Useful gifts for older adults in your life

What are useful gifts for older adults in your life? Holiday gift giving is often a difficult task, especially when you’re searching for a useful gift for parents or grandparents who don’t have an answer for you when you ask what they would like for Christmas. The most valued gift you can give anyone is a gift of your time and personal attention, but we all want to give something that can be opened and enjoyed as well.

One resident at Canterbury Woods, a Front Porch community in Pacific Grove, wrote a Holiday Gift Guide – “or what should I ask my adult child to give me?” – for the most recent edition of the community’s newsletter and provides the following suggestions.

Gifts for safety

Safety is important at any age. Along with easily accessible and rechargeable flashlights that will be available in case of a power outage or other emergency, the Gift Guide recommends charging devices for other important equipment.

“We are dependent on hearing aids, cell phones, tablets and other small rechargeable items for our safety and comfort. During a power outage you need a back-up battery to recharge your small devices.” Check with your loved ones to ask what devices they depend on in their daily life so you can gift them with the right backup battery they can use during a power outage or in case of an emergency. It’s also a good idea to make sure they are able to set up the charging devices so that equipment will be ready in an emergency situation.

Gifts for warmth and comfort

For warmth and comfort, the Gift Guide suggests a silk scarf. “Silk has magical properties,” the guide notes. “Wrapping your neck with a silk scarf is equivalent to putting on a sweater or light jacket. A silk scarf is easily rolled up in a pocket until you need it. Wrap your neck when chilly, loosen as you warm up and stuff back into a pocket when too warm.” Silk scarves are available for everyone, regardless of gender, and come in a wide array of styles, patterns and price points.

If silk is not their style, “Fleece, wool, down and silk all hold warmth in,” the Gift Guide notes. “A down lap robe will keep the heat in when you are sitting. Toss it on the bed when you turn in and double the warmth of your bedding.”

For another option, a buckwheat neck wrap is also a great way to give your loved ones some winter warmth, according to the Gift Guide. “Follow the instructions for heating in the microwave then wrap around your neck before curling up under your fleece or down throw,” it says, along with a warning: test the heating times in the microwave to ensure that the wrap is warm, but not hot enough to burn skin. Be especially careful as you test the temperature, knowing that as people get older, their skin becomes thinner and may burn more easily.

Gifts for coffee lovers

For the coffee or tea drinkers in your life, the Gift Guide suggests an insulated travel mug to keep beverages hot (or cold). Look for lightweight travel mugs that incorporate ergonomic designs and secure lids that are easy to use. “Lids range from very complicated to simple and from ones that seal to ones that dribble.” Push button lid designs are easier for people with arthritis or reduced hand strength. A search for “best travel mugs for seniors” can give further recommendations and reviews.

Travel mugs are not just useful for drivers. If your coffee-loving parent or grandparent uses a walker, consider installing a cup holder on the handlebar. “Ask your child to deliver an 8 oz travel cup with lid and cup holder for your walker so you can carry your coffee home,” the Gift Guide states, adding, “This gift should include installation!”

Gift giving at any age

These suggestions are for useful gifts. Fun gifts are important too. Whatever the age of the gift recipient, gift giving requires attention to the individual, not the latest trend. These suggestions are only a starting point as you consider all you know about each person. Giving even a few minutes to think about the individual recipient – their personal circumstances, their history, their personality, their likes and dislikes – before you begin to shop can save you time and effort as you search for meaningful gifts for the people you love.