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I remember one holiday I bought my parents two large grocery bags of items that my Mom would never have thought of purchasing. Mom had her regular items that she had bought for the past 70 years..... so I thought it would be fun to try other things, like getting Cheetos's for Dad.

It is never easy to buy for elders who pretty much are happy with what they have. Once my parents had passed, I noticed Dad used everything I had bought for him, that man loved new tools. But I would find the clothes I bought for Mom still with the tags tucked away in a guest room dresser... Mom rather wear her regular clothes until they became rags decades later.

I know caregivers are always wondering what to give their parent(s) for the holidays. Let's start a list.....

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I bought my FIL a set of those exercise stretch bands. Thay have handles on bot ends, so he will be able to exercise while sitting in his chair, both leg and arms. This will help him to maintain his strength, and hopefully keep him stronger longer! I know he will use rhem, as it's all in the way you present them. "The longer you stay strong, the longer we can kerp you Out of the Nursing Home"!

Sox, undies, and jammy pants, zip up fleece sweatshirts, treats and snacks, a handheld magnifying glass. There are a couple of "Old Times" magazines out there, for those to reminisce about the old days, and I think the oldies would enjoy those too!

My FIL loves Old Spice aftershave, so we always get him some of that.

Mugs that have screw on tops, to prevent spilling, Christmas tangerines, re nice in a gift basket, eady to peel! A nice cozy throw, to pull up over their legs when its cold!

Yes, it's very hard to buy for our older LO's, as the have everything, have no room to put things, and they tend to hold on to gifts of clothing, for a special occasion, that never happens, if they never leave the house! My FIL's drawers are filled with clothing he never has worn, and probably never will!

Slippers! The Oldies wear out a couple pair a year, so they are always a good idea! A new bathrobe, and new towels too!

A gift certificate for house cleaning would be nice, I wouldn't mind receiving one of thos myself!
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Pam, I have too. I always carry a small note pad in my purse when I go there, slip outside for a moment, and make quick sketches of things I'd like to make myself. I've been tempted many a time to buy things that I don't need!
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I've actually gotten some good deals at Cracker Barrel.. they have some nice sales once in awhile.. moving older stock I guess?
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Cracker Barrel is especially nice because of the entry store and all the wall decorations with old time tools and other things that can bring back memories. The store is filled with a lot of attractive consumer goods, albeit many are from China.

But there are DVD racks of John Wayne, WWII and other historical DVDs that bring back memories for seniors.

The candy section has selections of goodies I had forgotten about completely. I wonder when I go there if any of those old time foods trigger memories for someone with any level of dementia. Some of the historical candies certainly do trick flashbacks for me.

I wonder if 40 or so years from now Cracker Barrel or another restaurant will have SmartPhones on their walls.
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I bought my mother some shoe stretchers and 3 pounds of fruitcake. She loves fruitcake
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I find that the elderly appreciate gift certificates to their local grocery store, pharmacy or hair dresser/barber.
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Another idea, large wall calendars, but the dates on the calendar need to be in bold print to make it easier to read. My Dad loved the Gary Paterson cat calendars, and my Mom loved calendars with bouquets of flowers.

Oh, another idea, if you have an elder who has trouble remembering what day it is, my Dad really liked his Day Clock which had one "hand" which showed what today was.... do not get the one with 3 "hands" that also work like a clock, way too confusing.
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Also, if you can bake familiar cookies or even make the dough or cookies ahead and then bake at your parents home in the oven while u visit is nice --that way they can smell the baking and this can be comforting and bring back sweet memories. Or maybe bring cider and cinnamon sticks and heat in a pot or bring hot in a thermos and enjoy together with your loved one. Just some nice flavors of the season can be much appreciated.
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The gift of your time and maybe a little outing. We will likely take mom to a nice lunch and then drive around town to see the Christmas lights.
I go to world market or Cracker Barrel and select a bunch of little treats, penny type candy, maple candies, small cheeses, breadsticks, cream sodas.
Another idea is to create a book of pictures that you can create thru shutterfly of happy family memories, a fun vacation, the beach or just places around town.
Seniors don't really want more things, but some small lotions, socks with non slip bottoms etc are always nice.
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Another idea that I find I need for myself.... ball point pens that are extra thick, some have a rubber grasp which makes these pens much easier to hold.
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Food, the last refuge of the elderly. Harry and David gourmet is pricey, but the presentation packaging is real nice, useful, even the plainer, cheaper boxes. The items are sealed up to last a long time.
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Another gift idea if one's parent are still able to write addresses on greeting cards... buy packages of cards from Hallmark [I remember when these cards use to be in boxes] and buy postage stamps. If you go online to the USPS they have a great selection of stamps to buy compared to what they offer at the local post office.
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Should add.... "even though you work for a nonprofit"? Do you demonstrate many devices, or just this particular brand?
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Since you mentioned "our presentation", I'm assuming that you're affiliated with this company?
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Wal-Mart and Best Buy just sell the device. The Great Call (Splash) has a call center. When a senior is in our presentation, they love to show off how it works. When they press the button, a rep answers immediately and asks if they need assistance. It also has fall detection. If it detects a fall, it will ask if the person needs assistance and if so, will call for an ambulance and notify a family member if the person wants that done. The fee varies on the plan that they sign up for. If you go on-line you can review what each offers. There are some really good features but the basic is sufficient for many seniors. My great aunt lived alone and would not move out of her house. Well, this 84 year old woman decided to paint her garage. She was up on a ladder and fell and shattered her knee. No one could hear her calling for help so she crawled about 50 feet then up 5 steps. We made her move closer to us and we got her an emergency alert device. It gave us and her peace of mind.
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Aloha, who monitors the life alert devices that are sold at Best Buy and Wal-Mart? I.e., who responds when the devices alert, or when the patient can't be reached?

