Dementia Tips-Holiday Series- Activities for the Thanksgiving Holiday

The holidays may present many challenges when engaging a loved one or client. It is important to engage individuals with Dementia and keep them involved in activities that may align with their previous holiday traditions. 

Thanksgiving often has many traditions for families. Find out what your loved one or client did for their Thanksgiving traditions. If the person living with Dementia does not remember, ask their family and friends. Holidays may be overwhelming to the individual with Dementia, so consider scaling back some of the celebrations. Make sure to let family members who are attending festivities know about what the person with Dementia is capable of doing.  

What could you do with your client and/or loved one during the Thanksgiving holiday? 

• Engage them in cooking the meal. Invite them to peel or chop vegetables, cube bread for stuffing, roll dough for pie, measure ingredients to assist in baking or cooking with oversight. 

• Have them help set the table with guidance, fold napkins, and set out place cards. 

• Look at old photo albums or videos of previous Thanksgivings. 

• Take a walk with loved ones. 

• Visit family for short intervals. 

• Decorate pumpkins & gourds, arrange flowers, or make a centerpiece. 

• Play familiar games that were part of past holiday celebrations. 

• Share old stories with family members. 

• Watch old movies or sports. 

Remember it is not the activity that counts as much as the doing and being with others that provides comfort and enjoyment.