Do They Know It's Christmas?

Christmas can be a time of festivity, family gatherings, cheer and goodwill. Equally it can be a time of stress, confusion and sadness. This can be said for all of us and not just older people or those living in aged care facilities. Selecting suitable gifts for a person living in residential care can be tricky so consider gifting sensory experiences – massages, manicures, pedicures or animal visits. Or even the most valuable gift of all – your time.

A person living with dementia may find some aspects of the season overwhelming and not have the ability to adopt strategies to help them cope with Christmas. We can all play a part to ensure that the season is an enjoyable occasion for people living with dementia and to add to our ‘memory bank’ of special times with our loved ones. 

A/Professor Lee-Fay Low from the University of Sydney explains how in her article published in The Conversation in 2013.

You can read the full article here.