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The holidays are a wonderful time for love, celebration, and joy. For many people, connecting with family over delicious meals, cherished traditions, and gift-giving is what makes the season truly special.
However, the holidays can be a lonely time for many seniors, especially those living alone or in senior living communities.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed during the holidays with celebrations, shopping, cooking, and festive events, but spending time with loved ones in senior living is essential.
Explore the importance of maintaining family connections during the holidays in senior living, offering suggestions for meaningful engagements and celebrations.
Why Connection Matters in Senior Living During the Holidays
Many seniors choose senior living communities because of their active environments and social opportunities. These communities plan and organize a variety of activities and recreational events for residents.
However, even with their socially active environments, the holidays can be tough for senior living residents, especially if they feel disconnected from family. Family connection is a crucial part of the holiday season, and seniors who are unable to spend time with their loved ones can suffer physically and emotionally.
Mental & Emotional Health Benefits
Although diet and exercise are often considered key to healthy aging, maintaining social connections is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
According to the National Institute on Aging, loneliness and social isolation are linked to a higher risk of health problems.
Individuals who are socially isolated or lonely are associated with higher risks of anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Frequent visits to a loved one in a senior living community can combat these feelings and promote a sense of well-being, self-worth, and happiness.
Physical Health Benefits
Socially active seniors tend to lead healthier lives. Seniors who maintain strong social connections are more likely to stay active and experience fewer health issues such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
Preserves Family Traditions
Family traditions make the holiday season special, whether you’re baking and decorating holiday cookies, hosting a dinner with family and friends, telling stories, or laughing over cherished memories.
Even when a loved one lives in a senior living community, you can still maintain and enjoy family traditions during your holiday visits. Many senior living communities will help reserve rooms and plan activities to accommodate residents and their families for holiday events.
4 Tips for Maintaining Holiday Connections in Senior Living
Creating meaningful family connections with loved ones during the holidays doesn't have to be complicated. Here are tips to celebrate the season with loved ones in senior living communities.
1. Involve Family Members
Facilitate visits and encourage family members to reach out to loved ones in senior living communities. Ask long-distance family members to send care packages or handwritten letters.
Schedule times for family members to call, ask young children to create festive cards, make homemade gifts for grandparents, or organize a date for a family visit.
2. Decorate Your Loved-Ones Living Space
Decorating your loved one’s living space with festive holiday decorations is a fun way to celebrate the holiday season. Surprise your loved one with a small tree, sparkly lights, and delicious-smelling holiday candles.
3. Maintain Connections During the Holidays Using Technology
The holiday season is a busy time of the year, making visiting loved ones in senior living communities more difficult. Fortunately, many senior living communities utilize technology to make it easier for residents to connect with their families.
Allegro’s Connected Living program offers innovative technology solutions such as photo and video sharing, video conferencing, and live-streaming services.
You can host a video call with your parents and the rest of your family to share holiday wishes, show off decorations, tell stories, or open gifts.
4. Participate in Senior Living Celebrations
For many, family celebrations are the highlight of the holidays. For people in senior living communities, the holidays can be lonely without family.
Senior living communities plan and organize holiday events for their residents. Whether your loved one is in an independent, assisted living, or memory care community, there will be various fun and festive activities available in your loved one’s senior living community.
Participating in their holiday mixers, parties, cocktail hours, and special outside entertainment is an excellent way to enjoy the holidays with family.
If you’re interested in learning how you can find peace of mind with your loved one in senior living and still enjoy the holidays with them, let’s talk! Our friendly advisors are always ready to help you and your family feel like home for the holidays.
Learn more about memory care and what resources are available for you and your family, as well as what Allegro offers at our memory care communities, by downloading our free Guide to Memory Care.
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