Helping Seniors Enjoy the Holiday Season

The holidays should be a time filled with joy and cheer. Unfortunately, for many, the holiday season can be tough due to mobility limitations or other problems related to aging. Family caregivers can feel particularly overwhelmed during the busy holiday season, which can lead to feelings of stress, frustration and anger. These reactions can make the holidays feel like more of a drain for families with senior loved ones with specific care needs. Making sure there’s time for holiday activities that everyone can participate in is essential and can be particularly important for older members of the family who may feel left out.

Here are some holiday activities you can enjoy with family members of all ages:

Keep traditions alive.

Who doesn’t love the build up to the holidays? Decorating the house, baking cookies and sending out holiday cards are some of our favorite holiday traditions and are a great way to get in the holiday spirit. Sending holiday cards to older friends to wish them well is often a highlight for older family members.

Enjoy the wonder of the season.

Taking in a holiday light display is an easy outing for a senior since they can be enjoyed right from a car. There are a number of beautiful light displays in Needham, Natick, Framingham and the surrounding area.

The Magic Of Lights at Gillette Stadium (ticket required) in Foxborough and The Enchanted Village (ticket required) at Jordan’s Furniture in Avon are some local favorites. We also recommend checking out 22 Surrey Lane in Natick, a show with over 41,700 lights and synchronized to over 70 songs, for a holiday show you won’t want to miss.

Shop for holiday essentials.

It’s the season of gift giving, and your senior family members may want to partake, especially if there are grandchildren involved. A home caregiver can help a senior loved one keep things around the house organized so a present doesn’t go missing. Caregivers can also help with going to the grocery store/meal preparation so you can be sure an older loved one will have what they need to enjoy this special time of year.

Primp for the occasion.

There’s not always a reason to pamper yourself, but the holidays offer just that opportunity. There’s no better time for everyone in the family to get dressed up than the holidays. Personal care services from Griswold Home Care will assist elders with routine tasks such as bathing, oral care, grooming and getting dressed so they’ll be looking their best when the family gets together.

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It can be hard to find caregiver support and it’s not always easy to ask for help from other family members who might not have offered enough assistance in the past. Home caregivers from Griswold Home Care are trained to handle different senior home care needs like safety assistance when walking or getting out of bed, help with personal care and medication reminders. Many families lack experience with senior care so scheduling regular visits from a home caregiver will help give you peace of mind as you take care of any last minute holiday preparations.

The Griswold Home Care Metrowest-Boston office has been helping the elderly and disabled in Needham and the surrounding area, since 1992. We strive to be active in the communities we serve and maintain strong relationships with local senior centers and businesses to offer engaging activities to those we serve. Our caregivers are carefully screened and receive continuing education in order to provide the most comprehensive home care services available to families in the community.

If you would like to talk to find out how Griswold Home Care can help you and your family enjoy holiday time with your senior loved ones, give us a call at (781) 559-0073. We’ll be happy to discuss how our home caregivers can help care for a cherished eldery family member.