If you read my last post, you know that we have started Carecember, an event on the blog all about older adults and the holidays. Today, we are going to talk about gifting ideas for any seniors in your life. One of the hardest part of shopping for older adults is that they may have a lot of “stuff” already. Keep this gift guide in mind as you are shopping for the older adults in your lives.
Subscriptions
This is a great gift for people who are into something (like wine, cheese, chocolate, etc) because just because you like something does not mean you can or want to buy it on a regular basis. There are subscriptions for everything these days, and they can be for any length of time or frequency. The budget on this idea is also very flexible because of that reason. It also keeps them guessing throughout the whole year.
Upgrades
These very practical gifts may not be winners with everyone, but some people will really enjoy it. Is there anything old, worn down or broken in their house that they’ve taken a while to replace? These can be great gifts if the recipient is very practical and you know exactly what they want. This could backfire if they have a specific replacement in mind already that you don’t know about.
Experiences
If someone has all the “stuff” they need, and they’re able to get out of the house pretty easily either by themselves or with your help, experiences can be a great gift. The great thing about this one is that you can use it regardless of whether or not you live near them. The best case if they need assistance leaving the house, you would need someone to accompany them. So if you gave them tickets to their favorite play, for example, you’d need to give them two tickets. If you do live near them and are able to go with them to whatever it is you decide to gift them, then the gift is also long-lasting memories with their loved ones. Great examples here include concert or theater tickets, tickets to an event with their favorite author, or tickets to their favorite botanical garden or museum. The key here is to get them tickets to places they’d love to go to but have never been to or haven’t been to in a while.
What are you thinking about gifting the older adults in your life? I know that everyone has different abilities, so hopefully one of these ideas works for you and your family.
Written by Brigid Stakelum
