Coping Through the Holidays for Alzheimer’s Patients & Families
November 7, 2007 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Responses to my article, Tips for Handling Holiday Stress, made me realize I should do a 
series on this topic over the next few weeks. This is a time when caregivers have extra tasks, at home and at work, with their families. Added to this is the strain of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient or overseeing visits at a nursing home.
Then there are the “used to be’s.” These are the memories of how Mother, Father, spouse, or other family member used to be during the holiday season. Those are memories we don’t want to forget, but they become bittersweet when viewed through the cloud of Alzheimer’s.
I’d like to hear from you, my readers, and have you share with us how you cope, how you relieve stress, and how you bring joy to the season. For this doesn’t have to be a season of sadness. You can learn to enjoy the small pleasures with this different person in your life. 
I lost one family member to Alzheimers earlier this year and another is entering the advanced stage. While I’m not a primary caregiver I still care deeply. I will be remembering the better days of the one still with us (and looking for that occasional smile and laugh… a cookie or a piece of pie does it every time!). And grieving this first Christmas without the one we lost.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Yes, that first Christmas without your loved family member is difficult and bittersweet…you remember happy and sad memories. We so often concentrate on the main caregiver (not that we shouldn’t) that we sometimes forget about the difficulties other family members encounter during these times.