Celebrating National Cookie Day on Dec 4

There’s really not much more comforting out there than a warm, soft, gooey cookie. And apparently, it’s so beloved, someone, somewhere had to make it a national day! Why not take a silly (but sweet!) holiday like this and spend some time with your aging parent celebrating National Cookie Day?

Often caregivers helping their aging parents stay in their home, spend much of their time with their elderly parents taking care of tasks, chores and necessary paperwork. It can all get rather draining and be stressful. And while it’s all needed to help your elderly parent to continue living in his home, you might also be looking for some fun ways to celebrate this season in your parent’s life. That’s where fun little holidays like National Cookie Day can help. Let’s look at some fun ways you can celebrate this day with your parent!

• Of course, the most obvious way is to bake cookies! Help Mom or Dad brush off those old recipe cards and find some tried and true (or not so tried) recipes that will bring back joyful memories for your parent. If you have kids and they are actively involved in your parent’s life, they can join the fun, too. But as a caregiver, make sure everyone stays safely distanced and that anyone with any symptoms of illness stays home. If you are unable to help with baking cookies, your home care provider can also step in and share this time with your parent. A home care professional can do the needed shopping, as well as provide whatever assistance your parent may need to bake up a batch or two of cookies. Often in elderly parents, even following a fairly simple recipe can prove to be difficult so having either you help them or a senior care professional help them, will ensure success and delicious cookies to eat and share!
• Prepare some pre-made cookie dough. Not everyone is a baker. Whether it’s something your parent has never taken a shine to, or if you are not interested in measuring, sifting and mixing ingredients (and then washing the dishes), then it might be fun to purchase some pre-made cookie dough to simply plop in the oven, creating that wonderful smell of freshly baked cookies and the sweet rewards without all the hard work. Again, this is something any one of your parent’s caregivers can help with as well as your parent’s senior care provider. The main thing to remember is to turn off the stove when finished.
• Purchase someone else’s hard work. While a box of Oreos can be satisfying, make National Cookie Day special by traveling to a local bakery and purchasing some cookies. Maybe this is the time to try a cookie that you’ve never tried before. Or maybe it’s the perfect opportunity for your parent to buy cookies for another elderly person living at home to drop at the door as a gift. Either way, purchasing cookies from a small local bakery does a ton to help the local economy as well.

Whether you live near your parent or far away, you can celebrate National Cookie Day by participating in any of these fun activities or asking another caregiver or senior care provider to help your parent celebrate in one of these ways. It is sometime the simplest of things (and sweetest of things) that brings the greatest joy!

If you or an aging loved-one is considering senior care in Turlock, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.