Everybody wants to be part of the Christmas celebrations, not just being a spectator who is not allowed to participate due to an illness or disability.
Feeling side-lined can give sad feelings, unrest or even anger to a person with dementia. That’s why a Rudolph dementia reindeer does his utmost to involve the person with dementia into the Christmas celebrations.
This could need some efforts because a person with dementia is inclined to say no, because saying no is having the safety of not making mistakes.
Remember that a person with dementia feels that he forgetting, is making mistakes and doing things wrong.
Nobody likes making mistakes, therefore a person with dementia plays safe by saying no. But saying no means doing less and lesser and doing less makes people disappear faster into the dementia fog.
Being busy and being involved in daily life is key for increasing the well-being of a person with dementia. How does a Rudolph dementia reindeer involves a person with dementia in the Christmas preparations and celebrations?
Not by asking, because questions are difficult for a person with dementia and you have a big chance you will hear no!
A Rudolph dementia reindeer invite, encourage a person with dementia to participate in activities. Rudolph should never say no but says often would and could you, you may….
A real Rudolph dementia reindeer creates a liberating ambiance where no one is improved or corrected, where the person with dementia feels I be accepted as I am and it’s no problem when I make mistakes.
In that ambiance a person with dementia feels safe, dares to move and could rise above himself.
Rudolph keeps in account what the person with dementia can and cannot. This is balancing between helping and failure. And when something goes wrong Rudolph says “This is indeed very difficult I do this often wrong myself”.
Involving the person with dementia into the Christmas preparations will reduce unrest, problem behaviour and will bring a happy Christmas spirit in the house.
Red Nose Tips from Rip:
Buy and write Christmas cards together.
Let the person with dementia select the cards and hand them to you.
Maybe the person with dementia can write his name or the address.
Putting the cards in the envelope, stamping the stamps.
Making Christmas cards together with the person with dementia.
This can be very simple, buy sturdy A4 paper, fold it in half.
Drawn a tree, an angel, holly or mistletoe for example.
See if the person with dementia want to draw or colour with you.
Put your names under the drawing, and you have a very special and personal Christmas card.
Remember everything is good, even if the drawing is not perfect, it’s good! That’s the freedom of an artist.
And while you are making the cards, the Christmas playlist of the person with dementia is playing, you have some early Christmas cookies with hot Chocolate.
And with every Christmas card you write you dream of a white Christmas
Where the treetops glisten and children listen………