Planning To See Family For The Holidays For The First Time In A Long Time

It’s hard to believe but we are coming up on our second Thanksgiving during a global pandemic. The good news is that there are options available to see our loved ones and a lot of the mitigation strategies that are being recommended will make it so a visit with family who may be aging in place is much more possible and it will even feel like a somewhat normal holiday season.

If you are planning to see your loved one for Thanksgiving or during the December holidays you may want to think about how you will approach it now. If you plan ahead of time there will not be any surprises and you can all enjoy each other’s company without any worries. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your visit so you can stay safe and visit as much as you would like.

1. Are all of your family members vaccinated? If so, you will be able to have a much more normalized visit. If all members of the visiting party are vaccinated and your loved one you are visiting is vaccinated you should be able to gather inside without any real issues.
2. If your loved one is immunocompromised in any way, you may want to wear a mask inside to protect her/him from the risk of infection. While this will make the visit seem a little less normal, it will help protect your loved one against serious illness.
3. If you are visiting with children who are not yet vaccinated, the children should be wearing a mask inside and adults from the child’s family should also be wearing masks.
4. When trying to be as safe as possible, if the weather will allow, you may want to plan your visit outside where transmission is far less common. The weather can be hit or miss this time of year, but if you hit it just right you might be able to get together outside and enjoy each other mask free with very little worry.

Planning a visit with your loved one whom you may have not seen for quite sometime can be exciting but it can also be anxiety inducing. You should give yourself, your loved one, and the other members of your family grace when planning this visit. When all goes well it will be the start of a rekindled visiting schedule that can hopefully return everyone back to a state of normalcy.

If you have any questions about your loved ones medical condition you should speak to her/his medical provider to insure that they are protected and safe.