I love to hang wreaths throughout the year. I have Christmas wreaths, of course. I also have Fall wreaths, Spring wreaths, Summer wreaths, Valentine wreaths. You name it, I can find a wreath for it. I love to buy them.  They’re actually an easy way to decorate in and out of the house, making wreaths perfect for Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents.

It can also be a lot of fun making them. You can even involve your entire family in the craft of making Christmas wreaths.  My aging dad was so proud of the Fall wreath he once made, all by himself, in spite of his worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. My grandkids are at an age where they could also have a lot of fun, perhaps each making their own mini Christmas wreaths. Hmmmm, I think I’ll stop at Walmart or Michael’s today and get some “ingredients.” Then again, you might want to take your grandkids with you to pick out their own special items. Here are some suggestions:

GRAPEVINE WREATHS: I like to start with a basic grapevine wreath.  Since shopping at Walmart is definitely one of my favorite ways to save money, I’d look there first. If they don’t have it, I know Michael’s will.

Both places usually carry little “stick decorations.” Christmas Tree Ornaments, poinsettia blossoms, berries to add color, nativity figurines, angels, snowmen…. There’s sure to be plenty of cute choices to match anyone’s tastes. And don’t forget some pretty ribbon for traditional Christmas bows.

Senior parents would probably love some old-fashioned nostalgia. The younger grandkids would probably enjoy gingerbread men and snowmen while the older grandkids might like to do a full nativity scene.

I heard of one intriguing Christmas wreath idea recently. Made out of a large 8 1/2 x 11 picture frame, poinsettias covered the outer part of the frame with berries and and greenery placed within the flowers.  The center, however, was the focal point of the wreath.  A picture of the family with a small parchment full of text sharing three things they were thankful for during the Christmas season.

Any of these would be delightful gifts for family and friends. For that matter, if your church or your grandkids’ school group plans a Christmas trip to a local senior care facility, they would be great for gifts for that project as well.

Be sure to take pictures of your lovely Christmas wreaths for your scrapbook. Whether you do this once, or make a tradition of it, the photos will be an enjoyable way to remember all the fun and memories you have from making these.

It’s official, per President Obama. November is National Family Caregivers Month.  Did you know that we have plenty of company, according to Michelle Seitzer of Seniors for Living? In her article, November is National Family Caregivers Month, she wrote, “Says the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, more than 50 million people currently provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.” Of course, you know those of us caring for aging parents probably account for a high percentage of that figure.

November is also Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. It certainly makes sense to couple the two together. Alzheimer’s disease isn’t the only disease that requires senior home care, but it can be one of the most difficult to deal with. With people living longer and more people getting Alzheimer’s Disease, the number of families impacted by it is definitely growing.

It’s important for us, as senior home care givers, to realize that we do have a lot of company, and we also have a lot of support out there to help us. From Uncle Sam, to Medicare, to our doctors, to our family and friends, to useful blogs and websites like SandwichINK and Seniors For Living, there is help and encouragement available. We need to make sure we utilize that support for ourselves in order to fully support our aging parents. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If they fall down, they can help each other up. But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up!”

If your family is not living close or is unable to help, some good local resources would be:

• Your church – Many offer senior ministries and these can be a wonderful help. My church offers a food closet, provides a group of volunteers who can do free repairs for seniors, and hosts special seminars to help educate caregivers on a variety of topics.
• City or State Department of Aging – The National Council on Aging has a list of agencies available for each state.
• Meals on Wheels – I can’t recommend this wonderful organization enough. It helps our senior adults, whether they can afford to pay for the service or not, and takes a bit of the burden off of us, the senior home care givers. This is such a blessing to both local caregivers and long distance caregivers.

While I’m on the subject of Meals on Wheels, may I put in a bit of a plug for them and Lindsay Olives? In addition to carrying my very favorite black olives , Did you notice the lovely Christmas wreath at the top of the page?  Lindsay Olives is selling olive leaf wreaths and the proceeds are being donated to Meals on Wheels. These Christmas wreaths make a lovely and fragrant holiday decoration. Not only that, you can use them to encourage the favorite seniors in your family, while also helping to make the holidays a bit brighter for needy seniors through the services of Meals on Wheels. They are available directly from the Lindsay Olives website or by calling (800) 765-2029.   There’s also a fun giveaway for two Christmas wreaths at The Dirty Shirt!

As one who loves wreaths of all kinds, Christmas wreaths, Fall wreaths, you name it, this is a lovely and creative way to help a worthy cause and decorate your house beautifully for Christmas.  You could even use them with your grandkids as the Advent Wreath, or have fun helping them add some handmade decorations to it! Wouldn’t this table setting look even prettier with four red candles around the outside?

This is a fun and thoughtful way to help a great organization and remember National Family Caregivers’ month and Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month, as well as being a fragrant way to welcome in the holidays.