Creative Ways to Make the Holidays Extra Special for Memory Care Residents

Holiday celebrations are deeply meaningful for many memory care residents and their families. Continuing cherished traditions, even within a memory care setting, can foster comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging. At Agemark Senior Living, team members like Candice Harrison, the national life enrichment director, successfully find thoughtful and creative ways to make the holidays feel special for residents, adding excitement and connections to their daily lives.

Special Holiday Celebration Ideas

Candice Harrison, national life enrichment director at Agemark Senior Living

Harrison shares that many memory care holiday celebrations at Agemark Senior Living are built around the community’s “Family Traditions” events. These gatherings are intentionally designed to bring residents and their loved ones together, and they’re just as meaningful for staff, who enjoy participating alongside families.

Each community chooses its own Family Traditions events, ensuring the celebrations feel personal and relevant to residents. “For example, CountryHouse Memory Care in Council Bluffs has a Harvest Gathering every fall. CountryHouse in Kearney puts on a full-blown Senior Prom event. Kingston Bay in Fresno hosts a Spring Break Barbecue, and The Kensington in Hastings has a beautiful Mother’s Day Tea,” she says.

Communities typically host four to six of these events each year. While some align with traditional holidays, others serve as meaningful moments that residents and families can anticipate. “What’s most important to us is giving residents a chance to keep those relationships with their loved ones strong while also building new bonds with their ‘community family’ – other residents and our team who cares so much for them,” Harrison says.

She adds that the community also tries to honor residents’ identities by incorporating their backgrounds, beliefs, and lifelong traditions into holiday celebrations whenever possible. For residents who celebrate holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or others, the team works to thoughtfully weave those observances into the month’s activities.

The commitment to inclusivity also extends beyond traditional holidays. Staff make an effort to recognize and celebrate cultural observances throughout the year, including Day of the Dead and Diwali. “Sometimes we even try learning a few words or phrases in another language together,” Harrison says. “We can learn so much about each other and appreciate our differences.”

Tailoring Celebrations to Memory Care

Many holiday celebration ideas translate well across assisted living and memory care communities. “Whenever we can combine celebrations for assisted living and memory care and bring everyone together, we do,” she says. “It helps residents feel part of a bigger community and keeps things feeling lively and connected.”

At the same time, Harrison explains that memory care celebrations require additional intention, particularly around sensory experiences, emotional comfort, and timing. Music, for instance, is selected with great care. “It’s incredibly powerful for people living with dementia. It can spark memories, bring comfort, and help residents engage in a way that feels really natural,” she says. Holiday playlists often feature familiar songs, and even residents with advanced memory loss may sing along or complete lyrics.

The team also incorporates elements such as children’s performances and family participation in ways that feel joyful without becoming overwhelming. “The atmosphere matters,” Harrison explains. “We’re always thinking about pacing, noise levels, how visually busy something is, and making sure the experience feels warm and manageable.”

Strategies to Involve Family Members

Family involvement is a cornerstone of holiday celebrations at Agemark Senior Living. To encourage participation, communities plan their annual calendars early, giving families ample notice to coordinate their schedules.

They make a point of not hosting major events ‑ like a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter celebration ‑ on the actual holiday. “Families often have their own traditions at home, so we typically schedule ours the week before,” Harrison says. “It works beautifully – residents still experience that holiday joy and connection, and families can celebrate with us while keeping their personal traditions intact.”

Once finalized, event schedules are widely shared through mailings, email, LifeLoop updates, and flyers throughout the communities. As a result, attendance is often high. One CountryHouse community recently welcomed nearly 60 family guests to a single event, while Sage Glendale received so much interest in an event that two separate seatings were required to accommodate everyone.

Navigating Challenges in Holiday Celebrations

Hosting holiday celebrations in memory care settings can present unique challenges. Harrison notes that distance is a common barrier, as many families live far away and cannot attend in person. Sharing photos, videos, and regular updates helps families stay connected and feel included, even from afar.

Another challenge involves supporting families through the emotional complexities that can arise as dementia progresses. Residents may not recognize loved ones or may mistake them for someone else, which can be difficult for families to experience.

“Our job is to support them through that,” says Harrison. Staff focus on helping families understand how to meet their loved one where they are, rather than correcting or trying to force a memory. “Instead, we encourage families to follow the resident’s lead, enjoy the moment for what it is, and let the interaction unfold naturally,” she says. “Flexibility is everything. When families shift from reminding to joining, the whole experience becomes more positive and comforting for everyone.”

Advice for Memory Care Holiday Celebrations

Harrison emphasizes the importance of creating celebrations that feel inclusive and connected. She encourages communities to involve families whenever possible and to invite the broader community, such as children’s groups, church choirs, and local daycares, to participate.

“Family involvement is huge because it not only supports the resident but also strengthens everyone’s experience of the season,” she adds. For families who may not be able to bring their loved one home for the holidays, a thoughtful, meaningful celebration within the memory care community can be especially valuable.

“Build connection wherever you can, keep things warm and flexible, and make sure the celebrations focus on belonging,” Harrison recommends. “When you do that, the holidays become something truly meaningful for everyone involved.”

Paige Cerulli

Paige Cerulli is a contributing writer to i Advance Senior Care.