Christmas can be a wonderful time to connect with loved ones – but it does not always have to be a trip out to house full of relatives, which could be stressful for carers and people living with dementia. This could mean simply sharing a sofa, hot chocolate and a mince pie with a Christmas film. For some people living with dementia, the connections between films and memories could be strong – and will encourage conversations and reminiscence with family members.

 Try to select films that are relatively short in length—approximately two hours or under and films that are fun and upbeat. These would be our top six picks:

Miracle on 34th Street

When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing. (96 min.)

White Christmas

A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general. (120 min.)

A Christmas Carol

An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. (86 min.)

The Snowman

On Christmas Eve, a young boy builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him to the North Pole to meet Father Christmas. (26 mins)

It’s a Wonderful Life

An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. (130 min.)

The Bells of St Mary’s

At a big city Catholic school, Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building. (126 mins.)