Forum Discussion

Hi Jordan
I actually had a resident Choral group but they performed for family and we had a big party
You can have the residents practice the songs on zoom
Or some other Internet group
You could have them practice in the hallway if that is allowed
You can’ set up Christmas party Facebook page
After you have practice the songs you can invite family members to listen to them on the Facebook page
You could’ also do this with zoom
Then have families have some treats that they can eat and you can distribute treats to the residents

Hi Jordan,
I work in respite so we actually close over the holidays, however in the lead up we have mini Christmas parties and celebrate with different foods, sing a long to Christmas carols and do crafts. We are from Australia so we celebrate with things like Pavlova and lamingtons! You could try looking at how other cultures and countries celebrate Christmas to give everyone something a little different.
Perhaps if you have crafty clients you could involve them in making cards to send to family or some kind of shelter in your area?
Best of Luck!

Thank you for the information Emily

Hi all. I'm also looking for ideas to celebrate Christmas.
I work in an urban nursing home set in the area of the country with the highest Covid incidence.
Whether is Christmas time or not, there is no way we will be having visitors inside the nursing home. We are practicing cohorting, physcal distanging and cocooning which means that most residents are on their own for most of the time and when in groups they are no bigger than 8 residents.
I can think of things to help the residents feel Christmas individually.
I am looking for ideas to make the residents and their families feel together even though they will be apart.
Also, I somehow feel that if we don't address family interactions and move them away from December 25th we will end up with many families feeling sad that their loved one is far away and many more residents distraught that their families are not there plus a whole workforce frustrated by the need to help them all.
Do you have any ideas? Are you doing anything specific about this?

Ideas to celebrate Christmas during Covid

Decorate corridors rather than common rooms
Decorate windows and residents' rooms
Use essence diffusers in strategic places with Christmas smells like cinnamon, mulled wine, cedar...
Have Christmas music playing at corridors crossings, dining rooms...
Weekly tasting session from December the 5th, st Nicholas, with Christmas treats
Have all other groups with Christmas themes like quiz, reminiscence, games...
Watch a children's Christmas play on YouTube with other residents
Having multiple Christmas parties with small groups of residents over multiple days (we have 54 residents and are looking to have 6 or 7 separate parties)
If dining times are staggered, serve Christmas Dinner at lunch for some residents and at tea for the others. Do the same at new years.
That is some of what we are planning

Hi Elisa
You have given this a lot of thought
Thank you

Hello Elisa!
I appreciate all your ideas, for sure I will use some of them.
Thank you

Hi from the state of Washington,
In the process of writing my Newsletter article for November. Does anyone know a site where i can get an article that addresses The holidays in a Memory Care community during Covid-19 for the family members?
Thanks

Hi Laurie
Maybe you can use some of the ideas suggested by Elisa
and make it into an article
What kind of information do you need to include in the article??
These articles may help you also
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/holiday-hints-alzheimers-caregivers.

https://www.lorettocny.org/news-events/blog/memory-loss-and-covid-19-staying-touch-loved-ones

I have not been able to find any published information about Christmas, COVID and nursing homes, y even looked at other epidemic illnesses in the past and when outbreaks or cuarentines happened around Christmas they just delayed it a bit which is not an option now.
I have been thinking that we could take information about how families with a deployed person celebrate Christmas as there is plenty of information there.
A pacifist myself I do not like the war-like language used with COVID but this simile might help many families to cope.

Thanks for the information Elisa

Some good suggestions here, I'm also looking for options of things to do for the resident's to connect with there families over Christmas. It's are to stay what restrictions will be in place, we are hoping the families may visit with masks and precautions but are unsure of what we can do with them, any suggestions?
Loving the choir over zoom idea!

Hi Jessica
You could have a holiday party after the residents perform the songs
Pass out treats to the residents and invite families to have treats of their own
Certainly not as good as doing everything in person but at least it’s something
As you say hopefully families will be able to visit with their loved ones
Each resident could sing holiday songs with their families and ask family members to join in
I hope everything works out for you

Before things worsened here in Ireland, we were thinking about having the Christmas parties outdoors, in a marquee with the sides open as infection risk in ventilated areas is lower. Shouting and singing are considered high risk and so is eating. We had wanted to have a jazz group playing Christmas music because it still wiggle your memory but won't make anybody feel like singing along. We didn't get to think what the people could do beyond talking but I just got the idea that playing a board game might be fun.
Imagine a board big enough to cover part of the floor and questions or tasks for each square. Everybody should have their own dice and one person moves the markers
Something like this but Christmasy https://www.eslprintables.com/teaching_resources/classroom_management/back_to_school/Board_game_Back_to_school_440072/
I hope this helps

Thank you for this information Elisa

Thank you All
There are so really good ideas on here to help us Celebrate specail accassions with our elderly loved ones and residents.
These are very much appresisated thanks for sharing xo