Thanksgiving Made Easier for Seniors with Home Care Assistance

When your loved one regularly needs care at home in Eldersburg, MD, you can help them enjoy Thanksgiving with home care assistance

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many families in Eldersburg plan to celebrate the holiday surrounded by their loved ones. If your mom or dad requires home care assistance and are coming over for the holidays, you might be concerned about how will they hold up during the upcoming family event.

At Visiting Angels, our senior caregivers have been providing home care assistance in Eldersburg for many years. Our extensive experience has enabled us to counsel our clients and their families on how to make holidays like Thanksgiving more senior-friendly for their aging loved ones. The following advice can help you make your Thanksgiving celebration less stressful for your senior loved one.

Make Sure To Include Senior-Friendly Foods

Thanksgiving originally started as a harvest celebration. Nowadays, modern Thanksgiving dinner is a time to indulge in foods shared with family and friends. While this may be true, you need to keep in mind that many aging Americans have trouble with chewing, swallowing or digesting certain foods due to dental problems or medical conditions. If your loved one has difficulties chewing, you should consider adapting parts of your Thanksgiving menu or preparing special, senior-friendly dishes just for them.

Opt for dishes that are easy to chew such as stews, soups or casseroles, especially if your parent or relative wears dentures. In addition to this, try to cut back on salt and enhance the flavor of your meals with spices or other seasonings. If your loved one won’t give up on eating turkey or other Thanksgiving favorites, you can offer to cut their portion into smaller, manageable pieces.

Make Traveling Easier

This Thanksgiving, if you plan to travel long distances with Mom or Dad, you might want to take a couple of steps to make their long ride as comfortable as possible. As older adults can be more sensitive and susceptible to the cold weather, consider bringing a warm blanket for your loved one. Another good tip is to bring a support cushion to help with their posture during the long ride. If your loved one will be away from home for a few days, remind them to pack any medications they might need while away from home.

Schedule Professional Senior Caregivers

Most caregiving agencies like Visiting Angels Eldersburg provide their home care assistance services year-round. This means professional caregivers are available even on holidays such as Thanksgiving. If you think your loved one could benefit from having a caregiver with them whether they need care at home or care when visiting another relative, contact their agency and speak with them about scheduling dates around Thanksgiving. The good side of scheduling care is that you need not worry about Mom or Dad – they’ll be well looked after by a professional while you can relax and enjoy quality time with the whole family.

“Professional elderly care can be a big help over the holidays,” says Larry Meigs, President and CEO of Visiting Angels. “As elderly care providers, it’s important to us that your family — and your loved one — are able to get the most out of your Thanksgiving.”

Visiting Angels provides quality home care assistance to seniors throughout Eldersburg, MD and surrounding communities. If you would like to learn more, contact one of our care coordinators today.