With the holidays coming up, most people are busy with their holiday cooking, especially if they have family coming over. Even seniors who have been diagnosed with dementia may want to continue having those family get-togethers where everyone gets together, eats, talks, and has a great time.
If a senior has just been diagnosed, then they might also want to keep in mind that they may have some issues related to memory, motor coordination, and vision. This doesn't mean that they have to give up holiday cooking altogether. But it makes sense to simplify it so that they don't end up feeling overwhelmed.
Here are some holiday cooking tips for a senior with dementia:
Label Things in the Kitchen
This can be generally helpful when cooking with dementia and even more so when cooking for the holidays. Try labeling ovens and stoves, especially if their signs have faded. Seniors can also label their cabinets so that they remember what goes where and don't end up searching for things that should be easy to find.
Install More Light
Dementia can affect a senior's eyesight. So it's a good idea to brighten the kitchen up to make sure they can see everything.
Get Rid of Area Rugs
Motor coordination gets affected when a senior has dementia. So it's a good idea to get rid of rugs which might lead to slips and falls.
Get Unbreakable Dishes
Seniors may love their old, fine china, but why risk breaking it while holiday cooking? Instead, they might want to invest in a pretty set of unbreakable dishes.
Set the Water Heater on a Lower Level
Dementia can also mean a lower sensitivity to pain. In order to avoid accidental burns, seniors should make sure to set their water heaters at a lower level.
Get Rid of Dangling Cords
Seniors with dementia do have some motor coordination issues and loose electrical cords can lead them to slips, trips, and falls. They should make sure that all cords are taped down so that they will not get in the way.
Use a Kitchen Timer
In order to avoid accidentally burning items that they've started cooking, seniors can buy a kitchen timer that will remind them when to check on that item.
Get an Assistant
Seniors hosting holiday get-togethers don't have to do all their holiday cooking themselves. They can ask one of their family members to come early and help them with cooking prep. A caregiver from Senior Helpers Sheboygan can also help them to prepare their holiday meal before their family gets there.
Try a Potluck
Seniors hosting holiday dinners don't have to stick with the same holiday traditions that they've always practiced. They can also switch things around a bit. They can ask each person coming to their holiday dinner to bring one item and coordinate with them to avoid repeating the same dish. And they can also make one or two dishes themselves.
Get Pre-Made Items
Seniors can buy a stuffed turkey, a ready-made pie crust (or even a ready-made pie), ready-made cranberry sauce, or some other ready-to-eat items, that will simplify their holiday cooking.
A dementia diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean that a senior living in Sheboygan, Plymouth, Cedar Grove, Port Washington, Saukville, Kewaskum, Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, or Mount Calvary has to stop cooking. If this is an activity they enjoy, they can just take some precautions to avoid injuries and forgetting things in the kitchen.
Once they've switched things around so that their kitchen doesn't pose any health hazards, they can go ahead and prepare that holiday dinner. And a caregiver from Senior Helpers Sheboygan can help them to prepare their kitchen for holiday cooking. In fact, they can also help them with the cooking itself!
Contact us for more information about our in-home care services and how we can help seniors this holiday season.