Today and tomorrow, I will publish an article that has suggestions on how to navigate the Holidays with elderly parents that might have memory issues and other challenges associated with aging. The Holidays can be stressful for many, but particularly for people who’s parents are frail, ill or don’t live close enough to their family, preventing them from seeing them on the Holidays.
FIVE TIPS TO KEEP AGING RELATIVES MERRY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
By Ellen and Andy Smith, Comfort Keepers
For many families, the holiday season marks one of the only times of year that all members can gather together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. The portrait before and after this joyous time, however, is often far less picturesque for seniors living alone or far away from relatives. As the aging population continues to grow – the U.S. Census Bureau projects over 88 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. by 2050 – memory loss and dementia in seniors are posing a major public health burden and it’s often difficult for relatives to monitor that aging family members are getting the level of stimulation and socialization they want and need. But there’s hope: According to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers have found evidence that seniors in the U.S. with active social lives may have slower rates of memory decline and lower mortality rates.
Given these findings, Ellen and Andy Smith, owners of the local office of Comfort Keepers®, a franchised, in-home care services provider have provided the following tips for family members to address with their aging relatives this holiday season to ensure a happy and healthy time is had by all.
I will follow up with the tips in tomorrow’s post to this blog.
Lorraine