Staying Healthy While Celebrating the Holidays
December is a month of holiday celebrations for many people. This year, due to the pandemic, the celebrations will be unique as we adapt traditions in order to keep ourselves, friends and loved ones safe and healthy.
Here are some tips we hope will help you stay well while enjoying this special time of the year.
- Continue to wear masks, wash hands thoroughly and often, and keep a safe distance from others.
- Even with precautions, large gatherings are risky. Smaller is better and celebrating with only the people who live in your household is the recommended choice.
- Video gatherings and phone calls will keep you connected when it isn’t possible to be together in person. Prop your technology device on a stand or shelf in a central place so you’re able to connect with one another virtually as you eat a holiday meal, open gifts or celebrate any other favorite traditions.
- Indoor gatherings have been found to raise the potential of virus transmission. Consider moving your celebration outdoors when possible. With the use of a portable heater or a campfire for warmth, a well-ventilated garage or other shelter can become a fun outdoor space for getting together.
- Continue to make an assortment of sanitizing options easily available. Keep disinfecting wipes and hand gel near entries and food areas. Place single use towels and disinfecting soap at sinks. Making cleaning products readily accessible encourages frequent use.
- Keep food and beverages separate from social area.
- Designate one or two (gloved and masked) people as servers of food and beverages to reduce the number of people who come into contact with your holiday treats before they are distributed.
- Consider disposable dinnerware with each person in charge of safely disposing of what they use. Otherwise, designate one person to handle the gathering and cleaning of used dishes.
- Plan ahead. You will have the usual shopping, decorating, and preparations to do this year. Additionally, to make your celebrations as safe as possible, you will need to add extra cleaning and protective supplies to your list. You will also need to allow some extra time in your schedule to do the things that will lower the risk of becoming ill.
This month, wherever you are and whomever you are with, take care of yourselves and one another. Celebrate safely. All of us at Catholic Eldercare wish you a wonderful season of good health and joy!
Sources:
https://www.chop.edu/news/celebrating-holidays-safely-during-covid-19
https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19-holiday-safety-tips/art-20503363
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html