Great Gifts for Older People
As people age, they need more care and fewer things. Still when holidays and birthdays roll around, it’s nice to have a gift. The trick is bringing something that will be useful and enjoyable and not end up collecting dust.
Photo Album
Almost everyone loves photographs – young and old alike. Older people living in retirement homes or assisted living West County MO often have a limited amount of space to display framed pictures. An alternative is to create a living photo album. Start at the back and fill it up with pictures from the year. As more things happen that you want to share, add them in, working towards the front. When the picture of the grandkids needs to be updated, slide the old one into the album and put the new one in the frame. When you reach the front, start over with another album.
Lifelike Pet
Most assisted living communities or nursing homes don’t allow pets other than a weekly visit from a trained therapy dog. If your relative is missing a furry friend, buy him or her a battery-operated cat that purrs and twitches its tail and head. It’s like the grown-up version of a stuffed animal that provides comfort and companionship, without the shedding.
Record Player
Your grandparents may have a groovy collection of LP records and no place to play them. Instead of trying to explain how to download a playlist of their favorite songs from yesteryear, buy them a record player. Most older people grew up when this was the main way to listen to music so it shouldn’t take more than a brief reminder lesson to explain how the player operates. The scratchy sound the records make as they play will bring back some fine memories of a time gone by.
It’s important that elderly people not feel forgotten, but they just may not have space for another ceramic elephant or throw pillow. Choose thoughtful gifts that consider their current circumstances.
