How to Help Senior Citizens Find Joy in the Thanksgiving Holiday Celebration
How to Help Senior Citizens Find Joy in the Thanksgiving Holiday Celebration
Obviously most people have preconceived ideas about what foods constitute a Thanksgiving celebration and we might think it would be turkey, gravy, green beans, stuffing, cranberries; but often there are special dishes that your group of seniors always had and they’d like some of those stuffing or pecan pie versus pumpkin pie might be the choices or perhaps someone wants deviled eggs because they always made them and they have a great recipe for them.
Even if they can’t cook, they have recipes to contribute and suggestions.Try putting together a menu of familiar foods that can be prepared and placed on a buffet for self-service. Have a variety of traditional foods to allow everyone’s choice to be served!
I always strive to include in the decorating for a Thanksgiving party for seniors, familiar fall and Thanksgiving elements, like pumpkins, Indian corn, cornucopias and of course, Pilgrims. You don’t make it too juvenile; instead focus on creating an elegant table with white linen cloths, real cloth napkins, and candles.
Seniors love to see children and inviting area children or grandchildren or church group children to the Thanksgiving party is a great way to help seniors remember their own special Thanksgiving parties and celebrations. One way to include small children is to have a Thanksgiving feast party where the kids are involved in helping making some of the elements, like homemade butter in tin cans with popsicles sticks. Serve corn bread and apple butter that the seniors made ahead of time to share with the kids. Have the children come dressed in pilgrim or Native American costumes to add some fun for the kids, but also for the adults.
Helping seniors with illness and disability enjoy the ritual of Thanksgiving is also about getting them to think about others. Encourage citizens to take on a special project of collecting can food for a local shelter, or crocheting or knitting warm blankets for a children’s project.
There are many ways to involve our seniors in their community and to get them to think outside of themselves, which will help them feel stronger and more independent.
And finally, allow seniors a time during all the Thanksgiving party planning to reminisce about their past Thanksgivings and to look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving this year.
SOURCE: November 04, 2009 by Betty Malone associatedcontent.comImage courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net