Many older adults with Alzheimer’s or dementia enjoy and want to be included in holiday festivities. However, the added activities could cause increased agitation and confusion, unpredictable behavior, or mood swings. To create a stress-free, happy holiday season, try to scale things back and modify activities so they’ll feel calm and safe. Focus on a few of the most meaningful traditions. Ask which activities they value most. That could mean trimming the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, singing songs, or baking special holiday treats. Even if your older adult might not remember these holiday activities later, the warm feelings they’ll have is a different kind of memory their body will carry for a while
Community News
A Gift for Your Family
Making final arrangements ahead of time is a wise and considerate decision. This guarantees that your wishes are observed and spares your family from undue pressure at a time of great emotional stress. Having final plans in place is a blessing when passing is anticipated. With an unexpected death, they are even more important. An unexpected death can bring overwhelming grief, guilt and anger. These feelings can make it very difficult to plan an end-of-life service that respects the wishes of a loved one. Preplanning is a special gift to give your family. We can help.
What is Personal Care?
Personal care includes services that help assist seniors and other individuals with various tasks and activities in their daily life, such as bathing, eating, walking and dressing. Services are customized based on the individual’s needs and include companionship that makes a day more pleasant – whether you’re at home or out in the community. Personal care is centered around a meaningful relationship that is built over time with a caring and responsive healthcare professional. It is important for your loved one to be able to live their lives in the way they want. We can help.
Dementia and Community Support
Whether you’ve noticed early signs of dementia, recently received a diagnosis, or are navigating the next stages of the disease, the Crossmount Memory Café is here to help support you and your loved one! With a mission to provide a social, supportive, and dementia-friendly network, our Café provides a twice-monthly opportunity for people living with dementia and their caregivers to come together for a morning of meaningful interaction and hands-on activities. Through active participation and engagement, participants have the opportunity to improve all domains of health, including physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual wellbeing.
Curb Holiday Sugar Over-Indulgence
With the holidays right around the corner, here are some tricks to minimize that over-indulgence. Try to keep up with your exercise regime to help your body process the excess sugars and calories and to keep feelings of bloating or indigestion down. Before a party, have a high-fibre snack to decrease the amount of sweets eaten and try to limit yourself to one cocktail and intersperse that with sparkling water. Drink warm lemon water with some added apple cider vinegar to support blood sugar and digestion, and add turmeric and ginger for anti-inflammatory effects. As for your cooking and baking, explore recipes with healthy sugar alternatives.
Happy Holidays from SSFS!
From all of us here at Saskatoon Services for Seniors we would like to wish all our clients and supporters a very Happy Holiday Season. Wishing safe happy times spent with your family and loved ones.
Help Support Seniors in Our Community today!
Today more than ever your support is extremely valuable. Your support helps progress our services while playing a vital role in keeping seniors independent. Our generous supporters help to supplement the cost to some of our low income seniors in the community, as well as fund programs that are free to any senior like our Friendly Caller program. Every dollar of support stays right here in Saskatoon. We have many lower income seniors that need our services and the generosity of your support allows us to be able to assist them. Please visit our website at www.saskatoonservicesforseniors.ca and show your support for seniors today!
Words to Live By
Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. – Ruth Carter Stapleton
Urban Camp Program
There are still spots available on our Urban Camp Program for this winter. Urban camp looks after your fall raking of leaves, all snow shovels during the winter and a spring raking of leaves ALL FOR A ONE TIME FEE. This Program is great for seniors that are on a fixed income as it is only a one-time fee and looks after your snow all winter long. If you would like to sign up or looking for more information on this program contact our office today.
Help Support Seniors in Our Community today!
Today more than ever your support is extremely valuable. Your support helps progress our services while playing a vital role in keeping seniors independent. Our generous supporters help to supplement the cost to some of our low income seniors in the community, as well as fund programs that are free to any senior like our Friendly Caller program. Every dollar of support stays right here in Saskatoon. We have many lower income seniors that need our services and the generosity of your support allows us to be able to assist them. Please visit our website at www.saskatoonservicesforseniors.ca and show your support for seniors today!
Music Therapy and Neuroscience
McGill Unversity’s Dr. Daniel Levitin has found that as a result of exposure to music, levels of immunoglobin A, an antibody linked to immunity, increases. In another study he found significant evidence of music’s anti-anxiety properties. Montreal Neurological Institute’s Dr. Zatorre has found that a brain structure called the striatum is stimulated by music to release dopamine which increases feelings of pleasure. Music therapists are continually training to integrate and apply research findings into practice in order to better serve people of every age, from babies to Alzheimer’s patients.
