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Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays each year that brings multiple generations of the family together. Grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles, and seniors and their adult children get a chance to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company. In the spirit of the holiday, it is also a great opportunity for families to show their appreciation and gratitude for their elderly loved ones.
Over the years, the hosting duties and planning may change hands as adult children take these duties over from their senior parents. This can happen due to many factors such as seniors not having the energy, mental or physical capability, or the space in their home to host Thanksgiving dinner. As adult children take over these duties, it is very important to ensure that their senior parents still have a level of involvement and feel comfortable and welcome among the family.
The following are tips to help you create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere on Thanksgiving for your senior loved ones.
Tip 1: Prepare the Host’s Home
When hosting a gathering that includes elderly parents, ensure the space is senior-friendly. The host should minimize the risk of trips and falls by securing rugs with tape and clearing clutter from hallways and dining areas.
Vision changes, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, often accompany aging. Those affected need high light levels, so minimize glare by selecting lights with low glare. Ensure the home is well-lit to accommodate seniors with poor vision.
Older individuals tend to appreciate warmth. Make sure the environment is comfortably warm and encourage senior guests to dress in layers. Keep blankets and space heaters accessible in the gathering area and offer a sweater if needed for additional warmth.
Tip 2: Notify Guests in Advance
Elderly individuals may struggle to see and recognize other guests at a Thanksgiving gathering. Inform guests ahead of time to provide auditory cues when approaching senior loved ones, such as saying, “Grandpa and Grandma, it’s Alex. It’s nice to see you both.”
Seniors with dementia may often repeat themselves, asking the same questions or sharing the same stories. Forewarn guests, especially those less familiar with the seniors, that Mom or Dad might repeat sentences or phrases, and encourage patience.
Tip 3: Choose Senior-Friendly Foods
Food plays a central role in Thanksgiving celebrations. However, many seniors face dental challenges like tooth loss, gum disease, or difficulty chewing that can make it almost impossible to eat certain foods safely. To ensure older adults can fully enjoy the feast, select foods that are easy to chew or help by cutting some foods, like turkey, into smaller pieces that are easier to chew and swallow.
The following are senior-friendly foods to consider adding to your Thanksgiving meal:
- Cranberry sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Roasted vegetables
- Sweet potatoes
- Pumpkin pie
- Butternut squash soup
- Green bean casserole
Tip 4: Enjoy Thanksgiving Events in the DuPage County Area
Before your family gets settled for Thanksgiving dinner at the home of the host, consider doing some activities outside the home involving your senior parents and their grandchildren. This can be a great way for your family to bond in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
The day before Thanksgiving, Naperville starts the Naper Lights display which is a large display of holiday lights and sounds on Water Street, Foyo Plaza, Jaycees Park, and the Riverwalk in Downtown Naperville. You can walk the display with your family between 4 and 10pm the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
If you want to go out with your family early on Thanksgiving, there is a Thanksgiving Day Brunch at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace from 10:30am to 3pm. Just make sure your senior parents don’t eat too much to spoil their appetite for Thanksgiving dinner!
If you want a different kind of outing the morning of Thanksgiving, the Morton Arboretum is offering free admission on Thanksgiving day. The grounds are open to members only between 7am and 9am and are free for everyone starting at 9am with last entry at 3pm. You and your family can spend the morning exploring some of the arboretum’s 17,000 acres.
Tip 5: Get to the Event
When elderly parents can no longer drive, families need to arrange transportation. Busy relatives may struggle to find time to pick up Mom or Dad. Talk to your relatives to see if anyone can pick up your senior loved ones and bring them to and from the gathering. If no one is able to help, a professional caregiver from a local home care agency can offer reliable and safe transportation.
Tip 6: Be Flexible at the Gathering
Older adults often find one-on-one conversations enjoyable and can more easily engage in discussions with fewer participants. To facilitate this, arrange a comfortable and secluded area where they can converse without feeling overwhelmed by the crowd. Position senior parents at one end of the table and seat them with guests who will actively include them in discussions. Alternatively, provide a quiet room where guests can interact with them individually, fostering a more personal connection.
