Beyond Cookies and Caroling

During the Christmas holidays, while many of us are caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, it is important to remember that this may be a rather wearisome time that reminds older adults of what is no more. While older adults, especially those with limited opportunities for interaction, value visits at this time of year, Hattie Wagner, chaplain at Presbyterian Homes of Kentucky, suggests several activities you might consider including in your holiday plans that go beyond the traditional cookies and caroling:

• Interview older adults about family traditions or their experiences with old holiday traditions.
• Gather favorite recipes used at holidays; have a Sunday school class (or other group) make those recipes and either deliver to homebound individuals or serve at a function that older adults attend.
• Offer to decorate for older adults (using their decorations or something new). Later, take down the decorations for them, too.
• Give a small care package of goodies to be opened on each of the twelve days of Christmas. (Include practical gifts of lotion, cough drops, small packages of facial tissue, and the like.)
• Develop a worship service that allows the “old ones” to bless the “young ones” and the “young ones” to bless “the old ones” (Read about Simeon and Anna in the Temple in Luke 2:25–38).
• Take older adults out to see Christmas lights and decorations.
• Give the gift of friendship—develop relationships that last through the other eleven months of the year.
• Provide opportunities for older adults to reminisce, sharing their life stories.
• Instead of a poinsettia, bring home communion.
• Share songs or sing hymns that were popular during a time period with which older adults can relate. (For example, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is favorite for many people who were more active during the World War II era.)
• Have a chef make gingerbread houses and invite children, friends, and family to decorate the gingerbread houses together. Use these as Christmas decorations.

By Greg Cohen