Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and it’s the perfect holiday to take time to express gratitude for our family and friends. Are you wondering how you can make this Thanksgiving extra special for the senior in your life? Here are some of our favorite ideas to thank your loved ones and show them how much they’re appreciated.
Share a meal
One of the best parts of the Thanksgiving holiday is spending time around the table with family and friends. Sharing mealtimes with others is enjoyable for people of all ages, but it can be particularly beneficial for older adults. Adults over the age of 65 are at a higher risk for malnutrition, but studies show that seniors often eat more and make healthier food choices when dining with others in a group setting.
Make a scrapbook
Creating a scrapbook is a fun activity that people of all ages can enjoy doing together. Best of all, you don’t need to be an artist to make one. Gather family photos, letters and cards, newspaper clippings and other memorabilia you want to include in the scrapbook, then embellish the pages with colorful paper and stickers. You can create the scrapbook together, or make one as a gift for the next time you visit. As your loved one looks at the photos, they may recall fond memories and share stories from their past with you.
Capture the memories
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to document memories with your entire family. Take advantage of today’s technology to preserve memories by taking plenty of photographs and videos. You can even record senior loved one as they tell stories about their life and experiences. Later on, you can compile the footage into a special montage that your family will cherish forever.
Remember, one of the best ways to show seniors how much you appreciate them is by spending quality time together. If you’re visiting aging loved ones over the holiday season, consider using your time together as an opportunity to start or continue conversations about their health, well-being, and plans for the future. While these topics are not always easy to address, having these important conversations early and often can help you and your older loved one put a plan in place and explore different types of care together, including independent or assisted living communities.
