Christmas and dementia

Here’s Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s advice on how best to celebrate Christmas when caring for a person living with dementia.

Christmas can be a challenging time for family carers of people with dementia; finding time to do the preparations, feelings of loneliness and coping with memories of happier times when their loved-one was well and capable, are some of the difficulties carers face during this period.

It is important that people with dementia have the same routine, such as getting up and going to bed at the same time, however, during the festive period this is not always possible. When there are a lot of people in the house it is often very overwhelming for the person with dementia; it is important that they have some quiet time, perhaps a separate room to sit and relax in, one to one time with a familiar person and that they have one person to explain gently what is happening.

Top tips for carers

• Have realistic expectations of what you have the time and energy to do, and what the person with dementia has the ability to do.
• Communicate with family and friends about how things may be different this year.
• Ask family and friends to give you respite so that you can enjoy the Christmas season too.
• Ask for help to share the tasks and try to keep things simpler than previous years.
• Plan somewhere quiet where the person with dementia can have some ‘time out’ from the family celebrations.
• Ask family and friends to spend a little one-on-one time with the person with dementia and suggest activities that you know they will like.
• Let others know that the person with dementia may value gifts of company rather than material gifts.
• Find simple tasks for the person with dementia to do to help them feel involved.

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin provides help and support for people living with dementia and those who care for them.

Join a dementia support group

Our dementia support groups provide a two hour fortnightly or monthly get together for people living with dementia, with help and support for their carers which includes:

• A welcoming and friendly environment to provide emotional support and information.
• An opportunity to get to know others and share experiences in a relaxed atmosphere.
• The chance to take part in interesting activities and have fun.
• Timely information and advice from our dementia support workers and signposting to our own and other support services.

We now have centres throughout Shropshire in Pontesbury, Copthorne and Monkmoor in Shrewbsury, Oswestry and partnership groups in Bridgnorth and Whitchurch. In the Telford area, we run groups in Wellington, Dawley, Ketley Bank and Donnington.

Book some respite

Every Monday we welcome up to 12 people living with dementia to our dementia respite service in Withywood, Shrewsbury. This provides:

• High quality dementia respite day service in a 5 star non-residential setting.
• Trained, experienced and caring staff team.
• Tailored care and support following an assessment.
• Stimulating and engaging activities in a sociable environment.
• Two course lunch in an on site restaurant.
• Respite for carers.
• High ratio of staff to service users enabling one to one time.

If you would like further information about our dementia services, please contact Emma Wilde on 01743 233 123 or email enquiries@ageukstw.org.uk