4 Ways To Help Your Loved One In Assisted Living Celebrate Christmas

Celebrating the holiday season is not just about the actual holiday. It is not just about Christmas, it is about the events that led up to Christmas. Celebrating and enjoying the holidays is about engaging in all the other activities that are connected to Christmas. You can help your relative living in a senior assisted care center celebrate Christmas by employing the following strategies.

#1 Decorate Their Space

Help your loved one decorate their space. Even if they only have a bedroom or a small apartment, decorating the space can really help your loved one get into the holiday spirit. Bring in some smaller decorations that will fit in your loved one's new space. Bring in a mini tree to decorate. Bring in some garland to put around the outline of the room. Get a wreath to hang on the door. Find little ways to bring the holiday cheer into their space.

Decorations are a big part of the Christmas season, and adding trees, garland, and lights to their space can make it really feel like Christmas.

#2 Help Them Choose Gifts

If your loved one is able to still go shopping, work with them to create a shopping list of presents before you go out. Then, take your loved one out and help them go shopping. Arrange your shopping to minimize the physical effort your loved one will have to engage in. If physically going shopping isn't an option, help your loved one pick out gifts. You can help them order gifts online or pick up the gifts for them.

#3 Have a Present Wrapping Party

It can be easy to forget how much coordination and physical effort it takes to wrap up gifts. Get together and have an evening where you help your loved one in assisted living wrap up their gifts. Bring along some other holiday treats and music in order to set the tone. Try to take one more of the task of actually wrapping the gifts, and have your loved one pick out the wrapping paper, name tags, ribbons, and bows for the gifts.

#4 Have a Holiday Movie Marathon

If watching holiday movies was a big part of your holiday traditions, host a holiday movie marathon. If they can't move around well, bring the movies to them. If your loved one can travel, bring them home and have family members over, and enjoy lots of great holiday snacks while watching movies. This doesn't have to be a big event—a small intimate gathering works well.

If you have a loved one who is in an assisted living facility, keep in mind that celebrating the holidays is not just about Christmas day. Come over and decorate their space. Help them choose and wrap up gifts. Have a holiday movie marathon. Be sure to engage your loved one in a variety of activities that contribute to your holiday traditions.

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