December 23rd, 2021 | Updated on June 27th, 2022
It is the time of year when we celebrate holidays with family, friends, and loved ones. But what about your senior family member living in assisted living? How can they enjoy this festive season?
It can be tough to decide how to celebrate this time of year with them – but it’s not impossible!
This blog post will discuss some ways to celebrate the holiday season with seniors in assisted living. So you can help them to be part of your celebrations!
What Is Assisted Living?
An assisted living is a housing option for seniors who need assistance with everyday living. These facilities are not nursing homes or hospitals, but they help those in need of extra care.
They offer different levels of care based on what each resident needs. For instance, it can be 24-hour medical attention or doing household chores.
6 Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season with Seniors in Assisted Living
Now let’s look at the top 6 ways to include your senior loved one in the holiday season festivities!
1. Bring in some holiday decorations
Buy decorations that are easy for seniors to put up. For example, you can pre-lit Christmas trees and wreaths with ribbons. It will make them feel included in the holiday festivities!
Give seniors a place to display their decorations. Many assisted living facilities have large common rooms for this purpose. You could also buy an inexpensive stand that they can use year after year.
You don’t have to give up traditions because your loved one is moving into an assisted living community. So if they love decorating Easter eggs, bring out those supplies so they can cherish this tradition with new friends at the facility!
2. Share your favorite Christmas memories with them
You can reminisce about your favorite Christmas memories with the seniors in your life. They will love to hear about how you enjoyed your holidays when you were younger. This is a great way to connect with them and make them feel special during this time of year.
But also, make sure to hear their part of the story. How did they celebrate the holidays when they were younger? How have their holiday traditions changed over time?
You can also share information about what you will be doing this holiday season with them. Try to include some photos of previous holidays if possible.
This could make for a great memory book at the end of the year. It also gives seniors something tangible to look back on during future celebrations.
3. Cook their favorite holiday dish
There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal to make someone feel special. So why not cook your senior loved one’s favorite holiday dish? It will show them that you went the extra mile to make their day special.
And it will bring back memories of past holidays! It is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season with seniors in assisted living.
You can set up some snacks or baked goods that they can share with their fellow residents. It will be a nice way to share the holiday festivities and make some new friends as well! But it is always good to ask them beforehand what kind of food or snacks they are craving.
4. Send them occasional gifts to show your appreciation
Make handmade cards or put together a gift basket or box of goodies that can be shared with others. Do not try to do too much, but instead keep it simple and meaningful.
Even if you’re unable to visit your loved ones in assisted living, make an effort to show how much they mean to you through these token of love.
You may also include some useful items for winter. Like – lotions, lip balm, hand cream, knitted jumpers, and other similar things. It would be incredibly thoughtful and make them feel your warmth even from afar!
5. Offer to take them on an outing with family and friends
Seniors might not get to explore their surroundings as much after moving to an assisted living facility. So, offering to take them on an outing with family and friends can be a really lovely gesture.
For example, you can take them to their favorite restaurant or see a movie. Taking them out shopping is another good idea!
If you have kids, don’t hesitate to include them as well. Nothing brings more joy to a senior’s face than spending time with their grandchildren. And it will give your kids some quality bonding time as well!
6. Organize events like caroling or baking cookies
Another great way to get seniors involved in celebrating is to organize some events. For example, caroling or baking cookies with fellow residents.
But you may want to make sure that these activities are something that everyone will enjoy. Also, encourage everyone to invite loved ones for this holiday season.
This way, they can celebrate while still being surrounded by familiar faces. Especially during a time of year when everyone wants to spend more time together than usual! How great would it be if seniors could have an opportunity not only to attend some fun festivities but also get together in person? Sounds pretty perfect!
Conclusion
It can be challenging for some families when their senior relative has to move out of their home. But there are ways to celebrate the holiday season with seniors in assisted living.
Whatever you do, make sure that your loved one feels included and loved during the holidays. They’ve spent many Christmases and Thanksgiving in years past with friends and family. But now they are at a different stage of life. So it’s up to us to create those fond memories for them!
Please share any other ideas in the comments below if you have other ideas! We would love to hear from you. Happy holidays!
