How to Make some Cookies and Bill for it Too

Cooking tasks and groups are one of my favorite things to utilize in therapeutic sessions. It is especially helpful when addressing cognition, because there is so much involved in the process of planning and preparing a dish or dessert. Cooking and baking also incorporate several gross motor elements that allow us to address standing tolerance, balance, and functional reach while maintaining and individuals attention.

I like to start a cooking task or session by making a basic shopping list.

I’ll prompt the Resident by saying something like “I would love to bake sugar cookies with you. What ingredients are typically used to make sugar cookies?”

Of course, I already know the we’ll be using for the activity. But I like using this as a means of starting a conversation that requires memory, critical thinking, and executive function.

These Funfetti Cookies are such a fun and simple recipe to utilize in a session. They use very traditional ingredients with an added sprinkle of fun (see what I did there?). And they’re delicious.

This recipe calls for:

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sprinkles

I’ve included an illustrated list of the ingredients that may be helpful for your Residents to better understand the measurements.

From here, we can start actually baking.

To make these cookies:

cream together the butter, both sugars, the egg, and the vanilla with a hand or standing mixer
add the dry ingredient and incorporate fully
stir in sprinkles
form the dough into balls and bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350*F for 10-11 minutes
allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack

I’ve again included an illustrated instruction sheet to act as a visual cue.

You can download a printable version of the shopping list, ingredients list, and directions here: Download

How to Bill for This Activity when Working with Someone Living in the Mild Stages of the Disease.

The focus will likely be on the cognitive components of the task.

Because of this, your documentation should include things like:

how many ingredients they could independently add to the shopping list
the amount of assistance required to follow the directions
the amount of errors made
any safety cues that were required
their overall tolerance of the task

For individuals living with Mild Cognitive Impairment, or in the early stages of dementia, I honestly let them engage in most of the task. They use the utensils, they get involved in using the oven, and they help clean the dishes following the task. This is especially important if the individual is a short-term Client who will be returning home to live in the community.

It may feel ‘unsafe’ to have them use the oven…. but what are the chances they’ll use the oven at home? Probably pretty high. So we have to work on these skills within the parameters of therapy sessions.

How to Bill for this Activity when Working with Someone Living in the Moderate Stages of the Disease.

While the focus will still be on the cognitive components, the chances of this individual needing to independently and safely perform this sort of task at discharge are pretty low. Which means the cognitive emphasis is placed more on engagement and sequencing skills.

Because of this, your documentation should include things like:

how long the Resident could tolerate the task
how much physical assistance was provided
the level of direction provided (single-step, multi-step, etc)
the type of cues provided (visual, verbal, tactile)
how many times the Resident required redirection
the Resident’s emotional state throughout the task

For me, I’m using this type of activity to help someone living in those moderate stages more actively engage in a structured and meaningful task. It’s about maximizing their ability to participate in normal human tasks despite the presence of their disease.

Recipe Source: https://saltandbaker.com/funfetti-cookies/