Moving Mom or Dad Into Care Around the Holidays: Timing, Traditions and First Visits

Quick answer: There’s no perfect time to move a parent into care, and the holidays don’t have to wait. If Mom isn’t safe at home, or the person caring for her is worn out, moving before the holidays is often kinder than waiting until January. If things are stable, it’s fine to wait. Either way, plan the move for a calm weekday, keep one or two traditions, and keep first holiday visits short and simple.

It’s November. Everyone is coming home for Thanksgiving, and you’ve been thinking about it for months: Mom can’t keep living alone. Part of you wants to wait until after the holidays. Part of you is scared of what could happen before then.

This guide helps you decide whether to move now or wait, how to plan move day, what the first holiday in a new home can look like, and what to do if the hospital discharges your parent right before a holiday. It’s general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.

The short version

• If your parent isn’t safe at home, don’t wait for January just because of the calendar.
• Pick a calm weekday for the move, not the holiday itself or the day before.
• Keep one or two traditions, and let the rest go this year.
• First holiday visits often go better when they’re short, small and earlier in the day.
• Ask the home about its holiday events. Celebrating at the home is a real option.
• If your parent is in the hospital, start planning with the case manager right away.

Should you move Mom now or wait until January?

There’s no right answer for every family. Here’s a simple way to think about it.

Move sooner if:

• Your parent has fallen, or you’re worried they will.
• Your parent is forgetting medicines or meals.
• The caregiver (often a spouse or adult child) is exhausted.
• The hospital says your parent can’t go home.
• Family is in town and can help with the move.

Waiting may be fine if:

• Your parent is safe at home with the help they have now.
• A family member can safely cover care through January.
• Your parent is in the middle of a big decision and needs more time.
• You haven’t toured homes yet and want to take your time.
• Your parent would truly do better with the holidays at home first.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Waiting has a cost too. A fall or a hospital stay in December can force a rushed move later.
• Family in town can help. Thanksgiving week can be a good time to talk as a family and tour a home or two together. See Home for Thanksgiving: 3 Things to Notice.
• A room you like may not wait. Homes fill and open up all year, including around the holidays.
• A respite stay can be a middle step. A short stay lets your parent try a home first, or gives a tired caregiver a break during a busy month. Our help with respite stays is free too, because the home pays our fee. See our respite care guide.

If your family isn’t sure yet, How to Talk to Mom or Dad About Moving can help with the first conversation.

The surprise: Many families expect the holidays to be the hardest time to move. Often the hardest part is the weeks of waiting and worrying before the move, not the move itself.

How do you plan move day during the holidays?

A calm move day helps your parent settle. Holiday weeks are busy for everyone, so a little planning goes a long way.

• Choose a weekday that isn’t the holiday. Ask the home which days work for move-ins, and who will be there to greet your parent.
• Avoid the day before a big family event. Give your parent a few days to settle before a gathering.
• Bring the familiar first. A favorite blanket, family photos, a chair and their own bedding make a new room feel like theirs. Our packing checklist covers what to bring.
• Have medicines and doctor orders ready. The home will need a current list of medicines and instructions from the doctor. Ask the home what it needs before move day.
• Keep decorations simple. A small wreath or a few cards on the wall can be lovely. Ask the home about its rules for decorations, candles and lights.
• Plan who visits first. One or two calm people is often easier than the whole family on day one.

What will the first holiday in a new home be like?

It might feel strange, for your parent and for you. That’s normal. The first holiday after a move often brings up grief about the old house and old routines. It can also bring relief, because your parent is safe and you can just be their daughter or son again.

Ideas that help:

• Keep one or two traditions. Bring Mom’s favorite pie, play the music she loves, or look through an old photo album together.
• Let someone else carry a tradition. If Mom always hosted, maybe this is the year a grandchild makes her recipe. The Alzheimer’s Association suggests families set realistic expectations and keep gatherings smaller (Alzheimer’s Association).
• Celebrate earlier in the day. Some people with dementia get more confused or upset in the late afternoon or evening. Daytime visits are often easier (Alzheimer’s Association).
• Join the home’s holiday events. Many homes plan meals, music or parties. Ask what’s planned and if family can come.
• Use video calls for family who can’t come. Ask the staff if they can help set up a call.

If your parent just moved, it’s common for the first few weeks to be bumpy. Our guide Your Parent’s First 30 Days in Assisted Living explains what’s normal.

How do holiday visits and outings work?

In California, people who live in assisted living and board and care homes have the right to have family and friends visit during reasonable hours, privately and without notice (California Health and Safety Code 1569.269). Still, on busy holiday days, a quick call ahead helps the staff plan around meals and medicines.

