Whether you’ll be celebrating a loved one’s birthday soon, or are organized enough to be pre-holiday shopping, selecting the right gift for the senior in your life can be challenging. Here are some great gift ides for someone who has, well…everything!
Table of Contents
How to Determine the Type of Gift
When thinking of gift giving, we often ask ourselves “What do they need?” first. Some people ascribe to the belief that gift giving should be about getting the person what they need. But this is often best applied to those who might be younger, setting up house or having young children.
Gift giving can be age appropriate in that different ages need and want different items. Ask yourself if you’re going to be getting the recipient something they need or something they want (sometimes it can be both!). This can often help you as you choose exactly the right gift.
Taking the recipient’s personality into consideration will also help greatly. Are they a practical, no nonsense kind of personality? Or are they more whimsical and creative? Would they value something for the home or would they value an experience more than an actual item? Would they better enjoy something store-bought or handmade/homemade?
Click here for a terrific article on Strategies for Gift Giving.
PRO-TIP – If the recipient tells you what they would like, get it for them! We often want there to be an element of surprise, but if your loved one says, “I really want/need ________”, then your most generous gift would be what they’ve indicated they want. More of a challenge is the senior who says, “I don’t need anything” (see below for tips on that).
Because of this, below you’ll find a break down of different gift categories you may or may not have thought of.
Categories of Gifts for Seniors
Store-Bought Items
Practical:
- White noise/Sleep sound machine – like these
- Photo phones/Memory Dialer Phones – like these
- Non-slip socks – like these
- Pill Organizer – read more about medication management here
- Key Finder like – this one
- A universal big button remote – like these
Sentimental
- DNA Testing Kit – like the ones found on ancestry.com or 23andme.com.
- Have a puzzle made from a family photo – like these
- A family “book” that combines photos and text. These can be easily made on Shutterfly.com, Walmart.com or Walgreens.com.
- Keepsake Journal or Scrapbook – like the ones found here
Experiences
Sometimes, for the person who has everything, giving an “experience” as a gift is the best choice:
- Lifelike companion pets – like these
- Travel – For the healthy and mobile senior, this is a great gift. Perhaps a day trip to somewhere they’ve mentioned wanting to go. Perhaps tickets to an event, museum, concert or venue they would enjoy might be perfect.
- Classes – Perhaps your loved one would enjoy crafting, herbology, ethnic cooking or any number of diverse classes out there.
- Virtual reality experiences – Perhaps your oved one isn’t so mobile anymore. This doesn’t mean they can’t go somewhere! MyndVR has an amazing selection of virtual reality experiences for seniors.
“I don’t need anything”
This person is the toughest to give the right item to as they are resistant to help out with suggestions. You’ll have to put on your super-sleuth hat to determine what type of gift might be right for them. If they have a lot of “things”, then lean more towards “experience” gifts.
Another option might be “of-the-month” clubs or boxes. There is always that person who loves to read, or enjoy cheese, or even knit! Have a peek here for some great gift-of-the-month subscriptions for seniors.
Wrap Up
No matter the person or the event to be celebrated, the right present goes a long way to expressing how you feel about them. Putting in a little personalized effort will guarantee they don’t end up putting your gift on a shelf. Or worse, regifting it!
~ ~ ~
Do you have questions about how you can better support your loved one while they age in place in South Florida or regarding homecare in general? Please contact CareGivers of America here: Contact or call us toll free: 800-342-4197
*No information in this article is to be taken as advice, medical or otherwise. This post is not sponsored, but may contain external links to websites, articles or product examples. External links are used for example or refence purposes only and these links do not indicate specific product or website endorsement by CareGivers of America.