Anytime Gifts That Seniors Will Actually Use
Anytime Gifts That Seniors Will Actually Use
Coming up with gift ideas for grandparents or elderly parents can be a real headache for many people. Most grandparents have more stuff than they could possibly ever use.
There is nothing they need and very little they want. So, what do you give someone who has almost everything, and their house is already full of family photos, albums, personalized mugs, slippers and bath oils?
Here are some gift giving suggestions to get you started. Those gift ideas are perfect for any occasion.
Independence is a thing that seniors – and everyone, for that matter – really tend to value very highly. Maintaining independence promotes a sense of achievement that for many older people generates a great sense of self-worth and well-being.
The key to maintaining a senior’s independence is to keep them safe and one of the basic areas of safety is their home. This makes assistive devices very good gift ideas.
For the Bathroom
For seniors who have difficulty bending or limited mobility due to an injury, the bathroom is probably the most dangerous room of the house. Bathroom accessories, like bathtub grips, can provide a sense of security when using the shower and would be really appreciated. Make sure to offer to help install these handles for them.
There are several types of grips you can get, but probably some of the best ones are those that lock over the side of the bathtub. Unlike other grab bars that use suction cups for attachment, the ones that clamp into the bathtub wall will not slip out of position.
Example: This Medline Bathtub Bar locks to the side of the tub
For the Kitchen
While the kitchen is often referred to as the “heart of the house,” it can be a very dangerous place for our aging loved–ones. While cooking fires happen to all people of all ages, older adults have a higher risk of injury from these, in part, due to the fact that their responses and physical abilities diminish as they grow older. In fact, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), people over the age of 65 have a 2.5 times greater risk of dying in a kitchen fire than the general population.
Cooktops and ranges are most frequently implicated in kitchen accidents. Elderly people are more likely to forget to turn burners off after removing pans, leave food unattended on the burner or lose track of cooking times. Others that have arthritis or Parkinson’s disease can easily spill food and ignite a fire.
This makes an 
Only the pot gets hot, so spilled food will never burn. This also makes it very easy to clean. Another big plus – these cooktops cook faster than gas and electric cooktops, which saves energy and money.
Example: NutriChef Portable Induction Cooktop
For Organizing Medications
An inexpensive way to help an older person remain healthy and independent is to support them in taking their medication every day. Managing medications can be a challenge for many old people, especially when certain prescriptions must be taken at specific times during the day. This task can be even more daunting for people with multiple diseases who often end up taking multiple medications at the same time. The more drugs they use, the more likely they are not to remember to take them.
One gift that can help simplify medication management, giving peace of mind and maximizing independence, is a pill organizer. They come in a variety of styles, from daily to monthly storage options, and variety of sizes.
Ask your elderly parents or find out how many pills they need to take and look for an organizer that has compartments big enough for them. Also, find a pill organizer that is easy to open, because many older people struggle with so-called “child proof” tops.
The 
Help With Groceries
An interesting gift option for elderly people who have everything is a voice-activated grocery and errand list organizer. Sometimes people forget things, like what they wanted to buy from the store, end up with a diet that resembles the worst of hospital food – microwave meals and frozen foods. An organizer like that can be very helpful.
The 
The sorting option can be very useful for seniors, because everything they need from each area in the grocery store will be grouped together and they won’t need to aimlessly wander the isles to find an item. Another handy feature is its magnetic back, which allows to keep the organizer on the fridge door.
The device has almost 2500 items in its database, but there are not all just grocery items. There are many errand items such as: Gas Station, Pay Bills, Dentist, FedEx, etc.
Home Cooked Meals
Home-cooked meals are so appreciated by older people who live alone or in an assisted living facility. Prepare several of their favorite meals and freeze them in portions so they can take them out easily and only have to re-heat them. If your grandparents live relatively close to you, you can make a gift certificate inviting them for one dinner a month at your home for a year. Offer to pick them up and drive them home, too!
Have some disposable take-out containers on hand, so they don’t have to worry about washing or returning your casserole dishes.
Better Sleep
Quality sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being. In fact, sleep is as essential as food, and creating healthy sleeping patterns is just as important as eating right. Unfortunately, some of the most common problems the older generation experience are insomnia and sleep issues. An awesome gift that can help them deal with sleep disorders is a Sleep Sound Machine. Those machines play calming nature sounds that help people fall asleep faster, relax, or just block out distracting noises.
Since audio quality is very important part of masking distracting sounds, it is better to get a sleep machine with really good speakers. One such machine is Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine. In fact, Sleep+Sounds has all of the features you could possibly want in a sound machine – 30 rich and immersive non-repeating sound environments, adaptive Sound listens to your environment and responds instantly by adjusting audio volume, front panel lighting automatically dims for distraction-free rest, and a sleep timer.