I just did some research on the Great Call Splash website and found that monthly monitoring and activation is $49.99, apparently on special now for $37.49. Then I found another site that indicates monthly fee is $19.99.

And footnoted is this clarification:
"Monthly fees taken from websites 7/29/14."

I'm wondering what the monitoring source is as well as the costs, beyond the apparent purchase price.
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Many seniors either want or are curious about Emergency Alert devices. I work for a non-profit serving seniors and I was getting a lot of calls for advice. We do not get any commissions from anyone. Wal-Mart and Best Buy have Great Call Splash. It has some of the best functions and lowest price.
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For my Dad, who liked to save magazine articles, newspaper articles, save who knows what in very hard to open old 3-ring binders.....

So I got him a bunch of 3-ring binders, the newer ones are easy to open with just one tab to click open instead of two. I also got Dad an easy to use 3-hole punch which had a handle thing that made punching holes so simple [I even bought one for myself].
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I miss getting my mom something for christmas - but everything I bring over gets lost or "travels"
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Dad gave me a list of items he'd like for Christmas. It sounds good in theory, but I'd prefer to make some of my own choices as to what to give him. We did buy one item (a tin of shortbread cookies) that wasn't on his list.
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Oh boy! This is a hot button question for me. My mom is almost impossible to buy for when it comes to Christmas gifts. I had fabulous luck with Bon Ton stores (Herberger's for us) with their Breckenridge line of nice, warm and fuzzy tops. My mom loved only the zip up type with patch pockets and no collar. Well, guess what they discontinued this year? Every zip front top! Argh! They only have sweatshirts which she can't manage to pull over head.

Thankfully, I discovered some Alfred Dunner tops that perhaps, big perhaps, will fit the quotient. She is extremely picky right down to her choice of toothbrush. Life with a narcissist is no walk in the park.
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Yes, I do find it hard to know what to get them. I like the waxed flower idea. My grandma has the same problem of over watering her flowers. So just stocking them up with what they need is the best gifts?
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My mom has always loved flowers (she was a gardener when she had their home) and over the years I've gotten her big amaryllis bulbs to grow for Christmas. This year I found Trader Joe's has a "waxed" amaryllis bulb that doesn't need soil or water! It has a wire base so you just stand it on the sunny window sill and it will grow and bloom. So I got my mom one of those and took it over today. With the real thing, she'd be overwatering them and having water pour out all over the counter. So this new way of 'gardening' solves that problem.

And I second the idea of beautiful artificial flower arrangements. I got mom one with roses a few years ago and it still looks great. Just a couple of blooms in a glass vase with faux water. They look very realistic these days.

And I got her new flannel jammies that are pretty and warm. I also replaced her plastic drinking cups in her kitchen and bathroom. I just liked the idea of sprucing up her things that are old and tired looking.
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geewiz, yes, magazines are good... everyone likes getting mail.

I got my Dad "Popular Mechanics" "Readers Digest" "Remanence" "The Washingtonian" [local magazine]... plus he loved his weekly hometown newspaper.
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Seniors are funny to buy for --- they tend to save new clothing 'for a special occasion!" (MIL is 99 years old!!) With spills on clothing, shirts and tops that are prints and therefore disguise the spots may work! One year my nieces gave my Mom a VERY pretty articial flower arrangement. She loved it (always thought it was real) and I loved it since it didn't need watering!!!I guess it all depends upon the nature of the person and the challenges they face. For a woman it might be a trip to the beauty parlor (or a certificate if there is one in their facility) . SMALL doses of food treats. I noticed some visitors brought over huge layer cakes and batches of brownies. REALLY who is going to eat all of that. (Most of it end up in the garbage. But now, we are bringing over 'special desserts' once a week for our loved one and for each of the others at her lunch table. We visit before lunch, bring her down and leave the 'goodies' on the table for the group to enjoy. They squeal like 5 year olds -- OH girl scout cookies, or homemade cookies or watermelon or --- This is cheap enough and brings more pleasure than we had EVER anticipated. Magazine subscriptions if they can read them (reader's digest has a large print edition).
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In answer to your question though, if all the driving weren't an issue, I'd take my father to the Zoo's Wild Lights display to see the display of 5M lights on trees and buildings as well as over 200 animal sculptures.

I try to think what he would have done when he was younger and more mobile, what we did when we were children, and what would be special. Every year Dad drove the family around a specific area noted for its light displays. I drove him around a few neighborhoods last year; he enjoyed that.

I always liked the experience of selecting a tree, but I wouldn't take him onto a lot to walk around (dragging the oxygen concentrator) to find a tree that neither of us have any room for.
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FF, Norm Abrams would also be welcome. I can imagine long conversations about woodworking. Abrams was a true craftsman, a true artisan.

Thinking of your first post and how many people would be needed to substitute for what we do is a good reminder of the multiple roles caregivers play.
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^^^^ P.S. My Mom still wouldn't have let those people come into the house. Dad would let Bob Villa in :)
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GardenArtist, I know what you mean. I wished I could have clone Hazel to help with the housework.... clone Martha Stewart for holidays and birthday parties.... clone Bob Villa to help Dad with fix-it items.... clone Julie Childs for doing meals.... clone the Ice Road Truckers to drive my parents where ever they wanted to go.
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My mom (95) likes warm pj's.. I'm getting her some deep lavender, fluffy ones this Christmas. She always comments about how pretty my purple robe is. She also comments about my bling blouse. So if I see one like it, I may get her that too.
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