Decorating a tree for the holidays is a long-term memory, so it should be well preserved late into the disease. Therefore, it’s a great activity for those with dementia. Do it together and reminisce about each ornament as you pull it from the box, or let those in the early stages fly solo, giving them a sense of accomplishment and purpose while freeing you up to do other things. Those in the moderate stages will probably need a helper to make sure the tree is evenly decorated/they stay on task. And depending on the height of your tree, be sure to have someone with good balance and good eyesight to help with the high branches (in general, older adults and standing on chairs are a bad idea. That being said, my grandma was climbing ladders into her 80s, much to my family’s horror. Oh, grandma….).
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