Holidays Can Be Bittersweet for Alzheimer’s Affected Families
Below is a simple Thanksgiving reflection that considers both the joy and the grief holidays can hold. When a loved one is ill, it’s almost impossible to ignore the sadness present in this life. It’s important to cultivate gratitude and to cling to the joyful moments of connection wherever we can find them. Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to practice gratitude and presence in the midst of an uncertain or challenging time.
Take a look at MesaView Senior’s most recent blog post for some great ideas on how to include a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia in Thanksgiving prep and celebration. There are also some creative solutions for celebrating with your loved one in their assisted living community. Celebrating holidays in your loved one’s care community is usually less disruptive and anxiety-provoking for them. It can be very difficult for someone with cognitive decline to move outside of their routines and comfortable spaces.
BayView Senior Assisted Living: Best Senior Living Community Near You
At BayView Assisted Living (and at our partner locations, MesaView Senior Assisted Living, HarborView Senior Assisted Living, and RanchView Senior Assisted Living) we strive to provide compassionate, individualized care, preserving our residents’ dignity at every stage of their Alzheimer’s journey. We’re committed to holistic care that engages our residents on emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical levels.
A Thanksgiving Reflection
Let’s remember that in this vast plane of human existence, we are but a blip
As you make your plans
Book your flights
Pick your outfits
Brush your kid’s hair for the first time that week
Buy the onions and the green beans and the cream of mushroom soup
As you fervently try to cultivate gratitude on this day dedicated to it
As you feel the flutter of nerves and excitement at seeing loved ones for the first time in years
As you feel overwhelmed by the details of hosting
By the small talk and the colliding echo chambers and the potential for tense conversation
Pause. Breathe. Remember.
You are but a speck
In a line that spans the ages
Of those who have planned and traveled and bought and cooked and loved
Of those who have worried and wondered and fought and lost
Of those who have decorated, created beauty, cleaned, chopped, and baked
Remember that few things really matter
And at the same time, a single, kind word can change the course of a life
Hug your loved ones tight, look into their eyes (an awkward amount) when they talk
Listen earnestly, laugh generously, encourage lavishly
Hold the universe’s great paradoxes in tension:
Grief and joy
Conviction and humility
My needs and your needs
Boundaries and open arms
Privilege and the pain every one of us carries
Brevity and gravity
High hopes and zero expectations
Pause. Breathe. Remember. Give Thanks.
San Diego’s Top Memory Care and Senior Care Community
BayView Senior Assisted Living in Point Loma, California is one of the top assisted living facilities in the greater San Diego area. We’re known for our compassionate caregivers, beautiful grounds, and personalized, individualized care.
We understand that our residents’ holistic experience of life (social, spiritual, emotional, mental, physical) is incredibly important. Our compassionate caregivers provide top-notch, individualized care to each of the members of our memory care communities. Our newest care community, located in Encinitas, provides a beautiful, home-like setting for loved ones to age in place with dignity. Take a look at RanchView Senior Assisted Living.
We are consistently rated the best senior living community in San Diego! Get in touch with us today to schedule a COVID-safe tour.
