Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with Loved Ones in Assisted Living

Retirement communities offer activities that will help people stay active and engaged in life.

Ready or not, the holidays are quickly approaching — this means spending quality time with loved ones. For those who have a close friend or family member who resides in assisted living, it’s important to find ways to include them in your holiday celebrations while accommodating their needs.

Holidays Can Generate Feelings of Loneliness

Although the holidays can bring a sense of joy and belonging, they can also prompt the feeling of loneliness.

“Loneliness is a common occurrence with seniors; especially for widows and widowers,” Vickie Weuve, LifeCare Consultant at Cottage Grove Place said. “Family members play a huge role in a senior’s life. Taking time to visit them keeps the individual engaged and makes them feel like they are a part of something.”

In addition to Weuve’s sentiments, statistics have proven loneliness can impact mental and physical health. In fact, according to a recent study from the University of California, seniors who reported feeling lonely had a 59% higher risk of mental and physical decline.

When elderly loved ones reside in assisted living, leaving their retirement community can sometimes be challenging, or even dangerous to their health; which makes it difficult for them to travel to someone else’s home to celebrate the holidays. However, there are various ways to bring holiday cheer straight to their door.

Celebrating Holidays in Assisted Living

Here are a few simple, yet meaningful, ways you and your family can celebrate the holidays with your loved one in assisted living:

Another way to celebrate the holidays with your loved one in their retirement community is to take advantage of the holiday-themed events put on by their community.

Retirement Community Hosted Holiday Events

On December 10^th Cottage Grove Place will be hosting a slew of activities during their Cocoa and Carols event that residents, as well as their friends and relatives, can participate in.

At this event one musical act will be performing holiday favorites at Cottage Grove’s very own Cottage Grill; a second musical performer will be in Cottage Grove’s Assisted Living Memory Care building. If residents and their families just want to enjoy a holiday snack, pie, cocoa, along with other holiday treats will be served throughout the community.

“Retirement communities offer many different kinds of activities that will help people stay active and engaged in life,” Weuve said. “This is especially important for those who live alone.”