As you shop for gifts that your loved one will find thoughtful and useful, consider custom gifts, framed photos, smart speakers, homemade gifts, and more. Whether you’re looking for gifts for someone in a nursing home, assisted living, or memory care, shopping can be tricky. It’s more than just choosing a gift that you know they’ll love — consider what role the gift will serve, such as adding convenience or comfort to daily life. You should also think about space limitations and facility guidelines, including safety restrictions on appliances and decorations.
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Memories become easily accessible in scrapbooks, making them great gifts for assisted living or memory care residents. Scrapbooks are easy to store, and they can hold many photos without needing electricity or outlets, like digital picture frames require. Scrapbooks can also make great homemade gifts, and putting them together yourself adds a personal touch.
Pictures capture special memories in time and allow seniors to look back fondly on those moments. Remember, some assisted living communities and nursing homes don’t allow nails or screws in the walls, so check first before hanging anything. Free-standing picture frames or photo collage towers are great ways to bring special memories back to life in assisted living. You can also consider using damage-free picture frame adhesive instead of nails.
Any gift that’s customized to reflect important milestones or memories is sure to put a smile on your loved one’s face.
Consider any of these options:
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New stationery sets help seniors in assisted living communities and nursing homes stay in touch with their friends and family. Plus, many elderly adults still appreciate the art of sending a handwritten letter. Find a stationery set that includes everything they might need, including envelopes, a pen, and letters with a design they’ll love.
You can add a set of stamps to make it even easier for your elderly loved one to continue their correspondence. Also, consider encouraging family members of all ages to write and send letters, because a handwritten note can be just as meaningful as any gift.
Friendship lamps and touch bracelets are a unique way to connect from afar. These items come in sets of two, so you and your senior relative can send unique signals when you’re thinking of one another.
Friendship lamps let you communicate by sending a colorful light signal to your loved one or sharing a recorded voice message. Some lamps also light up in a specific way when you and your loved one interact with the lamp at the same time, making it feel as though you’re together even when you’re far apart.
Touch bracelets work in a similar way. With just a tap or press, your loved one’s bracelet will vibrate and light up, letting them know you’re thinking of them.
Make coffee time a little more fun with a Keurig or another small, single-serve coffee pod machine. With these machines, seniors can quickly and easily make themselves a cup of tea or coffee, and there are more pod flavors available than you can count. These machines don’t take up a lot of space, and they’re easy to clean.
Smart speakers, such as Amazon’s Echo Spot, can serve many purposes and are easy to use with voice commands. If your loved one is comfortable using technology, consider signing them up for a Spotify subscription and making a playlist of their favorite songs. You can also preload podcasts, music, and other media apps that your loved one can use with their new smart speaker.
Smart speakers can help with the following:
With an able tray, seniors have extra support when getting up or sitting down. They typically feature a convenient handle designed to provide stability. These trays are great for small suites because they can be used with chairs, beds, or couches.
Able trays are also adjustable and multifunctional. They feature built-in cup holders and can hold a plate, tablet, or book.
Tablets are versatile and compact entertainment options for senior living spaces. Some models are relatively inexpensive, and they only need a charger and Wi-Fi connection to get started.
Tablets are great for many interests, including:
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Just because they’re in assisted living doesn’t mean your loved one’s passions have waned. Sports memorabilia is a quick and easy way to personalize their suite and remind them of the things they love.
Great gift options include:
As a bonus, most of these items are relatively small, easy to display, and can be an excellent conversation piece.
To add a personal touch to any gift that supports your loved one’s hobby, consider ways to customize your gift. These types of gifts let seniors know that you’ve payed attention to their interests.
Some ways to make small gifts more personal include:
Sewing, knitting, and crocheting are popular hobbies for many seniors in assisted living. Consider a kit that has everything a craft enthusiast might need for their work. You can find kits for beginners and experts alike.
You may want to check if the facility your loved one lives in has a craft room. Find out what tools they already have available to make sure your gifts complement those.
If your loved one already has plenty of supplies, consider a bright crafting lamp and a magnifying glass to make it easier for them to enjoy this hobby. Many of these are relatively small, and the lights and magnifying glass can be easily adjusted and moved for different crafts.
Does your loved one have a green thumb? Gift them gardening accessories that’ll make their time in the garden even more relaxing and enjoyable. If your loved one only has access to a window, they may still enjoy potted plants and indoor gardening.
Think about what your senior relative’s gardening space looks like in assisted living. Any of the following options make great gardening gifts, depending on what they have access to:
Add comfort to your loved one’s stay in their assisted living community or nursing home by gifting them a nice pair of house slippers that can be worn in their room or around the property — maybe even a pair for both. When picking out a pair of slippers, consider those that are easy to wash and have grip on the bottom for extra support when walking to avoid slips and falls. Also, consider those that hold the entire foot, because open-backed slippers may slide off and could be a tripping hazard.
Even if your loved one needs assistance with bathing, shower gels or bath bombs are a great way to add luxury and relaxation to the routine. Think about a fragrance your loved one enjoys, and pick out a shower gel or bath bomb with notes of that scent. Scents are a great way to remind your loved one of a special time in their life and bring that feeling into their new home. Plus, aromatherapy has several benefits for seniors experiencing cognitive decline.
Gifts don’t have to be expensive or store-bought to be meaningful. Gather the family and create a homemade gift that your senior loved one will cherish just as much as any other gift — or perhaps more. For instance, you can create a simple yet heartfelt card that notes fond memories and reasons why you cherish your elderly family member. If there are young grandchildren, help them add their own touches to the card, such as their names or handprints.
Homemade artwork is another way to show seniors how much you care. Depending on your talents and available resources, you can create art like paintings, pottery, or simple jewelry.
Or, consider creating a homemade blanket that can provide a warm and comforting touch to your loved one’s senior living unit. Quilts and crochet blankets can be simple to make and are another way to get the family involved. Ask everyone to contribute pieces of fabric or skeins of yarn, and before you know it, your senior loved one has a handmade gift created by the people they love.
Putting together a basket of your loved one’s favorite things is a great way to make them smile. Think about favorite snacks, lotions, reading and puzzle books, drinks, or other small items they use. Add their favorite flowers or even those they may have grown at home to complete the presentation. Gift baskets can also come in handy if you can’t decide on one single gift, because they allow you to combine plenty of your loved one’s favorite things.
No matter the occasion, picking out gifts for assisted living residents can be challenging. But, with the right frame of mind, finding the perfect gift can be a source of joy for you and your loved one. The gesture will be something both of you remember for a long time.
Original article by former A Place for Mom copywriter Michaela Kitchen.
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