Celebrate the Holidays with Elder Loved Ones Safely in Light of COVID-19

As the holidays approach one topic on everyone’s mind is how we can maintain a sense of normalcy during the unusual times we find ourselves in. While we’re all yearning for things to get back to how they’ve always been, it is critical to remain vigilant about preventing the spread of COVID-19. Now that we’re in the winter months and more people are gathering inside we’re seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases across the United States.

Despite the rise in cases, many families want to spend time together during the holidays. Here are our suggestions for how to celebrate the holidays safely this year.

Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Person

If you’re dead-set on gathering in person for the holidays, there are various precautions that should be considered.

Consider Your Bubble Keep your gathering limited to as few people as possible. The people in your household that you interact with on a daily basis are considered your COVID “bubble”. Any time you interact with someone outside of your bubble, you increase risk of COVID-19 spread.

If you are planning on merging 2 or more bubbles, we recommend that everyone in each bubble quarantine for 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the holiday.

Evaluate Risk

• How many people will attend?
• Can you be outside?
• How much space for physical distancing is there?
• How long will you be together?
• Do any attendees have underlying health conditions that put them at a higher risk?
  
  

Adhere to Guidelines from Health Experts

• Everyone should wear a mask at all times covering their nose and mouth
• Wash your hands often with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds
• Use hand sanitizer when washing your hands is not possible
• Remain at least 6 feet apart
• Anyone experiencing symptoms should stay home
  
  

The Safest Bet is Always Virtual

The only way to truly eliminate risk is to avoid any potential exposure entirely. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still spend time together! Video calls are a great way to celebrate together even when you’re not able to be there in person.

There are countless ways to connect with loved ones in this age of physical distancing. Some of the most popular include Zoom, Facebook Live, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts.

A common complaint about video calls is that it can be a bit awkward to come up with things to talk about, since so many of our holiday traditions involve spending time together and sharing physical closeness. We recommend planning an activity that you can do together with loved ones on both sides of the screen.

Here are a few examples:

• Open Presents Together
• Bake Christmas Cookies
• Do a Holiday Craft
• Watch a Movie
  
  

The Holidays are Not Cancelled

No matter how you are able to celebrate, please remember - just because the holidays might look different this year, all the love and joy is still the same. We should cherish the time we are able to spend with our loved ones whether through a screen, a window or from 6 feet apart.

All of us at Comforting Home Care wish your family a happy & healthy holiday season!