The holiday season brings a sense of joyful anticipation for family gatherings, timeworn traditions and activities. Celebrating the holidays remains an important aspect of life for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There are some simple considerations that can make the holidays enjoyable for the individual with AD as well as their caregivers:

• Focus on remaining skills and abilities to provide a role for the person with AD in holiday plans and preparations. For example, if your family traditions include cookie baking, have the person with AD roll the dough or decorate the cookies. Despite losing the ability to follow a recipe in its entirety, the individual remains actively involved in the tradition.
• Plan for successful visits and family gatherings by taking into account the number of people present, time of day, and noise level. A very large gathering may be too stimulating and confusing for someone with AD. Also, a morning or early afternoon party may be better than evening, which can be a more difficult time of day.
• If gift giving is a part of your holiday traditions, provide gifts for the person with AD that are based on current interests and abilities, hand lotion, a simple family photo album, music, or a magazine subscription can be good choices. Also, remember that the individual with AD may want to give gifts. Offer assistance with this.
• For someone with AD living in an assisted living community, there are additional opportunities to celebrate. Family members and friends can attend holiday activities and parties as well as bringing some of their own family traditions to the community. When choosing whether or not to bring a relative with AD home for celebrations, consult community staff about daily routines and needs. Also consider a special family gathering at the community right before or after the holiday depending on your own schedule and needs.

Continued involvement in traditions can provide a feeling of belonging, accomplishment, and enjoyment for the individual with AD. The familiar sights, smells and sounds of the season can provide time for reminiscing with family and friends, linking past and present.

Other Resources:
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/holidayhints.htm
http://www.alz.org/national/documents/topicsheet_holidays.pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers/HQ00213

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