This machine is also tiny and light, meaning that seniors can take it with them whenever they visit family or go on holidays.
For Mood and Well-Being
Older people, and those who are homebound or bed-ridden, sometimes don’t get outside enough and don’t get exposed to enough natural light, which can disrupt their sleep-wake cycle. If you are looking for a good, useful gift for an elderly parent or grandparent like that, consider getting them a light therapy lamp, such as the 
These lamps mimic the brightness of the sun, stimulating the body’s production of vitamin D, and thus, boosting mood and well-being. In a way, they work like antidepressants, but without the side effects of the medications. They can also help those who suffer from winter blues, which makes them great gifts for Christmas, too.
When you look for a light therapy lamp, you need to make sure it emits 10,000 lux of light. “Lux” is a measurement of the intensity of light and 10,000 lux is the optimum light level that best mimics natural outdoor light. This means that it can be used for shorter time periods than a lamp that is not as bright. For comparison, the light on a typical, overcast day can be between 1,000 and 2,000 lux and on a very bright, sunny day – between 32,000 and 100,000 lux.
If you find a product that offers intensities higher than 10,000 lux, you should know that intensities higher than 10,000 lux have not been studied for safety or efficacy.
Healthy Food Delivery
All of us would like to have our parents and grandparents around as long as we possibly can, so a healthy food delivery is another excellent gift choice. Sign your grandparents or elderly parents up for a food delivery membership, for example, and every month they will receive a package of the best orchard-fresh fruit of each season. It will not only make you happy to know that they will have something healthy to eat delivered every month, but you will be amazed how much your grandmother or grandfather will love this gift idea. Depending on their tastes, you can also sign them up for a cheese club, coffee or tea club of the month.
Examples:
Now, this is neat … Old Time Candy Company sells nostalgic candy from eras past: you can select the decade you grew up in and purchase the candy you remember having as a kid! It’s a real trip!
Or try AmazonFresh!
Memory Journals
Grandparents love to be sentimental and brag about their kids and grandkids, and when a holiday comes around, they often get overloaded with framed family photos and albums. Although seniors love receiving these photos, they probably have enough already and will enjoy getting a different sentimental gift.
A nice way to express your love for them is to show interest in their life’s journey. Give them a memory journal, for example. A memory journal is a book that contains all kind of memory-jogging questions about person’s life, and makes it easy for a senior to write his or her life story by answering those questions right in the book. This is a great way for them to record their life stories and pass them to the next generations.
Some good memory journals that will make fantastic gifts are:
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Shopping Cart with Seat
Whether they are making a trip to the corner store, the farmers market, carrying stuff to friends’ house or waiting in line at the pharmacy to fill a prescription, a senior will appreciate the convenience of a carrying cart with a built-in seat.
Such a cart would also be a very nice gift idea for anyone who lives in a crowded urban area and uses public transportation when grocery shopping or enjoys going to local street fairs or other events where seating is limited.
There are many carts on the market. This Trolly Dolly Stair-Climbing Foldable Handcart with Built-in Seat is a nice choice; its rubber wheels have a large arc triangular support, and its a sturdy cart made or steel pipe. The seat can support 300 lbs, and it has a non-slip hands and waterproof, odor-free fabric.
Folds Easily into a Compact Design
Strong, Comfortable Seat – 300 lb Capacity
Handy Step For Reaching High Items
Massage Pillow
Elderly people often suffer from a variety of age-related diseases such as arthritis, diabetes or heart disease. As a result, they have poor circulation and limited physical capability. Massage can help them relieve muscle pain, joint stiffness, poor blood circulation and even mental stress.
If your elderly parents or grandparents suffer from back aches and neck pains, then a massage pillow would be an amazing gift for them.
One massage pillow worth considering is the Etekcity Shiatsu Massager. This pillow reliefs pain using Shiatsu massage technique. Shiatsu (meaning “finger pressure”) is a form of massage that originated in Japan and applies gentle but firm pressure with the thumbs, hands, knees and elbows to different points on the body.
The pillow uses 4 rotating balls to provide deep-kneading motion, and heating elements to relax the muscles even further. The rotating balls do a pretty good job of simulating the kneading fingers of a professional massage therapist.
Because of its compact size, the Etekcity Shiatsu Massager pillow can apply concentrated pressure to specific areas of the body like the neck, shoulders, lower back, feet, calves etc., which are problematic areas for many people. Another excellent aspect of this massage pillow is its portability. It can be used almost anywhere – on different types of chairs, sofas and car seats.