In previous years, your aging parents may have taken on the role of hosting Thanksgiving. Now, they might feel like they are no longer needed. Families should involve their elderly parents in meaningful ways. Perhaps invite Mom to prepare the vegetables or encourage Dad to engage in a craft project with the grandchildren. You can enhance their enjoyment by making them the focal point of a family discussion. Ask about their past Thanksgiving celebrations and invite them to share joyful memories and details from those times.
Tip 7: Plan Fun Activities
Your Thanksgiving gathering can consist of more than preparing dinner and watching football. There are many fun activities you can plan that will engage every member of the family from the grandchildren to the grandparents. Getting every member of the family involved in activities encourages bonding and creates memories, and it can especially strengthen the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
Here are some fun activities you can include in your Thanksgiving gathering:
- Gratitude tree: Make a gratitude tree by putting a branch in a vase and cutting leaf shapes out of construction paper. Give a leaf to each member of the family so they can write something they are thankful for on the leaf. Tie each leaf to the branch and further decorate the tree. Making a gratitude tree gives each member of the family a chance to express something that makes them grateful.
- Decorate the table: As Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared, you can ask your elderly loved ones to help set and decorate the table with their grandchildren. This will help increase the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren.
- Decorate a pumpkin: Pumpkins are still in season, and you don’t have to carve a pumpkin to decorate it. Encourage your senior loved ones and their grandchildren to work together to decorate pumpkins with paint, ribbons, glitter, and other art supplies. This gives the grandchildren and their grandparents an opportunity to be creative together.
- Listen to music together: If you like to play music during gatherings, put together a playlist with input from every member of the family. Relatives of different generations can bond over discovering new music from each generation or realizing that they like the same music. You can even designate part of the evening for your family to sing together.
- Cook together: Thanksgiving involves large meals with a lot of different courses, which means there is plenty of work to be done to prepare the meal. Involve your senior loved ones in the cooking so they can contribute to the meal. Make sure you give them tasks that are within their abilities.
- Connect with long distance relatives: If you have relatives who cannot make it to Thanksgiving because they live far away, you can connect with them using technology. There are several apps that allow video calls on many different devices, including computers, laptops, and smartphones. Gathering the family to call distant relatives is a great way to bridge the gap created by physical distance.
Tip 8: Avoid Overstimulation
Due to physical or cognitive limitations, seniors may not look forward to a full day of Thanksgiving festivities. Families should prepare a space at home where aging parents can retreat early if they wish. Seniors accustomed to quiet, peaceful environments may feel overwhelmed at gatherings filled with noisy crowds, loud music, and energetic children. Additionally, those with dementia may become confused and agitated in the late afternoons or early evenings.
To alleviate the discomfort of overstimulation, ensure a quiet room is available for seniors. This peaceful space can also serve as a place for them to take naps before or after dinner. Keep Thanksgiving events on schedule so parents aren’t required to stay later than planned.
Tip 9: Hire Companion Care
Create a memorable Thanksgiving for senior parents by enlisting experienced caregiving professionals. For families busy with holiday preparations, elder caregivers offer invaluable support. Companion caregivers ensure seniors receive the attention and care they deserve.
Professional caregivers play a crucial role in helping older adults fully enjoy Thanksgiving. These experts assist with bathing, dressing, and grooming, preparing Mom or Dad for the special occasion. Additionally, caregivers provide mobility support, ensuring seniors navigate the host’s home safely.
Senior Home Care from Assisting Hands Home Care
Assisting Hands Home Care is a leading provider of senior care services, offering professional caregiving that allows seniors to remain comfortable in their homes. Our services include assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, as well as meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation, and transferring.
With our in-home care, seniors can enjoy comfort and maintain dignity as they age. Families value our senior companion care, especially for seniors living alone, as our caregivers actively engage with them to prevent social isolation and loneliness.
Choosing Assisting Hands Home Care for companion care ensures that your senior loved ones receive essential social support along with assistance with daily tasks. We foster meaningful relationships through conversation, playing games, and participating in recreational activities with the seniors we serve.
Assisting Hands Home Care offers comprehensive in-home care options that will keep your elderly loved ones engaged and healthy throughout the holiday season. Our home care services are available to seniors living in Glen Ellyn, IL | Warrenville, IL | Naperville, IL | Westmont, IL | Woodridge, IL | Lisle, IL | Wheaton, IL and surrounding areas in DuPage County, Illinois. Call us at (630) 634-9316 for a complimentary in-home consultation to start quality home care.
