The holidays are a time for families to be together. However, when an aging parent is in assisted living, it often takes a bit more effort and commitment on both the part of the children and the parent themselves to commemorate the holiday. Here are a few tips for helping your parent feel at home in assisted living and ensuring a brighter, merrier holiday season for everyone in the family.

4 Ways to Help Your Parent Celebrate the Holidays in Assisted Living

1. Bring Family & Friends to Visit

Over the holidays, increase your visits to the assisted living facility your parent calls home. If possible, bring other family members with you, and make every visit a celebration of family and togetherness. Read holiday cards together, open gifts, reminisce, and share stories from your life. You play an important role in helping your parent feel comfortable in their new home, so show them that, while their physical environment may have changed, they are still a beloved part of the family and being together remains a priority.

2. Decorate Their Apartment

During one of your visits, bring along a supply of holiday decorations. From a small artificial Christmas tree to a menorah, there is no shortage of possible ideas for decking out your parent's space in holiday style. Be sure to enlist their help in the decorating process. The finished decorations will not only get everyone in the holiday mood, but they will go a long way in settling your parent into their new home.

3. Bake Cookies

Consider baking cookies or another holiday treat during one of your visits. Smell is one of the most powerful memory tools you have, and for many people, it is a direct line to their emotional selves. The scent of baking holiday cookies can elicit a feeling of calm and home and encourage conversations about memories of the past.

4. Continue Holiday Traditions

If you have certain holiday traditions in place, don't stop doing them just because your parent is in assisted living. Find ways to adapt the traditions to your parent's new home life. If, for instance, you have a tradition of going caroling around town, consider going door to door around the senior living facility. Think outside of the box, but by all means, keep those traditions going.

By knowing some ways to make your parent feel at home in assisted living during the holidays, you are showing them the love and support they need. Hillcrest Assisted Living is a senior living community that has been serving Boone County, MO, residents for more than 30 years; they can provide a safe and nurturing home for your loved one. Call (573) 696-3201 or visit them online to schedule a tour today.