Before a holiday outing, check:

• Ask the home how sign-out works, and when your parent needs to be back.
• Ask which medicines are due while your parent is out, and how to bring them.
• Plan for the bathroom, stairs and getting in and out of the car at the place you’re going.
• Plan a quiet room where your parent can rest if it gets loud.
• Keep it short. Leave before your parent gets tired, and before dark if evenings are hard.
• Tell guests ahead of time about any changes in memory or health.

If an outing feels like too much:

• If your parent gets upset leaving the home, then bring the celebration to them with a small visit and a favorite dish.
• If your parent has dementia and gets confused at night, then plan a lunch visit instead of dinner.
• If the whole family wants to visit, then spread visits over a few days so it isn’t overwhelming.
• If you need a ride for a parent in Placer County, then note that Placer County Transit Dial-A-Ride has no service on Sundays or holidays, so plan ahead (Placer County Transit).

What if the hospital discharges Mom right before a holiday?

Hospital stays don’t stop for the holidays. If your parent is in the hospital now:

• Ask for the case manager or discharge planner right away. Ask when they expect discharge and where your parent can safely go.
• Ask if your parent was admitted or kept “under observation.” It can change what Medicare covers for rehab. See Observation or Admitted?
• Use Medicare’s discharge planning checklist to make sure you have the care plan, medicines and follow-up visits sorted out (Medicare.gov).
• Call or text us early. Holiday weeks are busy, and the sooner we know, the sooner we can start looking.

For the full picture, read The Hospital Says Mom Can’t Go Home. Now What? and our checklist for leaving the hospital.

What does care cost if you move this season?

Licensed care homes in the greater Sacramento region typically cost $4,000 to $15,000 a month. A few homes charge less, but a price under $4,000 a month is rare. The board and care, shared room range is about $5,000 to $7,000 a month. These are planning ranges, not quotes, and the price depends on the room and the care your parent needs.

Medicare does not pay for assisted living or board and care (Medicare.gov). Ask each home for the all-in monthly price, and if you’re moving mid-month, how the first month is charged. For ways families pay, see How Will We Pay for Mom’s Care?

Local help for Sacramento and Placer families

• Agency on Aging Area 4 gives free information to older adults and families in Sacramento and Placer counties: (916) 486-1876 or (800) 211-4545 (Agency on Aging Area 4).
• HICAP gives free Medicare counseling: (916) 376-8915 or (800) 434-0222 (Agency on Aging Area 4).
• Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: 800-272-3900, for families caring for someone with dementia (Alzheimer’s Association).
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman helps people who live in care homes, and their families, with concerns about care or rights: (916) 376-8910 (Agency on Aging Area 4).
• In an emergency, call 911.

How Nonna Placements works: Nonna Placements is free to families. The home pays our fee when someone moves in, so families never pay us. You can choose any home. If the first home doesn’t work out, we find another for free. This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.

Thinking about a move this season? Call or text us

You don’t have to sort this out alone, even in the busiest month of the year. If you’re leaning toward care at home instead, call or text us and we can help you find in-home care options.

Nonna Placements helps families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. We only suggest homes we’ve seen ourselves. We can come on tours with you. For out-of-state families coming home for the holidays, or watching from far away, we offer video tours. It’s free to your family, because the home pays our fee.

Call or text (916) 261-2644 or email roberto@nonnaplacements.com. We reply within 1 hour, 24/7.

Related reading: The Hospital Says Mom Can’t Go Home. Now What? · Home for Thanksgiving: 3 Things to Notice · What to Pack for Assisted Living or Board and Care · Your Parent’s First 30 Days in Assisted Living · Senior living in Sacramento

Sources

• Alzheimer’s Association, The Holidays and Alzheimer’s (checked October 30, 2026): alz.org
• California Health and Safety Code Section 1569.269, Resident rights, including visitors (checked October 30, 2026): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
• Medicare.gov, Your discharge planning checklist (checked October 30, 2026): medicare.gov
• Medicare.gov, Long-term care (checked October 30, 2026): medicare.gov
• Placer County Transit, Dial-A-Ride (checked October 30, 2026): placercountytransit.com
• Alzheimer’s Association, 24/7 Helpline (checked October 30, 2026): alz.org
• Agency on Aging Area 4, Contact us and Sacramento County services (checked October 30, 2026): agencyonaging4.org

About the author

Roberto Hategan is the CEO & Founder of Nonna Placements, a senior placement service in Granite Bay serving families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. We only suggest homes we’ve seen ourselves. Contact: roberto@nonnaplacements.com

Photo credits: Yan Krukau, cottonbro studio and Gina Alexandra Jacobs, via Pexels, Pexels License.