Making Thanksgiving Easier For Elderly Loved Ones: Thanksgiving Ideas For Seniors.
We have some Thanksgiving ideas for seniors to help make sure your holiday is enjoyable. Thanksgiving is always a time for family and celebration. However, when a member of your family requires in-home care and support, you might worry about whether they’re up to a big family event.
With Abby Services, we use our experience as elderly care providers to help our clients and their families navigate holidays, like Thanksgiving, to help them be more senior-friendly.
We hope the following Thanksgiving ideas for seniors will be helpful in making your Thanksgiving more enjoyable and less stressful for you and all of your family members.
Select Senior-Friendly Foods
Thanksgiving is a time for connecting with friends and family. However, older family members may have difficulty, due to dental health, older taste buds, chewing strength concerns, and swallowing difficulty.
If a member of your family requires elderly care, it’s a good idea to try to design your Thanksgiving dinner menu around what they can and can’t eat.
You will want to think about making dishes that are easy to chew and gentle on those with dentures. Be sure to, limit salt in favor of other seasonings.
If your loved one has a Thanksgiving favorite that they might have issues chewing — such as turkey — you can help by cutting their food into manageable pieces.
When meal planning you should consider dietary restrictions for those who are on a low sodium diet or are diabetic.
Did you know the prevalence of diabetes is high in seniors with 14.3 million who are diagnosed and undiagnosed?
Not sure what to prepare? Don’t worry, we have some Diabetes-friendly Thanksgiving recipes that are sure to please any crowd below.
Involve your senior in planning and preperation.
One of our favorite Thanksgiving ideas for seniors is to involve them in the preparation. Even if they require support or have in-home care participating in preparation is part of what makes Thanksgiving fun and special.
The tasks your senior assists with could be as simple as tearing up bread for stuffing or even helping to set the table.
Involvement in the process can help to give your senior a feeling of involvement, accomplishment, and independence.
When meal planning for a senior it’s important to remember that as people age factors including medicine, joint problems, digestion issues, loss of vision, taste, and smell may make food less appealing and lower older adults’ ability to shop, cook and eat.
Some of these changes may involve some creativity or the involvement of a medical professional such as a dietician to help keep you on track.
Are you looking for some other senior-friendly meal ideas they can prepare with their caregiver? We have you covered!
Make Traveling Easier
If you need to travel with an elderly loved one this Thanksgiving, take steps to make sure their ride is a comfortable one.
Seniors are often more sensitive and susceptible to cold, so if you’re driving and the weather’s cool, consider bringing a blanket. You might want to make sure they are comfortable by offering a support cushion to help with their posture.
With rest stops limited you may want to plan specific stops and consider incontinence and necessary products to have available.
Also, make sure you’ve packed any medications that your loved one might need while away from home.
Don't Over Do It.
Holidays can be hectic and overwhelming times. Combine this with food, travel, and a glass of wine and it can all be a bit much.
Be realistic with your expectations of yourself but also consider the senior in your life. Be sure there are opportunities to step away if needed. A quiet room where they know they can rest can be a welcome respite to the potential controlled chaos of a large family dinner.
Bonus Senior Thanksgiving Idea: Schedule Professional Elderly Care
One of our best thanksgiving tips for seniors is to call an in-home caregiver service like Abby Services. Abby Services is available throughout the year for short-term caregiver needs, including over holidays like Thanksgiving.
We are also available for longer-term caregiver needs including 24/7 around-the-clock care. If you think that your loved one would benefit from having a senior care provider with them over the holidays call today!
Having a professional caregiver around for Thanksgiving can help you ensure your loved one is looked after, giving you the chance to spend your day enjoying your time with the whole family.
Take The Time Together To Watch For Changes.
Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time spent with family. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is also a time where families may recognize the deterioration of an elderly loved one.
Memory loss, eating difficulty, or challenges getting around that were not so obvious can become apparent during extended time together.
These changes and losses in independence and ability can be slow and sometimes easily ignored but are cumulative. Should you notice any of these signs of deterioration it may be time to look a little deeper and consider what options exist to help your seniors maintain their independence.
A private in-home caregiver is often one of the first choices for families and seniors. With the support of a private caregiver, seniors can maintain their independence and receive the support to remain safe and in their homes. Families can also have the peace of mind that their loved one has the support and resources they need.
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