It’s an understatement to say that Thanksgiving 2020 might look a little different around the country. Family reunions that were large last year could be a lot smaller. A fridge that was once stocked with four butterball turkeys may now have only one. Most importantly, a beloved grandparent might not be sitting on their favorite chair, but instead be zoomed in from their grandchild’s iPhone!
Due to the uptick in COVID cases, many families are making the difficult decision of choosing not to travel to grandparents for the holiday. Yet, just because we cannot gather in person, does not mean that the holiday has been canceled altogether! If you’re looking for some ways to ensure a successful virtual Thanksgiving, here are a few ideas!
Preparation is Key
The best way to ensure a great virtual Thanksgiving is to prepare your family for this temporary transition. Have a discussion with any young children to explain why Thanksgiving might look a little different this year.
Talk with aging loved ones about what they would most like from their virtual day. Work with them or their home health aide to ensure that there are no technical difficulties Thanksgiving Day. This preparation will help combat any possible hiccups on the day of!
Recipe Swap
If you are driving distance from your loved one, a great way to incorporate the family gathering is to prepare recipes beforehand. Assign different pods a beloved recipe to cook. Make sure they cook with COVID precautions in mind!
Once their recipe is completed, they can pre-package a portion for each pod. This way, when Thanksgiving Day comes, everyone can drop off the prepackaged dish at each other’s house. So, when the video call starts, everyone can be enjoying the same meal from different houses!
Story Time
One of the best parts of the Thanksgiving holiday is sharing stories with generations, young and old. It can feel somewhat daunting for this to happen naturally over a video call, especially if your elder loved ones are not so comfortable with video chatting.
A great way to encourage sharing is to have a list of icebreakers! These can be simple questions such as: “what is your first memory of Thanksgiving” or “what’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?” By creating these jumping off points, everyone is given the opportunity to share in the virtual holiday!
For more information on senior care services contact an experienced nursing agency.They can answer your questions and help with loved ones at what may be a stressful time.
