Understanding Dementia- at the holidays

Written on: December 20, 2019

The holidays can be  particularly hard on the families and friends of people with memory issues. So much of our happiness and celebration derives from our memories of these special days. When the reminiscing starts around the table, our loved one might feel lost in the sharing. To help someone enjoy the celebration, create a  new memory.

When my Mom would come over on Christmas Eve, my daughter would sit next to her on the sofa, pull the throw blanket over both of their laps and read  a Christmas story.

Being close, and being the focus of attention was really all her Grandmother needed. But, for the rest of us, this became a wonderful memory that we truly treasure.

Sometimes Mom would comment on the story, and sometimes she’d just sit and listen as the pages were turned.

In that moment, all that mattered was the love surrounding her– and that’s really what Christmas and all of the other celebration days are about. 

Submitted by Maryellen Glackin

This entry was posted in Blog and tagged: celebration, Christmas, Christmas Eve, dementia, Family, Friends, grandmother, holidays, love, memory, memory issues, reminiscing