may be limited as to the number of holiday events you can bring your senior parent too. This is especially true if you have a small family, which many do. Also, being in long term home health care for seniors for many years can feel isolating. An estimated 12 million Americans needed long term care in 2007, making this a common problem. Finding local senior holiday events can be a great way to encourage interaction and socialization.

Engage in holiday activities

Sometimes the simple act of involving your senior parent in everyday holiday activities is enough. Approximately 65.7 million informal and family caregivers provide care to someone who is ill, disabled, or aged in the U.S. Even with home caregiving services, you are likely to provide some type of caregiving services to your elderly parent. During your time caring for seniors, take them holiday shopping, decorate their home, or do holiday crafting.

Many seniors require nursing home or home nursing care because of medical conditions. Choosing to stay in the home can allow the senior to hold onto their independence, but can result in isolation, especially during the holiday season. Consider breaking up your elderly parent?s routine this holiday season with holiday crafting and events, a home holiday party, bringing them to family gatherings, or finding senior specific holiday events in the community.