Celebrating Thanksgiving with Aging Parents

Holidays are a wonderful time to get the whole family together, celebrate, and reminisce. For aging parents, however, the holidays can be a difficult time. They may be missing a spouse that has passed away or be struggling with mobility or memory problems that make it more difficult to engage in their favorite traditions. Caregivers and family members can support their elderly loved ones in making the most of these special times and keeping them involved.

·         Help them to decorate: You can decorate their home, or bring them to yours. Put up festive décor that gets them in the mood and reminds them of the season. Use family favorites that have been around for generations, or create new decorations with grandchildren. Just ensure that decorations do not pose a safety threat and are not in the way.

·         Let them help with cooking: Select some of their favorite recipes and let your aging parent help with preparation. Oftentimes they know family secrets that make these recipes turn out just like you remembered. Learn from them as they pass down these traditions. Provide assistance so that they can help out while still staying safe. If their diet has changed due to health concerns, prepare dishes that meet their needs and everyone can enjoy instead of having restricted items or singling them out.

·         Reflect on why you’re thankful: Take time to look back on the past year and come up with reasons you are thankful. This can be a great way to build connections and foster stronger relationships. Focusing on the positive can boost everyone’s moods and help them to be more appreciative. You can also take this time to reminisce about previous Thanksgivings spent together and the memories made while making new ones.

·         Enjoy the time together: With increasingly busy schedules, holidays can be a good time to slow down and simply enjoy time spent together. It may be difficult to plan visits with hectic work schedules, so use this time off to gather everyone together and celebrate. Your parent may not want to do much more than just visit, relax, and enjoy being around their loved ones. Talk to them about plans and see what they are interested in.

Being with family and friends can help to keep your senior more social and reduce risk of loneliness and isolation. It can also help you to evaluate their physical and mental health, mobility, and needs as you interact. This can allow you to arrange for more effective support and care as they age in place. Being out of their normal environment can be a good change of pace and also alert you to things you may not have been aware of or want to keep an eye on. Make the most of Thanksgiving with your aging parent whether you are carrying out long-lasting traditions or creating new ones and enjoy the time you get to spend together.