Are Halloween Decorations Disturbing Your Senior with Alzheimer’s Disease?
October 11, 2017
In your role as a family caregiver it is likely that one of your most common responsibilities is shopping with your parent. Whether it is grocery shopping, shopping for home items, or just running errands with them in tow to keep them active and engaged, when you head out of the house with your parent, it is important that you are aware of what is going on around you and how it might impact your senior. This is particularly true if your parent is suffering from cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Caregiver in Redwood City CA: Alzheimer's and Halloween
Alzheimer’s disease impacts how your parent perceives and interacts with the world around them. This can influence everything that they do, but you may not immediately think of some issues that could dramatically impact them. During this time of year, one of the most challenging things can be the decorations around you. Halloween is still weeks away, but stores are already overflowing with decorations, costumes, and candy. You may see these and get excited for the fun of the holiday, particularly if you have children who are looking forward to the celebration, but your parent might be disturbed by what they are seeing. This can lead to negative behaviors and distress. Helping them to cope with these can make a tremendous difference in how they get through this time of year.
Use these tips to help your parent with Alzheimer’s disease if they find Halloween decorations disturbing:
- Make sure that they understand the holiday and that this is a limited-time situation, not a permanent change to the world around them. Take the time to remind them of the holiday, underscoring the fun and frivolity of it rather than the more frightening aspects.
- Remind them that the decorations are fake and that they pose no harm to them. Encourage them to touch and interact with them as they please to get them more comfortable with them.
- Bring them on a fun and calm Halloween activity, such as pumpkin picking, to get them involved in a way that is not intimidating for them.
- Visit stores ahead of bringing your parent to them so that you can identify the displays and move around them when you bring your parent.
- Request that a care provider handle your parent’s grocery shopping or other errands so they are not exposed to the decorations.