Kingsland Walk Senior Living Prepares for Possible Holiday Blues

For many the holiday season is a joyful, happy time built around togetherness, family, and friends, but for some it can be very stressful and filled with overwhelming expectations, depression, and anxiety. The holiday season can be a reminder of those who are not with us anymore, financial limitations, sadness from being separated from loved ones, and the loss of treasured traditions. Celebrating this time of year doesn’t have to be a sad or overwhelming time. It can be a peaceful time of reminiscing, volunteering, spending time with friends, and creating new traditions!

Some common causes of depression during the holidays are financial concerns, missing family that is no longer with us, or simply just can’t be with us, sadness due to age and how things are changing, just the overall exhaustion of all the preparation, and the hustle and bustle.

Things to watch for would be if someone is isolating, crying more than usual, maybe their fuse is just shorter than normal, or they seem to be angrier. We also need to watch for signs and symptoms of not eating or drinking and listen to what that person is saying. They could be reaching out for help if we just listen.

I feel the best thing to eliminate the holiday blues is laughter and being together. We need to spend time with our residents, listen to their stories about their family and the Christmases they spent together. Keep them busy with activities and have them sing Christmas carols throughout the community.

Loneliness is one of the most common causes of depression in the elderly during the holiday season. Unfortunately, some of our residents do not have family that is always with them or that take them out. So, we become their family, and this is their home. We need to engage them in all the Christmas activities we have to offer, have them assist with the Christmas trees and decorations, keep them busy and close to the staff. We have to do our best to not allow them too self-isolate.

I feel the best way to encourage and fulfill old and even new traditions is to just do it. Make the activities, the smells, the music, and the stories come to life. Gather all the residents and staff together to make it a wonderful Christmas holiday.

The holiday season means different things to each of us. The holidays are about family, friends, food, and tradition. For many, the smells, taste, and decorations bring memories flooding back. We at Kingsland Walk Senior Living hope some of these ideas will be helpful as the holidays approach.