The holidays are difficult for family members when they have a parent living with dementia. It’s frustrating to know if the parent even knows it is a holiday at all.
But there are ways you can still celebrate, even if mom is living in a memory care home. It’s always going to be difficult, but you can do things for the rest of the family to make it a bit easier.
Celebrate Mother’s Day in a Memory Care Home
Depending on your mother’s level of dementia, there are still fun ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day with her.
Photos Are A Good Way To Celebrate With Mom
Put together a photo album of pictures she may remember. Pictures of her throughout her life, like her as a child, with her own parents, at school, pictures of her wedding, and even pictures of past Mother’s Day celebrations.
You should include pictures of all her children throughout their years growing up, as well. She may remember them better as younger children than she does now.
Include pictures of holidays, old houses you lived in, locations that might mean something to her, and all your past family pets. Make it something she can look at whenever she wants.
You can put them on a CD that she can play and if you have any old family movies, have them converted so she and all of you can watch them together. When watching with her, talk about them, mentioning names and locations.
Her Favorite Foods
Find your mom’s old recipes and make her a few of her favorite dishes. The taste and aroma of our favorite foods can be a great way to remember good times.
Try to make them as close to as she used to do, and take them into her for a nice lunch together. Talk about the times she used to make these particular items.
You can always get some takeaway from a local restaurant that she used to enjoy going to. These can bring back great memories and it’s a nice way to show her you remember who she used to be.
Homemade Items Are A Great Way to Celebrate Mother’s Day
Get your kids, nieces, and nephews, or grandchildren to make pictures and cards for her. Make them colorful and bright so she can enjoy them. She can put them up in her room to add some cheer.
If you are crafty or able to knit or sew, make mom some nice blankets, socks, sweaters, or other things she can wear. Soft and comfortable, made to fit her will be a nice gift for her to enjoy for a long time.
Make pictures, wall hangings, drapes, or any type of artwork she can use or hang up in her room. Something functional or just decorative is great for her room and adds a nice splash of color and familiarity.
Give Her Things From Home
Taking in some pictures, artwork, a bedside table, books, or things like bedding or pillows that she used at home will be more familiar to her in an unfamiliar place.
Any kind of trinkets that she used to like or collect should be with her at the memory care home. She can have them set up in her room so she can see them every day and enjoy them.
Flowers or even a few plants might also be a nice touch. They add a nice feel to the room and it gives her something to take care of. If she has a window, perhaps a few herbs and things that bloom.
Celebrate Mother’s Day With Music
Music is a great way to give mom some soothing sounds she loves. Find CDs or make a few for her and get a little CD player so she can listen to all her favorites when she likes.
Music is very powerful and is often used as part of therapy for those living with dementia, so find a bunch of her favorites. She can listen to them any time she likes.
Music has the ability to take us places we used to be at the times we heard it or used to listen to it. Music is also very soothing and comforting, so let her have access to it all the time.
Take Her Out
A walk around the neighborhood or a drive to the country might be very relaxing and fun for her. Take along a picnic and spend the day at the park or a zoo.
Keep it About Mom
If your mother is able to tell you what she wants then let her do that. If you have traditions you used to follow for Mother’s Day, try to recreate them as closely as possible.
As long as she is happy, the rest doesn’t really matter. Talk to her about your day and she may just enjoy the familiarity of your voice.
We Are Here To Help
At Sycamore Creek Ranch Memory Care we are here to help. We want families to make the best decision for their situation.
Furthermore, the staff at Sycamore Creek Ranch is proactive. That means we are not waiting for a problem to arise. Instead, we are actively engaged with each and every resident. And with only 16 residents we can do that! Come for a tour at Sycamore Creek Ranch! See how we can help!