Thanksgiving is America’s favorite holiday which involves families getting together to celebrate all they have to be grateful for. Apart from materialistic items, many people at the center of palliative care such as those in Los Angeles will put their health on top of their gratitude list as they mention the things they appreciate this year. 

This year’s festivities are going to be a lot different since Covid-19 has made it a time to mourn the loved ones we have lost, while we try to protect ourselves as well as those around us from this terrible virus. The health professionals at the hospice in Pasadena or Los Angeles strongly advise others to keep safe and healthy this Thanksgiving. For this to happen, you should start to have serious discussions with your family about the safest measures to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. 

How To Make A Safe Thanksgiving Plan? 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you should celebrate Thanksgiving only with those in your household. Fortunately,  palliative care centers in Los Angeles has a few ways to make this year’s festivities joyous and fun. 

Celebrate Regardless Your Situation!

It doesn’t matter whether you live alone or just with a handful of family members, you should celebrate the holiday. Buy a small turkey or a turkey breast and make some holiday side dishes. Organize some fun activities such as games or a special movie that everyone can enjoy watching together. 

Get Your Fan Favorite Dishes Out Early

It is imperative that your grandmother’s stuffing is available for all the family because it just isn’t Thanksgiving without it. Collaborate with your grandmother to make sure the stuffing gets delivered to the entire family in the area. Doing this simple task will have two advantages. First of all, nurses at a hospice in Los Angeles believe it is a good project for an active senior who can’t leave their home. The second benefit of this is that everybody loves stuffing!

Make sure to get disposable aluminum or plastic containers in advance, so there aren’t any hassles to trace and track down your grandmother’s casserole dishes after Thanksgiving. Designate one person who will pick up the food when it is ready for delivery. Faith and Hope, the palliative care center in Los Angeles says that it is best to have porch pickups so you minimize interaction with the chef (your grandmother) and recipients. 

If you have to enter the house, wear a mask, and keep your distance from the members of the household. Also, you can plan a potluck with every household making at least one dish to share with the group. 

Invite Your Friends And Family To A Virtual Meal

Exchange favorite dishes and recipes in advance and schedule a time that is easy for everyone across different time zones. Concentrate on the good and support each household to share what they are grateful for this year. Make sure that everyone who is going to attend the virtual Thanksgiving has the videoconferencing tools they require on their phone, tablet, or computer and has no doubt on how to work them. 

Get In Touch With Individuals Who Live Alone

The holidays are a joyous time, but when you are isolated, you may feel more depressed and anxious. Do your best to reach out to elderly neighbors or distant family members you don’t talk to very often. You will be pleasantly surprised how a phone call or dropping off one of your signature dishes on their porch can make a world of difference to them. 

What About A Thanksgiving Plan That Allows The Family To Gather?

Many Covid-19 contact tracers can confirm that small gatherings of family and friends have been the culprit to the rising coronavirus cases. When people are in these situations, they usually let their guard as well as their masks down. This is when they unintentionally get their family members ill. If you still want to go ahead and have a family gathering this Thanksgiving, have a serious conversation on how you are going to keep the gathering safe. 

Create A Pre-Gathering Arrangement

Work out a strategy to isolate with your household as much as you can in the two weeks before you gather with others. Find out in advance if any member of the household is not feeling well or has a job that involves a lot of interaction with the public, your whole household should not attend a Thanksgiving gathering.

If You Can, Stay Outside

If you are lucky enough to live in an area where the weather is mild during the winter season, think about having an outdoor Thanksgiving. It is safer to gather outdoors instead of indoors, however you should still practice social distancing and wear a mask as much as possible. 

Keep Your Distance

If you are going to allow people from other households, it is important that you create a plan that allows you all to spread out within the house. Rather than have a children’s table, think about setting up small tables by household throughout your dining, kitchen, or living room. When you are inside, make an effort to stay six feet away from one another and wear masks when you are not sitting at your designated table. Don’t hug, shake hands, but a friendly distanced wave is acceptable. 

Scheduled Visits

If your home can’t accommodate a group social distancing setting, think about timing your family visits throughout Thanksgiving. For instance, have one household come over for Thanksgiving brunch, another for dinner, and maybe even another for dessert! Don’t forget to open windows and sanitize surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, and railings throughout your home in between each visit. 

Remember To Ventilate

If you are dining inside the home, make sure to increase the ventilation by opening doors and windows if weather permits.

Leave Out The Buffet

Avoid the use of shared items including serving utensils. You can do this by serving each person’s plate individually or put out shared dishes at each household’s table. You can assign one person to serve all the food to limit the number of people handling the same items. Wear a mask when serving food to someone who is outside of your household. 

Although this is not how anyone wants to spend their Thanksgiving, these small inconveniences will help to keep you and your family safe, so you all are able to gather again next year.