From Valentine's Day to Christmas, these holidays encourage everyone to decorate accordingly. Regardless of your age, seasonal decorations can lift the spirit and create nostalgia. If you're considering decorating for your senior loved one, then explore these tips for the safest and most beautiful results.
It's possible to decorate with those nostalgic items but keep your senior loved one in mind. First, attach any items to the walls or ceilings but place them high enough so that they don't become obstacles. Next, make sure any decorations are far away from outlets, light switches, doorways and smoke detectors. Every room must remain functional even when it's decorated.
If seniors want to help with decorating, offer them lightweight items to hang. Decorative bunting from Independence Bunting is perfect for any occasion. Seniors can hang or arrange this lightweight fabric into distinct shapes around the home, for example.
In addition, steer clear of any flammable items as decorative accents. Real Christmas trees, hay and other natural items can cause hazards. Alternatively, artificial trees today look incredibly real and stay evergreen year after year.
Furthermore, only decorate with items that cannot shatter. For example, plastic ornaments are durable alternatives to glass ornaments. This same guideline applies to other items hung around the home. Ideally, check any decorations for loose tape or fixtures each day. As a result, every day leading up to the holiday can be a safe one.
Hanging decorations for any holiday truly boosts your mood, according to multiple scientific studies. Primarily, it reminds you of previous holidays, such as Christmas as a child or with your own children. As a result, this nostalgia puts you in a good mood. It's even possible for these feelings to continue throughout the holiday season.
Ideally, decorate as early as possible for an upcoming holiday. For example, decorate for Halloween starting on October 1st. This strategy increases anticipation for a holiday, which boosts mood. In contrast, decorating at the last minute may induce anxiety in senior citizens. They may feel like they're missing out. Indeed, decorating several weeks before the holiday is usually the best course of action. Once the decorations are up, other tasks, such as cooking or shopping, can be prioritized. In the end, seniors get a chance to enjoy all the hustle and bustle of the season without much stress.
In addition, seasonal decorations also encourage rituals surrounding each holiday. For example, family gatherings during Thanksgiving or funny dance parties on New Year's Eve might be traditions that occur each year. The decorations get you in the mood to repeat these rituals. As a result, your mood remains boosted during these anticipatory times.
When all the festivities are done, removing the decorations comes up in conversation. Every holiday has its guidelines, for instance. In reality, there's no hard rule governing proper etiquette. It may come down to common sense, such as removing the 4th of July decorations by mid-July.
However, there are often a few holidays that blend together. For example, some people celebrate Halloween on October 31st and the Day of the Dead on November 1st and 2nd. Removing decorations immediately following Halloween doesn't make sense if a family celebrates the Day of the Dead, which is a Hispanic tradition of remembering dead ancestors. Ideally, consider the holidays that your senior loved one cherishes. From that information, you can choose a day to remove the decorations.
Certainly, Christmas is another holiday with a few decoration guidelines that are often religious in nature. For Christians, keeping a Christmas tree up until January 6th or Epiphany is part of the tradition. This date marks the Twelfth Night when the Three Kings finally bring gifts to Jesus. If your senior loved one is a devout Christian, keeping the decorations until this date is extremely important. Otherwise, you might put the decorations away before New Year's Day.
Everyone celebrates the holidays in their own way. Communicate with your loved ones about decorating before starting the process. Some people enjoy it, whereas others can do without it. In the end, any celebration and decorations should bring joy to everyone in the household.
Brittany Cotton is an article writer that focuses on health, wellness, and business. In her free time, you can find her reading, writing, and trying new recipes.
