Holiday Gift Guide for the Seniors in Your Life

Buying gifts for seniors can be tough any time of year, and that includes the holidays. Many older adults just seem to have everything they need. And those who have downsized and moved to an assisted living community typically have less room to store or display their treasures. Beyond the space limitations, an assisted living community’s amenities and services provide for most of a senior’s needs, from on-site beauty/barber shops to transportation.

Yet we all want to make sure our family elders know how much they are loved, appreciated, and included in all the season’s festivities. That’s why we created this holiday gift guide. We hope it will give families some ideas and inspiration.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Seniors in the Family

Our first suggestion is to think about how your family member enjoys spending their time. Do they have any hobbies, or are there things they like to do but don’t splurge on very often? You might get them a gift card for a spa pedicure or two, or a few gift cards to their favorite restaurants. You could also consider supplies for creating a kitchen herb garden or for making homemade sourdough bread.

Sometimes, there are generational differences that are easy to overlook. Spending a little time focusing on what is important to this generation of seniors might help you come up with some good ideas for holiday gifts. For example, many elders prefer to send and receive letters and cards versus using email and text messaging. You could put together a package of supplies they can use to do that.

Here are a few suggestions to include:

• Attractive stationery and cards personalized with their name (maybe have address labels printed, too)
• A box of thank-you notes with a few sheets of postage stamps
• A personalized pen-and-pencil set in a pretty box

Another idea is to give the gift of time spent with families. These are known as experience gifts. They can be memorable for seniors and their families alike. Some experience gifts you might want to explore are:

• Plan a family day or night out, such as dinner at a nice restaurant preceded or followed by an intergenerational movie.
• Schedule a movie night of a different kind. This one would feature family videos—the older, the better! If you don’t have any to share, use old and new family photos to create a slideshow.
• Think about an event or activity your senior loved one has always wanted to do and find a way to make it happen. It might be something as simple to arrange as going for a hot air balloon ride or as big as throwing out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game.
• Taking a class together is another great way to bond and make memories. Watercolor painting, pottery, piano, guitar, or chair yoga can all be enjoyed across the generations. You could even investigate virtual classes through platforms such as Skillshare or MasterClass.

Gifts for Seniors in Assisted Living

When choosing gifts for a senior loved one who resides in an assisted living community, you might need to take space restrictions into consideration. Here are a few smaller gift ideas for adults to enjoy opening during the holiday season:

• Assemble a basket of word search puzzles, crossword puzzle books, and maybe even a battery-operated, handheld Solitaire game.
• Your loved one may have fun playing board games with the grandkids. Have the kids shop with you to pick out a few favorites.
• Purchase some scented soap for their kitchenette and bathroom, along with new towels for both rooms.
• Slippers with non-skid soles make a great gift while also decreasing their risk for a fall.
• Seniors in assisted living communities often like to change the wreaths on their door for every holiday or season. These can also make good gifts.
• Does your loved one have a charity or cause that is near and dear to them? Make a donation in their honor this holiday season. Ask the charity for a card or letter explaining the gift, and share it with your loved one.

Digital devices are also popular with residents of assisted living communities. A senior can read an e-book borrowed from the local library, email friends, or catch up on family news via Facebook. Holiday gifts that help them make the most of their investment in an electronic device include:

• An online subscription to a streaming service or a few of their favorite magazines
• Gift cards to purchase books or music online (sites like Bookshop.org allow you to support independent bookstores while still shopping online)
• A portable power bank charger that makes it easy to recharge their devices

Give the Gift of Safety

One final suggestion for your loved one is a mobile monitoring unit. These discreet devices can slip into a pocket. If the senior experiences an emergency, a simple press of a button will connect them with help. Call 1-844-203-5617 to learn more!