10 Great Gift Ideas for Seniors

When those holidays come rolling by, its always a challenge to get the perfect gifts for your friends, family, and loved ones. Theres no way of knowing for sure whether your recipients will like what you got them, so often we find ourselves scrambling to navigate those aisles in search of the ideal present. The challenge becomes even trickier when buying gifts for our beloved senior citizens.

Its hard to think up a good gift for our seniors because we can never be sure whether these are things theyd use or not. Luckily, this helpful list will create some clarity and help you figure out just what to get for that special senior in your life.

Red Wine

Research has shown that red wine can reap numerous benefits for older individuals if taken in moderation. Get your beloved one a bottle of fine red wine and explain to them how it can help reduce some of the risks and burdens brought about by the common conditions in old age. Just remind them to take in moderation.

Smartphone or Tablet

Its never too late to start them on technology. Give them a user-friendly smartphone or tablet to give them the chance to reconnect with friends and family, or to keep their minds active during those slow days at home. Why not show them some games that stimulate their brains and eye-hand coordination, sign them up for a social networking site like Facebook so they can connect with family members and old friends around the world, use Facetime (on iPads) and Skype Video (on all platforms) to speak with grandkids, search for their interest (knitting, craft, etc.), or simply catch up with the news? It can be initially tricky to teach them the ropes, but once the one-time wi-fi access is set up and they get the hang of it just touching some buttons, youll be happy you got it for them.

Puzzle Books

A great way to keep memory and intellectual skills intact is to exercise the mind with puzzles and games. Give your special senior a collection of different puzzle games to keep help keep them sharp and to give them a little something to occupy their down time.

Magazine Subscription

There are some great health, travel, and living magazines that can be of great interest to most senior citizens. Consider getting a monthly subscription for a quality magazine so they always have something to read, and so theyre always updated on the latest happenings and trends. If there is a tablet, they can also get all kinds of magazines on-line.

MP3 Player Preloaded With Songs or Audiobooks

Music is ageless “ everyone loves hearing a familiar tune! Why not get your beloved senior an mp3 player, a tablet, or an ebook reader preloaded with songs and audiobooks that you think theyd like.

Out of Town Trip with The Family

Whats better than spending time with the people you love? Its probably been a while since youve taken a family trip anyway. If your loved one is physically able, pack those bags and hop in the car! Its about time you spent some good, clean, family fun with your parents or grandparents.

Weekend Workshop To Start A New Hobby

Most seniors find that their problem is finding meaningful activity to fill their days. Why not give them a prepaid weekend workshop to help discover a new hobby or renew an old one? It could be pottery, painting, sculpting, or whatever else! The point is to find something they might like to do more often.

Family Photo Album

Seniors love looking through family photos “ its how they relive the times of old. Prepare a family photo album”physically or digitally“with lots of old pictures of you, your family, and friends, as well as photos of your beloved senior so they never forget the great times you had. There are many sources of ordering on-line special photo albums in the form of books with your pictures”you just supply the design and they will do the custom POD (print on demand) for a very reasonable price, delivered.

Customized Gift Basket

Get them some health-conscious goodies from the store and package it all in a pretty little basket “ plus an extra sweet treat or two. Theyre just bound to love this! For example, coffee has been considered a miracle food for years, and the same thing goes for tea. Why not give them a collection of different kinds of tea and coffee so they can try to mix it up and find out what flavours they like the most.

Give Qualicare Family Homecare a call for more gift inspirations. We can discuss the needs and wants of your loved one and come up with the perfect gift idea together. Just visit our website or call 613.366.3899.