Mother’s Day – that day each year when we honor the women who made our lives possible (though we should each of the other days as well).
For many of us Mother’s Day is an occasion that leaves us stumped, not knowing the right thing to give the mothers in our lives, especially those who are older. We search hard for something our senior mothers and grandmothers will use and which will add enjoyment to their lives.
Now, thanks to the technology industry and the web, there are many great consumer electronics gift ideas to please those special senior women in our lives.
Senior Care Corner has come up with several suggestions for gifts many grandmas (and maybe even senior moms) will love and which will bring enjoyment to their lives, especially when they get a chance to spend time with wonderful loved ones installing or setting up their gifts.
We know there are some folks looking for gift ideas that are friendlier to your wallets so we’ve got some along those lines as well as some that involve the purchase of technology.
Wallet-Friendly Technology Gift Ideas
- Is there a new smartphone in Grandma’s life? There might be, since many seniors are getting them because that’s what the providers are offering. Besides, many of their peers and loved ones (maybe you??) have them already. If she has one, Grandma just might welcome the expertise of a family member to help her set up her phone, pick the right apps – such as video calling – to make the phone more useful, and simply teach her how to make the smartphone most useful.
- Is your grandmother on Facebook yet, or maybe another social network her friends and family frequent? If not, help her pick the right networks and set them up. Social networking carries so many benefits for our senior loved one but, as we are reminded almost daily, present many risks and cautions. Make sure Grandma understands the privacy issues with the social network and the implications of sharing information on it.
- Does Grandma have albums or boxes of family photos she treasures? Give her even more enjoyment from those pictures by scanning them and showing her how they can be viewed on her computer or TV and even shared online. A little bit of time on your part will give her a gift she will love for life!
Technology Gift Ideas for Purchase
- Does Grandma have a video gaming system at home? Many seniors are enjoying video games and giving their brains and bodies workouts while having fun. Besides the benefits of physical activity, your grandmother can keep her mind sharp and help her fight off dementia as she ages.
- If your grandmother has favorite television shows, she might really enjoy a DVR (digital video recorder) set up to allow her to watch them whenever she wants. If you want to really score, you might arrange and prepay the fees associated with a unit from her satellite TV provider or cable company.
- Have you been thinking Grandma should get a new TV? Is her current one getting harder for her to see or is it lacking in some features that she would really enjoy? Don’t wait for her to do it — get her that flat screen yourself (or team up with some of her other loved ones). Chances are she’ll wonder why she didn’t do it earlier.
If we haven’t hit on the right idea for that senior lady in your life, hopefully we’ve helped get your thinking on that path. We’d love to hear any ideas you have!
These are all great ideas, but after my grandma had a look at my Sling Adapter, she’s been hinting at getting one of her own. She keeps telling me how lovely it would be to sit out in her garden and watch her favorite game shows and court TV on the tablet I got her for her birthday. With the Sling Adapter, she would be able to use the Dish Remote Access app on her tablet to watch live TV and her DVR recordings. My mom and I were debating on getting her a new TV, but since my boss at Dish told me that if she had a choice between a Sling Adapter and a new TV, she would go for the Sling Adapter because she could watch TV wherever she wants. Just a thought for anyone’s tech savvy grandma!
Or a grandma with a tech savvy grandchild who is willing to work with her! Great suggestion, Hayden. Thank you for stopping by and passing it along.
No problem. My grandma has gotten the hang of reading books on her tablet, and since the Dish Remote Access app is really easy to use, I know that she’ll pick it up in no time.
My mom is rather old school when it comes to technology. She does however devote much time to her family, and tries to show interest in my kids talk about their phones and apps. The kids were all suggesting getting her a smartphone, but I know my mom well enough to know she wouldn’t use it. I’ve done some research, and keep coming up with Tracfone’s SVC phone. It’s a phone designed with seniors in mind-has the whole big buttons, hearing aid compatible and easy yes/no menu navigation. It also only costs $15, so no worries about her misplacing it 🙂 I think this will facilitate her interaction with them without leaving her feeling overwhelmed. To add a personal touch to her gifts, I love your idea of scanning in photos to view on her TV. We could even look out for a digital photo frame. This is something she would treasure far more, and is also in line with her techno abilities. Happy Mother’s Day to all!