When you have aging parents in a long-term care facility, it is not uncommon for them to get upset at the situation from time to time. Chances are things are not always perfect, just as in your own day-to-day life. However, the holidays can really stir up emotions that don’t come out as often throughout the year. This can be especially true if your parent has suffered a major loss or even recently moved to the facility where he or she now resides. Browse through some of the following suggestions and see what you can do to help make your aging parent’s holiday season a little brighter. Encourage Them to Make Friends Moving into a long-term care facility can be a challenging new time for your parent. Encourage them to meet people and interact socially with their new friends. Certainly, living in a new environment can be a stressful and sometimes difficult situation to say the least. Making friends can help bring things back to normal. Hobbies Hobbies are one of the best ways to help pass the time and are a constructive thing that keeps the mind active and engaged. Perhaps the facility where your parent now lives has classes that they offer to residents. Encourage your parent to engage in a hobby and they will see results from their hard work. Participate in Activities and Festivities Many long-term care facilities have a detailed schedule of what will be going on for the month. Make sure that your parent is aware of all the things that are going on for the month, especially during the holidays. This will help them to stay involved and meet new people, while being able to participate in activities that bring people together. Call Them Often It would be most preferable if you could call them every day. They may not say anything to you, but a call every day could be just what they need when they feel down. It will help them feel connected and help to lift their spirits when they are feeling down. A regular call also gives them something to look forward to and talk about with others. By-line: This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of a
. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com
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