Dealing with dementia during the holidays: Tips from the Alzheimer Society

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is often stressful at the best of times — and for families dealing with dementia, it can be especially taxing.

The Alzheimer Society of British Columbia is holding group discussions on how to make the most of time spent visiting a loved one with dementia during the holidays.

"Special family gatherings and events that happen over the holiday season can create particular challenges for people with dementia and for their care partners," said Bronwyn James, an education coordinator at the Alzheimer Society on the North Shore.

"People with dementia, they need their routine and they need structure and that can all go out the window during the holidays."

Holiday gatherings, and all the social expectations around this time of year, can bring up negative emotions for those with dementia, from feelings of guilt to frustration, James said.

"It can be really overwhelming," she told Stephen Quinn, host of CBC's The Early Edition.

James is leading some of the group discussions and has a few key pieces of advice for those with dementia and their caretakers as the holiday festivities get underway.

Strategies to cope

The most crucial strategy is communication, she emphasized.

"For the care partner, let people that you're going to be seeing over the holidays know of the changes — what they can expect to see, give them some tips and strategies for how to communicate and interact with the person with dementia," James said.

The same advice holds for those in the early stages of dementia, who might be facing friends and relatives for the first time since diagnosis.

"Getting over that step of the elephant in the room and just talking about it [is key]," James said.

"Talk to people that they are going to be seeing to explain what is going on for them and some of the challenges that they have, ask for their help and make suggestions for adjustments."

Despite the challenges, the holiday season with all its festivities and traditions can present a way to talk about the past and the future.

"Those cues can really create an opportunity to reminisce about the past, the fun times and the memories," James said.