When you’re a sandwich generation caregiver, it’s often hard to balance your dad’s care needs and your children’s activities. How can you make sure everyone is happy on Halloween this year?

Everyone Needs to Be Safe

If your dad walks with your kids while trick or treating, make sure everyone is safe. He should hold onto someone if he doesn’t have great balance. A cane or walking stick is also useful.

Flashlights, light-colored clothing, and reflective materials help make sure you’re all visible. You can get LED flashing dog leashes if you bring your dog or LED flashing lights to attach to your dad’s jacket.

See If Your Community Hosts a Truck-or-Treat Event

Some communities have shifted to truck-or-treat events. Instead of walking around the streets, you walk around a school or community building’s parking lot where people hand out goodies from their trunks. As the parking lots are paved, your dad should have an easier time walking around.

You could also look for trick-or-treating events in an area mall. If your dad needs new clothing or shoes, you can get two things done at once.

Have a Halloween-Themed Dinner

Invite the grandkids and other close family members for a Halloween-themed dinner. Everyone can bring a dish that your dad enjoys. Those dishes can have a Halloween twist, such as spaghetti and meatballs. In addition to the meatballs, take some larger mozzarella balls that have a sliced black olive to create an eyeball.

Make a tossed salad and use sliced cherry tomatoes, mozzarella circles, and green olives to form an eyeball. A bundt cake decorated with black buttercream to look like a spider can round out the meal.

After the meal, watch family-friendly scary movies together. The choice of movies will depend on the age of the children.

Stock Up on Allowable Treats

If your dad has diabetes or heart disease and isn’t allowed to have sugary treats, respect how hard it may be for him to have tempting snacks in the house. Get snacks to hand out that your dad can eat. Packets of roasted almonds or other nuts, bottles of unsweetened tea, and dried edamame are all ideas.

Your kids can have candy if you allow it, but make sure it’s out of sight. You might want to get items that they enjoy that aren’t too bad if your dad does eat them, such as pretzels, naturally-sweetened snack bars, or trail mix.

Have Caregivers Stay With Him

If you need a break, talk to a senior home care expert about respite care. While you’re spending time on Halloween taking your children trick-or-treating, Caregivers will stay with him while you go out. Arrange senior home care and take time out to ensure your children get equal attention.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Senior Home Care in Mauldin, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.  Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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