This year has been undeniably hard, and the words from a Christmas carol: “a weary world rejoices” land a bit differently this year in all of our hearts. Yet after all we’ve witnessed, felt and experienced in the past several months, we refuse to believe that we are short on hope at EPAGA Home Care. Rather, we rejoice in the hope that we see and experience each and every day around our office.
The holidays are often a time of celebration, family and excitement. But for individuals living with dementia and the caregivers who support them, the holidays can present new challenges. For an individual living with dementia, the holidays can present physical, mental and emotional factors that may disrupt their day-to-day activities.
The holiday season can exacerbate seniors’ feelings of loneliness. This can cause health problems and affect their quality of life. Persistent loneliness can have the same health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Since loneliness can exacerbate health issues and increase the risk of mortality, it is especially important to combat isolation and feelings of loneliness during the holidays.
It can be hard to tell how your senior parents are really doing at home when you don’t live near them. It’s one thing to talk on the phone or video chat, but going home for the holidays gives you a chance to check-in on their well-being while you catch up with everyone. Pay attention to the following signs when completing an Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) Assessment to determine if your senior loved ones are in need of assistance.
When considering the chance to build something new, Julie asked Inga: “Can I do this on my own?” to which Inga replied, “Not without me!” From that point forward, they jumped off into the unknown, and they’ve been in it together ever since.
Julie is thankful that Jesus came as a servant, and asked us to do the same. He served those around Him on the basis of agapé love, and as Julie said: “If you don't have a love for people, you can’t be an effective caregiver.”
