The holidays can be stressful for both caregivers and care recipients. Although being around family and friends during a time of celebration can be joyous and relaxing, shopping for gifts, preparing meals and traveling to see loved ones can be taxing. However, there are several ways individuals who are aging in place and those who support them can unburden themselves to maximize enjoyment around the holidays.
1. Keep gifts simple. Even if you can afford to go all out on spoiling your loved ones around the holidays, sometimes managing many shopping trips, gift wrapping and transporting boxes can drain energy and patience. A single thoughtful gift or even a handy gift card can mean as much to family members as a sleigh full of gadgets and stocking stuffers.
2. Order food. By calculating cost and logistics, you can minimize last-minute scrambling by picking up a cake from a bakery instead of baking it from scratch, or having a caterer deliver one or two side dishes to go with your main course. Herculean feats of cooking aren't necessary to showing people you care.
3. Prioritize self-care. The holidays are an important time to stay on top of your wellness regimen. Knowing when to take some alone time, staying rested and following doctors orders can reduce holiday stress, according to AARP.
4. Set limits on traveling. Sometimes, saying "no" is difficult, but reaching compromise with loved ones about where to spend the holidays can prevent you from taking on more stressful travel than you need to.
Caregivers and care recipients can discuss these and other ways to reduce holiday stress using Independa's Angela™ platform. With the user-friendly interface easily accessed through an LG TV and any HDMI-enabled television, families can stay in touch, receive handy alerts and share photos.
