Pathways Home Health & Hospice Makes the Holidays Safer and Calmer for Dementia Patients

Sunnyvale, CA — December 24, 2014 – Holiday gatherings can be fun and stressful. These gatherings can be even more stressful when a family member suffers from dementia. Pathways Home Health, Hospice & Private Duty has a special program for their hospice patients who have dementia. As part of this program, Pathways has published seasonal tips for coping with holiday activities such as planning, decorating, festivities, visitors, activities, kitchen safety, shopping and travel for a person with dementia.

Remember that people with dementia need routines—the same activities, in the same place, at the same time. Families should keep this in mind when visiting a loved one in a facility or taking them home for the holiday. The excitement, the car ride, change in surroundings and many people talking can cause the confused person with dementia to become agitated or upset.

About Pathways Home Health & Hospice

Pathways Home Health & Hospice is a non-profit, community based organization which has served the Bay Area for over 37 years. Pathways was founded in 1977 by a remarkable group of Stanford physicians who saw the community’s need for professional care at home. That first year Pathways served 12 patients. Pathways now serves over 5,000 families a year in five Bay Area counties

Affiliated with El Camino and Sequoia Hospitals since 1986, Pathways Home Health & Hospice is accredited by The ACHC, and is a member of the Visiting Nurse Association of America, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, and the California Association of Health Services at Home. Pathways Home Health & Hospice is a designated 2014 HomeCare Elite Agency for Quality Care.

For more information about Pathways services, grief workshops, volunteering, or making a donation in support of Pathways’ families, call 1 (888) 755.7855 or visit https://pathwayshealth.org/