If you have a family member who devotes their time to care for an aging loved one, you are undoubtedly aware of the significant sacrifice required. It takes a lot of compassion, labor, and occasionally a considerable amount of time away from one’s own family to provide care for others.
Family caregivers sometimes experience increased stress over the holidays due to the additional burden of managing seasonal events and duties on top of the usual concerns of caregiving tasks.
Caring for a Family During the Holidays
Everyone may experience stress over the holidays, but family caregivers may be particularly vulnerable. In addition to ensuring your loved one is content and healthy, they frequently have to balance organizing their own social gatherings and spending time with other family members and friends.
Numerous caregivers are adult children who care for their aging parents and frequently balance time with their children to provide care. Navigating these overwhelming responsibilities may quickly lead to feelings of anxiety, particularly around the holidays when expectations and social pressure are higher.
How Can Family and Friends Offer Help During the Holiday Season?
Fortunately, there is plenty you may do to assist the family caregiver. For this time of year, even a small gesture goes a long way and doesn’t need much time. Here are some suggestions for ensuring your family caregiver has an enjoyable Christmas.
1. Acknowledge their efforts
Appreciating their efforts as a family caregiver is among the easiest things you can do. It is easy to feel lonely when a person has spent years caring for an aging loved one and has not heard from anybody else.
Not only can a few words go a long way, but you can even go one step further and make them a Christmas present. Acknowledging their efforts can significantly impact their emotional state.
2. Offer to help
The family caregiver’s mind is undoubtedly racing with all the additional things they need to do to support their loved one. It might be as simple as running errands or preparing a dish soft enough for an older person to eat while still meeting any dietary restrictions.
Provide a few minutes of your time to sit with the loved one so the caregiver may dine in peace. This small gesture may have a powerful impact.
3. Assist them with challenging work.
A large number of family caregivers look after an individual who lives on their own. It also means that they may be overseeing two houses in essence, which would involve twice as much yard work, housekeeping, washing, and other tasks. Now that the holidays are here, you may also add going upstairs to take down the decorations and prepare the house for guests.
Assist them with some of the heavy lifting this year. They may enjoy the holidays with family and friends for a bit longer if they have help with all the preparations, rather than spending it on housework.
4. Involve the kids
Children can also assist! Numerous kids might enjoy lending a hand with light yard labor, decorating, and household activities. Teens with a driver’s license could even be allowed to escort their grandparents to an appointment or conduct errands. Similarly, children may assist in some of the other physical tasks.
A good day spent making cookies and telling stories to a loved one may make them feel much better. It can also free up time for the family caregiver to take care of themselves, rest, or attend to other obligations.
5. Listen to them.
Sometimes, listening to someone is the best thing you can do for them.
No matter how much you love the person you are caring for, being a caregiver is challenging. Therefore, we must provide a secure environment for family caregivers to discuss their struggles.
Many caregivers try to keep their frustrations to themselves, so they may not reach out to you when they need to vent. Never hesitate to get in touch with them and lend them an ear.
6. Hire a third-party help.
It might be challenging to find the time to complete all of your responsibilities, let alone volunteer to take on extra duties and to-dos for others. However, you may still assist without adding to your own workload.
Hiring a service provider to assist the family caregiver with various activities or errands may be beneficial. Meal preparation, cleaning, organizing, grocery shopping, yard work – the possibilities are endless! You may even hire a professional decorator to hang the Christmas lights. There is a service for almost anything these days.
7. Consider hiring a caregiver.
Nobody can do everything on their own. When a family member is unable to care for their loved one, professional caregivers may offer them comfort and peace of mind.
A common misconception about caregivers is that they are just nursing assistants who work in homes. They may offer assistance with a wide range of tasks, including companionship and discussion, daily living activities, and transportation to and from appointments.
During this holiday season, give special attention to the amazing person who has committed their life to making their loved one feel at ease and content in their senior years. The holidays should be a time of tranquility and happiness for everyone, and you have the capacity to provide that to a caregiver.
Donate Today to Support Caregivers!
Caregiving is a demanding task that often leaves the caregivers physically, emotionally, and financially unstable. The least we can do is to try to alleviate some of their burden by supporting them via donations.
Let’s honor the dedication and sacrifices of the family caregivers who devote their lives and resources to caring for their loved ones! Don’t forget to support them, which you can do by acknowledging their hard work and donating as much as possible: https://www.alzra.org/donate-now/.
References
- How to support caregivers over the holidays. VCU Health. https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/how-to-support-caregivers-over-the-holidays. Published Online: 20th November, 2023. Accessed: 29th November, 2023.
- Tips for supporting family caregivers over the holidays. ComForCare. https://www.comforcare.com/massachusetts/canton/comforcare-canton-blog/tips-for-supporting-family-caregivers-over-the-holidays.html. Accessed: 29th November, 2023.
- How to Support the Family Caregiver During the Holidays. Homewatch Caregivers. https://www.homewatchcaregivers.com/annapolis/about-us/blog/2021/november/how-to-support-the-family-caregiver-during-the-h/. Published Online: 1st November, 2021. Accessed: 29th November, 2023.