My grandfather's 92nd birthday is coming up in November. This will be his first 'celebration' of any kind since suffering strokes in Feburary this year. He has lost the ability to talk/drink/eat and is more frail generally. Would love ideas about how to celebrate his birthday in a meaningful and dignified way for him. What have you done before, what worked/didn't work? We would love to take him out and about (he is now in high care nursing home), if he is willing/able. But celebrating is always so much about food/drink and coming together...I would love any and all ideas.

Hi jacnemeth

My family was in a similar situation with my grandmother and we found we needed to think about keeping the connection between what she previously enjoyed and how her life was now. So when you say “celebrate in a meaningful and dignified way for him” you have hit the nail on the head I think. Think about what he enjoyed in the past – the people, activities, music and anything else – that made celebrations meaningful for him. Then think about his needs and preferences now. Maybe he enjoyed big parties in the past but maybe that’s too much now for example. So striking a balance between the two things – past and present – is one way to think about it.

You can ask the staff in his nursing home for advice too. You might like think about how to involve other residents, even in a small way, in knowing it’s his birthday – this can make such a big difference in the daily life of everyone around him.

I’m hoping you will get some other responses here from carers and family members too. I hope you have a great celebration whatever you do – your grandad is lucky to have such a loving grandchild. Moving to a nursing home is a huge change, but everything you do as a family member makes a difference.

If you ever need to talk, or have any questions, you can call StrokeLine during business hours and speak to one of our health professionals.

With kind regards, Jude from StrokeLine