How Caregivers Can Make Thanksgiving Special for the Elderly

Thanksgiving is a holiday many people look forward to. It is about family get-together, scrumptious food, and creating wonderful memories. It is a day to be thankful for every big and small blessing, and it is a day of enjoyment. Sadly, it can be a little different for the elderly as well as their caregivers. Seniors are more likely to feel lonely and isolated on days like Thanksgiving. It brings bittersweet memories of their loved ones who are no longer with them. On the other hand, for caregivers, it becomes their task to make sure that this feeling of isolation and loneliness does not turn into depression. They have to put in their foot forward to make the day go well for the elderly. With some advance planning, it is not difficult to make this Thanksgiving a memorable one.

Help them to decorate:

Many elders hesitate to decorate their home for any holiday season. As a caregiver, you can encourage and assist them in decorating. Ask them which rooms they would like decorated and how. Suggest something customized which the elderly could make themselves. Get them involved in decorating so that not only it looks beautiful, but the seniors enjoy it and take pride in what they’ve accomplished.

Invite their family:

Thanksgiving is all about togetherness. Invite their family for a Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe keep it as a surprise for your charge so that they are overjoyed when they see their loved ones. The mere presence of their loved ones is enough to make Thanksgiving memorable for many people.

Prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal:

Thanksgiving is incomplete without turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and other traditional dishes. With the help of their family members prepare a great Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t forget to ask for some suggestions from your charge. They have most likely made enough Thanksgiving meals to know fun ways to bake dishes.

Handwritten notes:

Instead of traditional greeting cards, suggest that family members write a short note for the elderly. They can write thanks for everything your charge has done for them. Handwritten notes rarely fail to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Plan some fun activities:

What is Thanksgiving without some fun? As a caregiver, you can preplan some activities that would be both fun and easily performed by your elderly charge. For instance, everyone can make a greeting card, displaying the best one on the dinner table. Activities like these can be easy for the elderly and help make them feel like they are contributing.

Plan a good family movie night:

As a caregiver, you can pick up some movies that the elderly, along with their family, can watch. It is often fun for the elderly to watch a movie and have a good laugh along with their family.

Enjoy the moment:

Thanksgiving comes once a year. This day is all about togetherness and making memories. Before the arrival of any family, dig out some old family pictures of your charge, which can be shared after the dinner. It is a lot of fun looking at old pictures, reliving those beautiful memories, and hearing tales of family members.

Regardless of what you do together on Thanksgiving, any time spent with family is a precious gift. As a caregiver, seeing your client enjoy a good Thanksgiving can be very rewarding.

Related blog posts: