Top tips for living with dementia this Christmas

Despite being deemed as the ‘most wonderful time of the year’, Christmas can become very stressful, especially for those living with dementia. To help with this, Abbots Care have shared a range of tips to help people with the disease this festive period.  

With just six days to go before the big day, Abbots Care – a trusted home care provider that was established in 1995 – have unveiled several practical tips for people in the UK who are living with dementia this Christmas, ensuring they and their loved ones can enjoy the festive period to the fullest.

People who have been tragically diagnosed with the disease often experience severe memory loss and confusion, which can cause great impact all year round. However, at Christmas, when loved ones often gather it can be devasting to meet with someone who may not remember who you are.

Some of the tips provided by Abbots Care are as follows:

• Involve your loved on in planning – this can reduce the impact on dementia at Christmas by lessening potential confusion caused by disruption to normal routine
• Maintain a routine – it is imperative that your loved ones tries to keep to their normal routine on Christmas day as much as possible. In addition, helping your loved on keep to their routine during the lead up to the big day can also be effective
• Manage noise levels – it is suggested that the person hosting Christmas politely asks their guests to keep noise levels to a minimum as if things get too loud this can be very disruptive for a person with dementia
• Remaining mindful of food and drink – It can be tempting to overindulge at Christmas, and while it’s important not to be too restrictive, it can be wise to monitor the food and drink intake of the person you care for, considering meal times, as much as the quantity of food. People living with dementia mustn’t eat too late in the day, as this can greatly affect the quality of sleep they get, which, in turn, can worsen dementia symptoms

According to research reported by Abbots Care, in the UK one in 11 over 65-year-olds live with dementia, which equates to more than 944,000.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

More on dementia:

Score!: LFC have launched a new app to support fans with dementia

Four in ten people are living with undiagnosed dementia, report shows