Some of the things we love most about the holiday season can make it a stressful time as we get older. While the focus on family, traditions, and beloved memories normally brings us joy, it can cause feelings of melancholy in older adults. If you’re celebrating the holidays with a senior who may be at risk for holiday blues, follow these tips to help minimize the negative impact of holiday stressors on their mood during this season.

Every family has its own set of traditions that make the holiday season special. Typically, those traditions involve the whole extended family gathering under one roof for the holidays. When a member of your family is in assisted living or memory care, that might not be possible. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up holiday traditions when a loved one moves to assisted living. Holiday traditions remain as important as ever. They might just look a little different.