When ‘Home for the Holidays’ Takes Place in Assisted Living

December 21, 2016 by ·

Assisted Living in Chickasaw AL

Your mom has recently agreed to downsize and move to assisted living. As the Christmas holiday is approaching she is starting to regret her decision. She is having a hard time comparing the Christmas season and all its wonderful memories in a home she lived in for over 30 years to how will she ever feel at ‘home for the holidays’ in assisted living.Assisted-Living-in-Chickasaw-AL

The holiday season can be an extremely depressing time for seniors who feel isolated and lonely. This time of year can be especially difficult if there has been a major life changing event that has taken place such as the loss of a spouse or other loved one or the decision to move out of a home they have been attached to for most of their life.

Every year, you and your siblings, grandchildren, and other family and friends would congregate at your mom’s house for Christmas dinner, games, singing Christmas carols, and lots of good times. She just loved this time of year when she was always the center of providing a safe, fun, and memorable celebration gathering. This year she doesn’t seem to care about Christmas and she will often just start crying unexpectedly.

Is it possible to help someone get their Christmas spirit back?

Absolutely! Right now your mom is most likely feeling that her role has become meaningless and maybe she even feels like a burden. Think about what you and other family members can do to show her that just because she resides in an assisted living facility, she is still very much the center of bringing everyone together regardless of where this gathering actually ends up taking place.

Maybe start by encouraging her to decorate her new home. Put on some of her favorite Christmas songs, take her out shopping, or bake some cookies. Her living quarters may not be able to accommodate the normal amount of family and friends but maybe she could have smaller gatherings, such as one for family and then one for friends on a different day.

If everyone is planning on congregating at someone else’s house, see if there is any way she could be in charge of certain aspects of the celebration. She may be able to coordinate the entire event even though it will be at a different location.

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘home is where the heart is.’ Therefore, if she engages her heart like she always does, it won’t matter where the event takes place, whether it’s at assisted living or some other location.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Assisted Living near Chickasaw, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

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About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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