December 2020 Delaware Cares Newsletter

The Holiday Season and Caregiving

A look at how caregivers can enjoy the holiday season. From Holiday Stress-to- Holiday Success!

Following are some suggestions that may help make the holidays more enjoyable for you and your loved ones. Keep in mind that the holidays can, in fact, provide unique opportunities to seek better communication, connection and support from family and friends.

Strategies for Special Holidays

The holidays can be a time of renewal - renewal of friendships through visits and cards, renewal of family relationships through gatherings and shared meals, and renewal of one’s faith. But the holidays also are a time that can be particularly challenging for a caregiver. It is a time during which the changes in one’s life are highlighted and there are additional demands placed upon on an already stressed life.

The holidays are always a whirlwind and this is especially true for caregivers. During the holidays it is important for caregivers to seek a balance - between caring for someone else and caring for oneself; between celebrating good memories of past holidays while not dwelling on what might have been lost.

Holiday Hints for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Holidays can be meaningful, enriching times for both the person with Alzheimer’s disease and his or her family. Maintaining or adapting family rituals and traditions helps all family members feel a sense of belonging and family identity. For a person with Alzheimer’s, this link with a familiar past is reassuring.

However, when celebrations, special events, or holidays include many people, this can cause confusion and anxiety for a person with Alzheimer’s. He or she may find some situations easier and more pleasurable than others. The tips below can help you and the person with Alzheimer’s visit and reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors during holidays.

7 Ways Caregivers Can Create That Holiday Feeling During A Pandemic

By adapting old holiday traditions, or taking this opportunity to start new ones, you can help loved ones adjust.

En español | For most of us, the holidays will be different this year. For family caregivers, there are extra challenges as we struggle to make the season feel special for loved ones who may be isolated and grieving the loss of the usual traditions.

In a recent survey of caregivers by Care.com, 85 percent of respondents named the holidays as the primary time of year when their family comes together with an older loved one. More than 2 in 5 say they will not be able to see their care recipient in person this holiday season.

Many care recipients may feel depressed or abandoned, or have difficulty understanding the changes due to cognitive issues. That makes it all the more important for us to make the holidays as full of meaning and connection as possible for our loved ones, within the limits of safety precautions.

The good news is, there's no need to cancel the holidays this year — just make them unique! There are lots of ways to help ensure the 2020 holidays still bring comfort and joy.

LOCAL CAREGIVER RESOURCES

The Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) supports eight Caregiver Resource Centers located throughout Delaware.

Caregiver Resource Centers serve as access points for information on a variety of caregiving issues. The centers are staffed on a part-time basis. Coordinators at each center understand the challenges that caregivers face. They provide information, assistance and support that can be helpful in a caregiver's individual situation. They help caregivers navigate services systems, find solutions to individualized concerns and make appropriate referrals. Many Caregiver Resource Centers also have support groups. In addition, each center has materials that can be reviewed on site or checked out for home use.

Please click the bold links below to connect with information for a Caregiver Resource Center in your area.

New Castle County:

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore (includes assistive technology resource information)

Newark Senior Center

Wilmington Senior Center

Kent County:

Modern Maturity Center

Sussex County:

Easterseals Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore

CHEER Community Centers

DSAAPD also has partnered with Delaware 's system of libraries to help caregivers get the information that they need. To locate your local library, visit the Delaware Libraries website or contact the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).

Please visit the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities site here for links to more information

Alzheimer's Association- Delaware Valley Chapter

VIRTUAL SUPPORT

GROUPS - December

Support groups are a safe place to develop a support system, exchange practical information on caregiving challenges, share feelings, and learn about community resources! Attendees can participate via computer or phone and weekly meetings are available every Thursday at 7pm.

A flyer with the FULL list of groups & registration links is attached.

Specialized Groups

(NEW) Young Adult Caregivers 20s/30s of Early-Onset Dementia

1st Wednesday at 6pm

Adult Children

2nd Tuesday @6:30 pm

Adult Children of Younger-Onset Dementia:

3rd Wednesday at 6:30pm

Caregivers of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD):

3rd Thursday at 6pm

Over 50 Adult Children/Long-Distance Caregivers:

4th Tuesday at 6:30pm