When to take down Christmas decorations in care homes?
- Bright Copper Kettles CIC
- Jan 3, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
The honest answer to this is...
It depends.
There isn’t one right date for taking Christmas decorations down in a care home, because the people you support aren’t all the same. The best approach is always to talk with your care home residents, and where appropriate, their families, to understand what feels comfortable for them.
Consider who has Christmas Decorations in their personal rooms.
Are they superstitious?
Some consider it bad luck to leave the decorations up past Twelfth Night.
Are they Christian?
Church of England or Catholic - or another denomination?
It is usual for the decorations and the Christmas tree to come down on 5th January for those following the Church of England faith and 6th January for Catholics.
Do you have any residents who seem annoyed by, or worried about the decorations still being up?
Many people, particularly those living with dementia can find the presence of Christmas Decorations stressful.
Some may enquire "Is it nearly Christmas?"
Others may feel stressed that Christmas is over and they don't want to experience bad luck because the decorations have been left up too long.
Some residents may feel the decorations a nuisance, they want to get on with tidying up, polishing the surfaces and hoovering the floor.
Whatever the issue, help relieve their anxiety and stress by taking their personal decorations down today and some, if not all, of the decorations from your shared living areas too.
As with every other care home activity, it is the individual people we care for that should lead the decision making.
There is no universal rule for when Christmas decorations should come down in a care home. Each resident’s history, faith, preferences, and emotional responses matter, and these should guide your decision to create a calm, reassuring environment.
Let us know when your Christmas Decorations come down and why you chose this date.
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