Tips for Celebrating Holidays With a Loved One in Memory Care

When a loved one has transitioned to Memory Care, the holiday season often brings mixed emotions for families. You may find yourself trying to hold onto cherished traditions while dealing with new or evolving cognitive challenges. The good news is that meaningful celebrations remain possible. While traditions may shift, the spirit of the season can still thrive. At Aberdeen Heights in Kirkwood, Missouri, we help families find ways to connect during the holidays through personalized care and faith-centered support, making it possible to share moments of joy and togetherness even as circumstances change.

Keep Celebrations Simple and Familiar

For those living with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, simplified activities and routines become essential during the stimulating holiday season. Cognitive changes can make busy gatherings, bright decorations and unfamiliar faces overwhelming rather than joyful. Keep celebrations low key and familiar to help prevent overstimulation while preserving the warmth of tradition. 

Aberdeen Heights' Memory Care neighborhood, The Glen, is thoughtfully designed to create a peaceful, structured environment where residents feel secure. The staff understands the importance of consistency for Memory Care residents, especially during holidays when emotions run high and schedules change. They can help facilitate family visits and coordinate low-sensory activities that support your family's traditions without the stress of elaborate events.

Engage the Senses With Seasonal Activities

Gentle sensory experiences can spark memories and bring unexpected comfort to loved ones in Memory Care. Consider listening to classic holiday hymns or carols together, enjoying the familiar scent of cinnamon or pine or helping your loved one decorate a small tree. Simple activities, such as folding napkins for a holiday meal, stringing garland or arranging seasonal flowers, can provide meaningful engagement without requiring too much cognitive effort.

Aberdeen Heights incorporates holiday-themed sensory programming and certified Music & Memory Therapy to help residents connect with the season in ways that are personally meaningful. Caroling performances, cookie decorating sessions and festive light displays offer opportunities for joy in individual and small-group settings. Staff members guide these experiences with care, ensuring each resident can participate at their own comfort level while still feeling part of the celebration.

Include Faith-Based and Spiritual Traditions

Maintaining faith-based rituals can ground Memory Care residents in comfort and familiarity during the holidays. Reading scripture together, lighting Advent candles or sharing a simple prayer often reaches people even when other memories have faded. If attending in-person worship services proves too challenging, consider watching a televised service together or bringing recorded holiday hymns to enjoy during your visit.

Aberdeen Heights' Christian foundation has a mission to nurture the spiritual wellness of people from different faith backgrounds as part of holistic care. The community offers on-site chaplain services, holiday worship opportunities and quiet spaces for spiritual reflection for both residents and their families. These resources can help you maintain the sacred traditions that have always anchored your family's holiday celebrations, adapting them to meet your loved one where they are now.

Share Time, Not Expectations

The most valuable gift you can offer during the holidays is your presence. Being there matters more than whether your loved one remembers your name or recalls past celebrations. Quality time doesn't require elaborate activities or perfect conversations. You can enjoy your time in simple ways, such as sitting together, holding hands and sharing a quiet moment.

Setting realistic expectations helps protect everyone's hearts during what can be an emotional season. Cognitive decline changes how holidays look and feel, and that's okay. The care team at The Glen understands these dynamics and helps families work through communication and emotional needs during visits. Staff can suggest appropriate visit times based on when your loved one typically feels their best and offer personalized engagement strategies tailored to each resident's current abilities and preferences.

Create New Traditions Together

While some traditions may no longer mesh with your loved one's abilities, holidays offer a chance to create new, memory-friendly customs. Try reading a favorite holiday story together, making a simple craft or assembling care packages for others. Bringing a small, meaningful decoration to your loved one's apartment, like a handmade ornament or a holiday photo album with just a few pictures, can brighten their space without overwhelming them.

Aberdeen Heights provides residents and families with opportunities to create new traditions within the community. You might attend a group event together, help decorate common spaces or join a holiday meal in the dining room. The community's reputation for fostering a close-knit, service-driven environment means families often discover unexpected moments of connection and joy, creating memories that honor both the past and the present.

Finding Joy in the Present Moment

Celebrating the holidays with a loved one in Memory Care requires flexibility, compassion and a focus on the present moment. At Aberdeen Heights, families receive support through thoughtful programs, spiritual resources and personalized care that make meaningful holiday moments possible. With the right approach, the season can still be filled with comfort and connection, bringing joy to you and your loved one.

Contact us at 314-909-6000 to schedule a visit to our Kirkwood community and learn more ways Aberdeen Heights supports families during the holidays and throughout the year.