Reducing Stress While Planning a Family Reunion

Caregivers in Long Prairie MN: Reducing Stress While Planning a Family Reunion

Planning family reunions is a wonderful way to keep your loved ones connected, spend quality time together, and make memories all of you can cherish well into the future. As a family caregiver however, your schedule is likely to be busy, and the idea of planning and hosting a gathering can seem overwhelming. This does not mean that you can’t enjoy the fun and benefits of having family reunions. Taking time to plan carefully and focus on ways to reduce stress will make the experience more enjoyable for you, you’re aging loved one, and everyone else.

Use these tips to help reduce stress while planning a family reunion:

• Choose your location wisely. Pick a place that will accommodate all of the people you expect for the family reunions, and where your senior will be comfortable. This may mean hosting it in their home, your home, or finding another location that will be bigger, but still offer a place for your parents to relax if necessary. If you are planning a particularly large gathering, event spaces usually provide things like tables and chairs, which can make everyone more comfortable, and ease stress.
• Rather than preparing all the food yourself, plan a potluck. Prepare the main dishes yourself, and ask guests to bring a side, salad, or dessert. Be sure to check in with your guest to find out what they are bringing so there is not overlap. If having a potluck is not an option, contact restaurants in your area to find out if they deliver larger portions of their food.
• Remember that the purpose of a family reunions is to spend quality time together and enjoy each other’s company. This means you do not need to have formal activities and events planned for every moment of the gathering. Relax and allow for plenty of time to simply sit together and talk. If the weather is nice, encouraging the younger generations to play outside while the adults talk allows both groups to bond on their own terms.
• Have your parent’s home care provider attend the event so that they can focus on any care needs your parent has. This will allow you to focus on guests and hosting, as well as enjoying the gathering yourself.

Being a family caregiver for an elderly adult can be a challenging experience, but it can also be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling you can have in your life. Introducing home care into your care routine with your aging parent can be an exceptional way to ensure your senior has the level of care, support, and assistance they need to manage their individual needs and limitations, while also giving you the ability to step back, take time to yourself, and focus on other obligations and needs in your life. Through a set of highly personalized services, this in-home care provider can help your parent to meet their needs in the ways that are right for them, while also supporting a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, independent, and fulfilling as possible as they age in place.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering caregivers in Long Prairie, MN, please contact the caring staff at Alternative Senior Care today. Providing Home Care in Central Minnesota and Surrounding Communities. Call us Today (320) 352-3350.