The holidays are coming and it is time to find the perfect gift for our senior loved ones.
They are likely the hardest people on your list for whom to get a gift that will not only be appreciated but actually used!
Socks, slippers or even a box of their favorite cookies will be met with a smile and polite thank you but will they really love it and think you put some thought and effort into it?
Caregivers have so many things on their list of to-dos that finding the perfect gift may be very low a priority, leading to that last minute trip to a big box store for the slippers!
Wouldn’t you love to get them a gift that will make their life better by helping them to be happier, healthier, or safer?
There are some great gift ideas that you might want to consider, even if some are things they didn’t know they wanted until they get it!
Ideas for the Perfect Gift
Here are some ideas for family caregivers to give their senior loved ones this holiday season (or anytime, for that matter).
- Home helper – Getting an in-home helper who can assist with household chores, such as cleaning or laundry, even once a week will be a real treat for seniors who need a hand but don’t want to ask you to do it for them. This will also free you (the family caregiver) up to do other things instead of housework!
- Home maintenance – Hire a handyperson to go in and do home repair to keep them safe and free from the hassle of doing it themselves.
- Install home tech – There are many devices your senior loved one could use in their home that will help keep them safe (and connected to you) such as smart thermostats, entry door doorbell with motion activated camera, personal emergency response system, medical or medication management devices, motion activated lighting, and carbon monoxide/radon detectors. These items are things they probably won’t get themselves, will keep them safer at home and you can connect alerts to your smartphone to get updates on their wellbeing.
- Tablet – Mobile technology such as a tablet (iPad, Kindle Fire, Grandpad) can entertain them by offering options such as games, photo sharing, books to read, streaming media, and even surfing the web. You can help them set it up, downloading appropriate apps and tutoring them in their use. If you get them started, you can also initiate security to keep them safe online too.
- Home Seniorization — doing small things around the house to be sure their home is suitable for aging and easy for them to use without injury such as lever handles for the faucets and doors, motion detecting lighting for hallways, or handrails on the porch. Here is a Home Seniorization Checklist you can download for free to help you seniorize their home.
These are just a few ideas to get you thinking outside the gift box to more practical ideas that will benefit your senior throughout the year and not just a few days around the holiday.
Do you have an idea of your own you’d like to share? Leave us a comment to this article or on our Facebook page.
They aren’t as glamorous as a bottle of perfume but much more important for their wellbeing — and show you care enough to consider what they truly need.
Additional Resources
Here are more articles you might find inspirational as you search for the perfect gift. We invite you to search our Senior Care Corner® Store to find a gift for you or the caregivers who help you care for your senior adult throughout the year!
The gift of time can be shared by purchasing a video storytelling package for your favorite senior with http://www.thedigitalmosaic.com. Spend time together, and record their life stories, capture favorite family receipes, or record grandchildren’s favorite books – all on video! We have over 350+ prewritten questions and you can add custom questions as you go.