Tag: Thanksgiving

During the holiday season, family members tend to visit their senior loved ones around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then the attention drops off. Kelley Smith describes how CarePartners Living ramps up activities after the holidays to keep the momentum going, so residents don't suffer from loneliness following that surge of holiday attention.

If your senior loved one is dealing with Alzheimer's or Dementia, we still encourage a visit over the holidays. If Mom is overly sensitive to lights, turn off the blinking of the Christmas tree lights, because that can be overwhelming. Play music more quietly. Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living encourages families to contact a home care service and have someone come over to help with eating and toileting, to help with the things your loved one wouldn't want you to do anyway.

Kelley Smith at CarePartners Living talks about senior loved ones continuing to be honored over the holidays once they are in assisted living. People ask questions about whether to take Mom home over the holiday, can she handle the noise, should we hire a caregiver, what if mom feels isolated in the home because she can't keep up? We suggest that you not make assumptions and see what your senior loved one is capable of.

For our senior loved ones, visits are about quality time. Take time for really listening, hearing stories, inviting the stories, giving them a sense...

Nichole Smith from CarePartners Living: We in the senior living industry think of ourselves as co-petitors, not competitors, and we meet on purpose to know all of the services out there. Just this morning I met with a group of 140 providers, and I thanked them all for their help, because we just went through placing my own family in assisted living, putting my dad in hospice, him ultimately passing away, and it was the people in that room that I called upon when my family needed help. One provider can't do everything

Deborah Peterson is a personal chef at Vineyard Catering and prepares meals for busy families and caregivers. She is also a boutique caterer. One...

Typically we get nervous and have lots on our plate, then add the complexity of being a caregiver during the holidays, trying to uphold...