AS MORE doors are opened on advent calendars, families are preparing for Christmas but the festive season can be a stressful for people with Dementia.
Home care provider Helping Hands Alcester is offering advice for families on how to make Christmas easier for a loved one with Dementia.
People suffering from Dementia often experience problems with their vision which can make it difficult to spot objects on patterned surfaces.
When planning your Christmas dinner, Helping Hands recommends reducing clutter on the table and using a plain table cloth and plates with a contrasting edge to make it easier to identify the food on the dish.
Placing signs on cupboards to clearly display the contents is another useful tip along with labelling doors to indicate which room they lead to which.
Families can also make one room a quiet room and close the curtains as soon as it gets dark as reflections can be intimidating for those with Dementia.
Finally, music is incredibly important in Dementia care and playing nostalgic carols can bring back fond memories of Christmases gone by for loved ones who may be struggling this season of good cheer.
Visit http://tinyurl.com/qzk6nsc to get a Dementia Toolkit including room cards from the Helping Hands.
