Family meetings
The Pasqual Maragall Foundation gives a series of tips for the patient and their environment to continue enjoying these parties
The empty chair: how to cope with the duel during the Christmas holidays
Mayte Rius
The Christmas holidays are usually meeting and celebration days in the company of the family and friends.These are dates that we link to joy and enjoyment, but sometimes they also behave difficult and painful moments due to the absence or illness of a loved one.That may be the case of Alzheimer's affected people and their relatives, who these days often sadThe patient will react.
However, the experts of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation - focused on the prevention of AlzheimerPresent and enjoy the Christmas holidays with positivism and joy, and that it is possible to do it if some cautions are taken or some adaptations are made when the celebrations.
"It is important that both the person who takes care of the patient and the rest of the family can continue enjoying these parties adapting to the new situation and the state of the sick person, naturally," adjusting the expectations but without giving up making him a participant andContinue with family celebrations and traditions, says Sandra Poudevida, a clinical psychologist of the Foundation.
Therefore, it offers a series of tips that can help continue to celebrate Christmas holidays and keep the meetings of family and friends without excessiveness of the patient or anguish and overflows the caregiver.And it also warns that if the state of health or circumstances advise not to celebrate the holidays with the sick family member (perhaps because of their well -being it is better not to move from where he lives or the residence where he is admitted), it is important not to load with feelings of guiltand not give up to gather or enjoy."Once the decision is made, if possible by family consensus, you have to think that it is the best even if it is not ideal, and continue enjoying, taking advantage of the inputs of joy, with positivity," emphasizes the psychologist.
And for those who are still available to share together the celebrations are their recommendations:
1.Back to all
Poudevida remarks that it is very important(especially the caregiver) feels ashamed of it.
“Alzheimer's patients lose the forms and protocol, and can dry with the tablecloth, take food with their hand or wet it in the cava...If everyone is aware that this can happen, that these behaviors are the result of the disease and do not give it more importance, caregivers will not feel responsible for the behavior of the patient and may be calmer ”, relax and also enjoy the party, details the psychologist.And he points out that in case of inappropriate behavior at the table, it is best to try to distract the patient and guide his attention to something else.
2.Be guided by the caregiver's criteria
The specialist of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation encourages families to maintain the traditions and celebrations they had before the disease appeared by adapting them or simplifying them depending on the state of the affected.“If during the holidays one day he ate at a child's house and the next day at another house, he can continue to be done;But if it turns out that one lives in a town and the other in another distant city, you must simplify and celebrate all parties in a single site;It is about valuing what you are going to enjoy and what they are going to get tired, ”exemplifies poudevida.
And when weighing how the transfers or activities planned to the person with Alzheimer's, the singing voice has to take the caregiver or person with whom he lives, who is the one who knows his status and knows to what extent he can affect him can get out ofThe routine, if easily disorient, or get anxious or aggressive when the atmosphere does not dominate."Those who do not live together are more daring because they are not so aware of what a change of habits implies," warns the psychologist.
"Each case is a world, but the sick are vulnerable and you have to weigh the decision to get you out of your environment (your home, or residence) or not," justifies.And it emphasizes that, if the affected one is in a residence and his state advises not to move from there, the ideal is that family members go by to celebrate Christmas with him."One day the children can go, another grandchildren...", says.
3.Limit exposure to children
Alzheimer's specialists say that it is good to involve children in family celebration and encourage them to relate to the patient normally because they are a source of joy for the elderly.Of course, taking into account that child vitality is not that of the patient, so that children should not make excessive noise, that they are not around running...Because they can put them nervous or simply exhaust them.It's about remembering that grandchildren are a source of joy but also tired.
4.Promote a relaxed environment and talk about one by one
Poudevida explains that people with Alzheimervery nervous ".That is why he advises that family and friends go to the patient one by one and very quietly, or that there is a person pending from him, who speaks of you to you and to make him a mediator in the conversations with others.
5.Enable a rest space
To avoid situations of great stress, either by children, because there is a lotor to be alone.
6.Organize an appropriate desktop
Among the relevant issues to anticipate if we are going to celebrate the parties with a person with Alzheimer.If usual in the family is all chatting, from gathering, it should be agreed that, after a little while, someone retires with the patient to another room to watch a movie or perform some quieter activity."At a table with 15 people talking and laughing, they overwhelm," warns the specialist.
7.Make it a participant in games and reminiscences
An adequate activity to enjoy a family with a Alzheimer's patient can be a simple board game like OCA or dominoes, although it will depend on the advanced or not that the disease is."You have to look for quiet games and notify others so that they do not speak all at once, but it is a fantastic activity because it generates links and allows to interact in many phases of the disease," Pouevida details.
Another possibility is to take advantage of the fact that the family meeting to remember anecdotes and family stories."You can take advantage of a photo album to help you locate certain people, and explain and share reminiscences of lived situations, describing them as if it were a story, but without constantly asking" you remember ", because the person will not remember and frustrate;And if we see that it does not connect with this activity, it is better to leave it, ”suggests the psychologist.
8.Put traditional carols and movies
Music can help a lot to enjoy Christmas celebrations with a relative with Alzheimer's.“Music influences the mood or finalAncient film like seven girlfriends for seven brothers or another to vision a lot, ”explains the expert of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation.
9.Decorate the house and prepare typical dishes
As remote memory is the last thing they lose, it is important to rely on classical family traditions to connect with the sick person.That is why specialists underline that, even if family or friends do not come home, it is advisable to put Christmas decoration and ask the patient to help and participate when the nativity scene and tree mount.
And also put the table specially for the days indicated, prepare typical Christmas dishes with family recipes, buy nougat and provide with cava...As is typical at these parties.
10.Include you in gifts
The recommendation of the specialists of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation to treat the patient naturally also is worth it when it comes to participating in gifts.Poudevida says that the fact that a person suffers from Alzheimer's..."It is important not to fall into isolation, both for the patient and for the relative who takes care of him, and depending on his condition he can continue doing and enjoying many activities.".
Other highly valued gifts in the early stages of the disease can be personalized objects, such as a keychain with the names of the closest relatives, a picture or a cushion with photos...The gifts related to music or movies that he liked and listened in other stages of his life are also appropriate.And selected clothes or accessories thinking about their comfort.
10.Release the caregiver
Those who are going to celebrate Christmas with an affected by Alzheimer's.For this, it is necessary to organize and other family or friends are pending of the patient and take care of all the preparations for the celebrations, so that the caregiver is released as much as possible from responsibilities.
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