Elder Care Fun: Celebrating Oktoberfest with Your Aging Loved Ones

Elder Care in Worcester, MA

Whether you are of German ancestry or not, you have likely heard of Oktoberfest. This fall celebration originated as a lavish wedding celebration and has evolved to be a festival celebrating family, friends, food, and drink. Celebrating Oktoberfest with your aging loved ones is a fun way to change up your elder care routine, give them some new forms of mental stimulation, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Of course, if your parents are of German heritage, celebrating this tradition with them will be all the more meaningful.

Let these ideas inspire you while planning a fun, exciting, and healthy Oktoberfest celebration to enjoy with your seniors:

• Get cooking. Food is at the heart of any Oktoberfest celebration. After all, it began as an indulgent banquet. Look up traditional German recipes and get creative making modifications that can improve their nutritional value and ensure they fit in with your parents’ dietary guidelines. Encourage them to try a variety of different recipes and get in the kitchen with you or their referred caregiver to prepare the meals. Not only is this a great way to make them feel more independent if they do not frequently prepare their own meals, but it also fosters conversation and sharing, stimulates their memory, cognitive processing, and strategy skills, and engages their minds as they try new flavors and foods.
• Attend a fair. In Munich, Oktoberfest celebrations involve a massive carnival that has games, rides, and shows. Get into the spirit by attending a local county or state fair and participating in all the fun. Make the experience as stress-free and inexpensive as possible by visiting on a weekday and asking your parents’ referred caregiver to come along to provide extra care, assistance, and support throughout the experience.
• Sample beer. If your parents’ doctors say it is acceptable for them to consume alcohol and they enjoy beer, now is the time to do some sampling. Research breweries, restaurants, or events in your area that will host beer tastings. This is a great way to try small amounts of seasonal beers or different styles and get in on the spirit of Oktoberfest.
• Research. If you would rather focus on the historical and cultural aspects of the festival, plan a research project with your seniors. Find out about the original wedding celebration, how it expanded to an annual festival, and what this festival means for the culture. This is a great way to connect with your own heritage or just to spark your brain by learning some new things.