Celebrating the Holidays With a Loved One in Hospice Care

The holidays often bring families together around familiar traditions, favorite meals and time spent with the people they love. But when someone in your family is receiving hospice care, the season may look a little different.

You may wonder whether your loved one can participate in family gatherings, how much activity is too much or how to make the holidays special while keeping them comfortable. The good news is that you don’t have to give up the traditions you love. You may just need to approach them differently.

Before making holiday plans, ask your loved one what matters most to them. Maybe they want to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by family. Maybe they’d rather enjoy a quiet afternoon with a few visitors. 

Hospice care focuses on comfort and quality of life, including helping people continue to enjoy the people, activities and traditions that matter to them.

Keep plans flexible. Your loved one may feel up to celebrating one day and need more rest the next. That’s OK.

You don’t need an elaborate celebration to make the holidays meaningful. Small adjustments can help your loved one participate without becoming overwhelmed.

Consider a few simple ideas:

• Bring the celebration to them. If your loved one can’t join the family at the dinner table, gather in their room for a short visit.
• Share familiar sounds. Play their favorite holiday songs, watch a classic movie or listen to music they enjoyed growing up.
• Look through old photos. Invite family members to share memories of past holidays and favorite traditions.
• Include children. Homemade cards, drawings or a favorite holiday story can help younger family members connect with their loved one.
• Keep favorite traditions alive. Decorate a small tree, hang a special ornament or enjoy the smell of a favorite holiday dish.

Remember that your loved one doesn’t have to actively participate to enjoy being included. Sometimes, simply hearing familiar voices and knowing family is nearby can bring comfort.

The holidays often mean a house full of people. For someone receiving hospice care, that can be exhausting. Consider scheduling shorter visits or having family members stop by in smaller groups. Give your loved one opportunities to rest and don’t feel obligated to include everyone at once.

If you’re unsure how much activity your loved one can comfortably manage, talk with their hospice care team. The team can help you plan around symptoms, energy levels and other care needs so your family can focus on spending time together.

Celebrating the holidays when someone you love is seriously ill can bring a mix of emotions. You may feel grateful to spend another holiday together while also worrying about what comes next. You might feel sad that familiar traditions have changed or guilty for enjoying parts of the season.

You don’t need to make every moment happy or pretend everything is normal. Give yourself and your family permission to experience the season as it comes. Children may also have questions or struggle to understand why the holidays feel different. Honest, age-appropriate conversations can help them feel included and supported.

If you or your family need additional support, hospice social workers and grief support professionals can help you work through these emotions. Your hospice care team is there to support your family, not just your loved one’s medical needs.

If you’re planning a holiday gathering, talk with the team ahead of time. They can help you understand what activities may be comfortable, discuss ways to manage symptoms and answer questions about your loved one’s care.

They can also help you adjust your plans if your loved one’s needs change. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.

The holidays may not look exactly as they once did. Your family might eat dinner at a different time, exchange gifts at the bedside or spend Christmas morning quietly together.

What matters most isn’t how closely the celebration follows tradition. It’s having the opportunity to spend time with someone you love.

You may not remember every detail of the holiday meal or which decorations you put up. But you may remember holding your loved one’s hand, hearing a favorite story again or sharing a laugh together.

Those moments matter.