Even the home-bound or immobile patient can share in a celebration of rebirth and renewal. After a long winter of weighty clothing, heavy blankets and drawn drapes, caregivers can hang light-weight colorful window treatments, add colorful sheets and blankets, spring flowers, oils, and scents to a patient’s room. It’s a mood booster for not just the patient but for the entire household. Although Oklahoma weather can “change on a dime,” most March and April showers are warm showers giving patients the opportunity to enjoy the warmth, take in some outside air and appreciate the increased hours of daylight.
FRESHEN UP: Flowers bring color and scent - stimulating remembrance of a time, a place, or a person. Familiar music such as April in Paris, You Must Believe in Spring, Spring is Here, and the extensive list of religious and sacred songs celebrating spring and Easter can add ambience to a room.
With renewal and rebirth comes updating and decluttering. Changing colors, paintings and artwork can be fun, yet caution should be taken in deciding the kinds of colors and where they are being placed. Variants in mood and emotions should be monitored when changes are made to a patient’s environment.
EASTER FUN: Easter Bonnets, East Baskets, Easter Eggs and if appropriate, religious and/or sacred matter can be part of the celebration. The mental health community reports colorful and/or fruitful surprises stimulate brain activity and positive emotions. An April issue of the Journal of Neuroscience reports, “The brain's pleasure centers [nucleus accumbens] are more "turned on" [much more active] when we experience surprise and unpredictable pleasant things.”
VISITATION: Inviting extended family, neighbors, church members and friends can be fun for both the patient and the caregiver. However, consulting a doctor or physician prior to extending invitations is important – particularly if the patient has been diagnosed with a mental health disease or disorder, dementia, Alzheimer’s, stroke, or heart disease. Once permission is given dress the patient in something they like and would want to be seen in. Religious leaders across the country visit hospitals, extended care facilities and in-home patients on Easter Sunday. We live in a very diverse society. Make sure the patient is prepared and would appreciate the visit – and the guest and/or visitor knows what to expect.
EASTER BASKETS: There is a lengthy list of items you can fill a basket with to bring interest, surprise, and joy to the patient. Select items they can use and some just for fun –did you know seniors like bubbles just as much as toddlers, adolescents, and young teens. A new frock in their favorite color, plastic eggs full of a favorite snack, an ornate egg, a fabric basket for knick-knacks, or Easter dinner served on a fun colored plate - all can be added to the list.
Make the most of each season and every opportunity to bring joy to the patient you care for. The rewards are many and for most shared equally, between the caregiver and the patient they love.
Home Helpers provides professional training, guidance, education, and support to in-home caregivers of all ages. Whether it’s respite, rehab, or long-term care, we are your provider of choice. Call us to learn more.
