Has your elderly loved one always baked up tons of delicious treats over the holidays for family members? From decorated Christmas cookies to Thanksgiving pie to Hannukah jelly donuts, these sweet treats often fulfill traditions that have transpired over the decades. But what does your loved one do when she’s no longer able to bake up these sweet treats for her loved ones? Here are a few ways to help her keep baking and how companion care at home can help.

Health Conditions That Can Limit Baking Abilities

There is a myriad of health conditions that may cause your loved one to struggle with baking up everyone’s favorite treats this year.

Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease

Even in the early stages, conditions that cause cognitive decline can make baking a simple recipe like sugar cookies difficult. Your loved one may struggle with following a recipe or operating some of the baking appliances needed to create her delicious delicacies.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Painful, swollen, and stiff joints can make many baking tasks difficult.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease can make controlling certain motions extremely difficult and cause your loved one to struggle through any baking process that requires precision.

These are just a few of the many reasons why baking up this year’s holiday treats will be difficult or impossible to do, but the great news is that she can still participate in this time-honored tradition. Your loved one might just need a little help.

Five Tips to Make Baking Accessible for your Loved One

• Get updated equipment. Maybe your loved one has always said that mixing by hand is better than using an electric mixer but now that her hands or arms no longer have the strength, it might be time to consider upgrading your loved one’s kitchen appliances. A few handy kitchen helpers might be all your elderly loved one needs to fulfill her holiday baking passion.
• Put ingredients closer. Your loved one may struggle to reach items that are normally stored farther away because they aren’t used the other ten months of the year. When you visit to help with decorations, get all of the baking goods and baking pans out of storage and place them within easy reach of your loved one.
• Provide places to rest. If standing for a long time is exhausting, have your loved one invest in a kitchen stool so that she can sit for some of her baking prep instead of standing. You can also encourage smaller batches that take less time or splitting up baking into several smaller bakes instead of doing them all in one day.
• Recruit family members! This tip is the most fun. Now is a great time to have the family get together and all assist in the preparing of everyone’s favorite holiday baked goods. Let your loved one be the “director” of the baking brigade and sit in a chair in the middle of the kitchen offering her advice and guidance as future generations learn how to create her masterpieces.
• Companion Care at Home Can Help. A home care provider can help your loved one with the prep beforehand like shopping together for ingredients or chopping up all of those pecans. Her home care provider can also assist in the baking process, keeping your loved one safe while also ensuring that items are baked without problems.

Instead of saying “No, you can’t do that,” this year, say “Let’s see how we can make that happen.”

The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable companion care at home in Hoschton, GA, and the surrounding areas. Call (770) 965-4004 for more information.

We provide elder care in Braselton, Buford, Dacula, Duluth, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Oakwood, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Barrow County, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Jackson County, North Fulton County.

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Valerie Darling

Founder, Owner at Home Care Matters

Valerie was born in Miami, FL and after a few family moves, grew up locally in the Marietta, GA area.Valerie is the oldest of 4 (3 younger brothers).She is married and has one child.Valerie is the Founder, Owner and CEO of Home Care Matters.Valerie’s mom, Dee, is the inspiration and primary driver as the how and why the business was born.Valerie says, “My mom is never far from our thoughts.Mom was an integral part of developing and starting HCM before she passed away.Our goal is to stay true to her memory and continue to honor her with the love, values, and ethics she taught us.”

Valerie has the unique experience with home care as she has experienced it from both ends of the spectrum, as a caregiver and as needing care herself as a cancer survivor. Valerie says, “Taking care of someone you love is a physically, mentally and demanding labor of love.Taking care of my mom was the hardest thing I have ever done. It has given me an insight and perspective not many people understand unless you are doing it or have done it.I loved taking care of my mom.I love helping others take care of their love ones too.And now that I’ve been sick, it’s given me a whole new level of empathy and understanding for those who are sick and need help.”

Valerie’s schedule varies daily, but she loves visiting with our clients, families, caregivers, our network partners and being in the office.Says Valerie, “Every day is different, but I wake up excited about what we do, inspired by our team, clients and caregivers.I strive to be a resource to the community.I love my team and I love what we do every day. I like to think my mom would be proud.”

You can reach Valerie by email (Valerie@homecarematters.com) or in our office (770.965.4004).

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