Halloween is more than a night when little goblins and ghosties ring our doorbells looking for goodies; it also signifies the start of the holiday travel season. Many of us will be traveling with the loved ones for whom we care, or will have relatives visit us in our homes over the next two months. These visitations can either represent a ghoulishly frightening experience or they can be a real pleasure.

As in all things regarding caregiving, preparation is the key to success.  If you are to travel to other people’s homes, make sure they understand the needs of your loved one.  Will throw rugs need to be stored, beds need to be moved or even holiday decorations organized so they will not present opportunities for a fall? Do you know where the local durable medical equipment store or pharmacy is in your host family member’s neighborhood?   

If your fiends (ok, I’ll stop) and family members are coming to stay with you for a while, this presents a terrific opportunity to organize a holiday Reverse Gift List.  Is your nephew who is handy with tools coming?  Let him know that a really useful gift would be for him to be able to look at that squeaky door or even change the oil in the car.

Holidays offer a great opportunity for realistic family meetings about how your loved one is fairing. It will, frankly, be up to you to make sure that the session remains non-confrontational. Deep breaths and counting to ten helps.

Let’s work together over the next few weeks to help one another plan for a truly successful holiday season.