MOTHER’S Day is the perfect chance to spend time with the whole family, but the celebration can be stressful for people living with Dementia.
Home care provider Helping Hands Redditch advises planning any outings carefully and in advance and to consider a quieter pub or restaurant, as increased noise can be disorientating.
If you plan to celebrate at home, families should make sure mum is involved – something simple such as peeling the potatoes while sat at the dining room table is a great way to achieve this.
Encourage your mother to lay the table – she might want to decide the seating plan if there are quite a few people coming. Make sure you use photographs rather than names as they are more likely to prompt her memory.
Arranging flowers together can be a calming experience as can a favourite playlist of songs mum loves. Individuals with dementia can respond positively to songs they connect with, giving them the chance to sing a long and reminisce.
Tiffany Smith, Dementia specialist at Helping Hands, said: “Busy restaurants and other activities you associate as classic Mother’s Day plans can be stressful for a person living with Dementia.
“It’s important to make sure your loved one feels fully included in the celebrations of the day and be prepared to make some adjustments to make the day calm and as stress-free as possible.
“Music and flowers are just a few easily achievable examples of things which can really make a positive difference for a mother or grandmother living with Dementia on Mother’s Day.”
Visit the Helping Hands website and download the dementia toolkit: http://tinyurl.com/qzk6nsc for more information.
