3 Ways To Safely Celebrate The Holidays With Your Love Ones In Assisted Living

Family get-togethers are a long-time holiday tradition. Families around the world start making their holiday plans months in advance. For seniors living in assisted living, this is a very special time as they look forward to meeting loved ones who they have not met all year round. Unfortunately this year, family get-togethers have also been discouraged. Meeting elderly loved ones in assisted living facilities can be particularly risky considering their advanced age. Visiting assisted living communities also puts the other elderly residents at risk. While the thought of not being able to meet up can be very distressful, there are ways to connect with loved ones anywhere in the world and celebrate the holidays safely.

Organize A Virtual Family Meal

A virtual family meal is the next best alternative to being able to sit around the dining table together. Even if you’re not all in the same room together physically, it still allows everyone to be together virtually.

It may take a little planning but it can be done. There are a few things you must do in advance in order to organize a successful virtual family meal.

Start planning at least a month in advance so you can fix a time that is convenient for everybody. While scheduling a convenient time, you also have to figure out which video conference software is most convenient for your loved one in the assisted living facility. You may need to ask the facility administration or staff to help your loved one if they are unable to set this up themselves for any reason. Make sure that all family members participating in the video chat install and familiarize themselves with the software well in advance so as to avoid any last minute hiccups.

Zoom, Google Meet, and Jitsi Meet are some of the best video call software to use for this purpose. Zoom and Google Meet are free for up to 40 and 60 minutes respectively. Jitsi Meet is totally free.

Send A Gift Of Food

Even if you cannot travel to gather together for the traditional Christmas meal, you can still send your loved ones a gift of food. Better still, you don’t even have to cook the meal yourself. Several restaurants and takeaway diners offer special holiday dishes at this time of the year. Look online for a restaurant close to the facility and order your loved one’s favorite dish to be delivered to them. Not only will your loved one be overjoyed at the gesture but it will also help a local small business at a time when they desperately need it.

Gather For A Festive Outdoor Meal (With Health Protocols In Place)

If you live in the vicinity of the assisted living facility, you can even organize an outdoor meal. Outdoor gatherings are relatively risk-free but it is important to still observe all health protocols.

For your outdoor meal, you will need to set up separate tables for each household and keep these at least 6 feet apart. Every family can bring their own crockery and cutlery to minimize the risks even more. Last but not least, make sure everyone wears a mask when not eating. This is especially important to keep your elderly loved one safe.

Don’t let social distancing restrictions dampen your holiday spirits. There are ways that you can connect with and enjoy the season with your loved ones even if you cannot celebrate in the traditional way.