Hobby Baskets
Many older people have hobbies they love. Do a little snooping to find out what the senior on your gift list enjoys making. You might find a gift idea or two.
If grandma likes crafts, put together a nice gift basket with a hot glue gun, scissors, glue sticks, and other crafting supplies that she can use in different projects.
You can do the same for your grandpa and his favorite hobbies.
If they are not really able to enjoy active hobbies anymore (like fishing or golfing), get them a subscription to a related magazine so they can read about them.
Some Magazine Ideas:
Encouraging grandparents to take up new hobbies, or revisit old ones, can improve their quality of life.
For Gardening
For those seniors who still have access to a vegetable or flower garden, yard or patio, useful gardening accessories can make fantastic gifts.
Some Ideas:
Garden kneelers can prevent knee-pain while weeding.
Example: Ohuhu Garden Kneeler and Seat with Bonus Tool Pouch
Ergonomic gardening tools, including clippers, are easier for older hands to use.
Example: UKOKE Ergonomic Garden Tool Set for Men and Women
These attractive Meadow Design Gardening Clogs by Backdoor Shoes have an extra comfortable arch support.
Lightweight hoses are easier to coil up and put away.
Plant markers and packs of seeds are always appreciated!
And speaking of seeds, this White Mountain Garden Seeds Puzzle is a stunning vintage montage. It 1,000 extra large pieces; a puzzle lover who gardens would surely enjoy it!
This White Mountain Garden Seeds Puzzle is gorgeous! It includes 1,000 extra large pieces.
If your parents or grandparents are retired farmers, who always obsess over the weather because it dominates their livelihood, or if they’re simply weather buffs, they will probably be happy to receive something useful, like a remote rain gauge, as a gift. It is a handy unit that can help them with their garden irrigation needs without getting wet or simply help them stay on top of the local weather situation.
A very cool gift for the weather buff – This Ambient Weather WIFI Observer Solar-Powered Wireless WiFi Remote Monitoring Weather Station also has Solar Radiation and UV indicators.
Even a very simple gift, such as boot jack (or boot remover), can be really useful for gardeners, farmers and those who live in rural areas. The elderly will find this little gadget handy for slipping off their boots or shoes before entering the house.
For Watching TV
Watching television and movies can be such a pleasure as we get older. For older people who live with others, however, it can be difficult to negotiate a volume that works for everyone. An excellent gift that will allow people with hearing loss to listen at their own volume without disturbing anyone else is a TV listening device.
There are a number of TV listening devices on the market that can help an elderly person hear the TV better, but the best options available today are the wireless radio frequency systems. There are others that use infrared technology instead of radio frequency, but they have a drawback that can be very annoying. An infrared signal is “line of sight,” which means a person needs to be in front of the transmitter, with nothing in the way, in order to hear the TV properly. If they turn their head to the side, to look out of the window, for example, they will lose the audio for a second. In comparison, a radio frequency signal can transmit through walls or obstructions.
The 
Brain Training Games
Brain-training games are great gifts for elderly people. Just as everyone can benefit from exercising their body, brain training can help seniors improve their memory, awareness, reasoning, and other cognitive skills. Whether these games delay dementia is still unclear, but constant brain challenges are certainly better than just watching TV.
Some Examples:
Brain Games® #1: Lower Your Brain Age in Minutes a Day
Home Satellite Radio
A nice gift idea for an older couple that lives in the suburbs, or in an isolated rural community, is a home satellite radio and SiriusXM subscription. They usually don’t have as many choices, in terms of radio channels, as people living in big cities. With a home satellite radio they can enjoy tons of channels with, sports, news, talk radio, or their favorite music, especially if they spend a lot of time at home.
Other Inexpensive and Useful Gifts
Some people may feel that gift vouchers are impersonal, but older generations welcome them with open arms. They are useful and most importantly, they are clutter-free gifts. If you have grandparents or elderly parents who are on a fixed income, get them pre-paid cards for their favorite restaurant or for the grocery store.
Do a little snooping to find out what your elderly relative enjoys and uses the most. Many businesses that you may not expect to do in fact offer gift certificates, including:
- Veterinarians
- Pharmacies
- Hair salons
- Pet food stores
Some Examples:
grocery delivery
prescription pick-up
paying a utility, newspaper or cable bill
breakfast or lunch in a restaurant
take their car for a wash and wax
pay someone to do their yard work
pay someone to clean their house
Remember, even if your parent or grandparent says they don’t need anything, there are always gadgets, tools, services and activities to make their lives easier especially if they live alone.
Thanks for visiting and reading … I hope this article provided you some helpful ideas. I welcome your comments below.
-Laurie
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