Make the best senior care decision
Whether it’s for their birthday, a holiday, an anniversary, or just a moment to celebrate, selecting gifts for a loved one in assisted living can be tricky. It’s more than just trying to figure out what they want. You also have to consider facility restrictions and space limitations. With the following list of gift ideas, you’ll find gifts that your loved one will find thoughtful, useful, and comforting.
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When considering what gift to get for a loved one living in assisted living, there are a lot of factors to consider. Remembering appliance restrictions, suite- and apartment-size limitations, and rules for décor and other facility policies is important while shopping. You’ll want to pick out something that’s valuable or adds convenience to daily life. It helps to think about what role the gift will serve. With this high-level list, you can begin brainstorming general gift ideas that add meaningful value to seniors’ lives.
A great way to add a personal touch to assisted living is with sentimental gifts. These are gifts that remind your loved one of special memories, and they regularly remind the senior that you love and cherish them.
Memory lives forever and becomes easily accessible in scrapbooks, making them great gifts for assisted living residents. Scrapbooks are easy to store, and they don’t need electricity or outlets like digital picture frames do. Plus, putting them together yourself adds an extra touch of care.
Pictures capture special memories in time and allow us to look back fondly on those moments. Remember some assisted living homes don’t allow nails or screws in the walls, so check first before hanging anything. Free-standing picture frames or photo collage towers are great ways to bring special memories back to life in assisted living. You can also consider hooks that adhere with gentile adhesive stickers.
Whether it’s a blanket with a picture of the family farm printed on it, pillows with a wedding date embroidered on them, a homemade holiday decoration like a wreath of holly from bushes back home, or a coffee mug featuring a favorite religious verse, there are many customizable items to choose from.
A cookbook of family-favorite recipes a great reminder of family traditions, memories, and dishes. Be sure to keep the assisted living facility’s cooking amenities in mind when thinking about recipes to include. If your loved one’s suite only has a kitchenette, it may be hard to make more complex meals that need full kitchens. If any of the recipes make your loved one particularly happy, you might ask the facility staff if the community’s kitchen staff can prepare it.
Friendship lamps and touch bracelets are a unique way to connect from afar. These items come in sets of two, and with just a tap or press, your loved one’s lamp or bracelet illuminates, letting them know you’re thinking of them.
These gift ideas can make life easier around the home and assisted living facility. These are gifts that cater to daily wants and needs, with convenience being the focus.
Make coffee time a little more fun with a Keurig or another small single-serve-coffee-pod machine. With these machines, seniors can quickly and easily make themselves a cup of tea or coffee, and there are more flavors available than you can count. These machines don’t take up a lot of space, and they are easy to clean.
Smart speakers allow you to preload apps that your loved one might like. These speakers are easy to use with voice commands. If your loved one is cozy with tech, consider signing them up for a Spotify subscription and making a playlist of their favorite songs. With just a voice command, these speakers can look up facts, tell your loved one the weather, offer medication reminders, play music, and so much more. Additionally, Amazon and other companies are offering more and more speaker products that can integrate with several home systems.
With an able tray, seniors have extra support when getting up or sitting down. These trays are great for small suites because they can be used with chairs, beds, or couches. Able trays are also multifunctional and can hold a plate, tablet, or book.
Tablets are great as they have so many uses, are small, now sometimes relatively inexpensive, and just need a charger and Wi-Fi connection. Whether your loved one is a game and puzzle lover, an avid reader, or a movie watcher, tablets have them covered. Tablets are also great as many can support video calling, helping your loved one stay in touch with family and friends.
Add to your loved one’s favorite pastimes with gifts that cater to their hobbies. No matter what it is they like to do, hobby accessories are sure to make your family member happy.
Just because they’re in assisted living doesn’t mean your loved one’s passions have waned. Gift your loved one a favorite team’s history in book format, a signed ball, or an item featuring a team logo — a poster, pennant, jersey, or sign. Sports memorabilia is a quick and easy way to personalize their suite and remind them of the things they love.
If your parent enjoys playing cards, consider getting them a deck with a favorite picture on the front. Or, if they love puzzles, have one made with a photo of a favorite event. If they love to write, get them a personalized notebook — one with their name in stylized font across the front, perhaps. This way your loved one can continue doing what they love with items made especially for them.
Sewing, knitting, and crocheting are all popular hobbies for many in assisted living. Consider a kit that has everything a craft enthusiast might need for their work. Many kits for beginners up to experts now exist. Also, check if the facility your loved one lives in has a craft room. Find out what tools they already have available, and give gifts that complement those.
Does your loved one have a green thumb? Gift them gardening accessories that’ll make their time in the garden even more relaxing and enjoyable. Whether it’s a weeding kneeler, a gardening bag with space for all their tools, outdoor gloves, a foldable chair for comfort, or an outdoor umbrella, there are many gardening accessories to choose from. Does your loved one only have access to a window? Potted plants still need plenty of care. Watering cans, pruners, odor-free fertilizers, and many other tools all make great gifts.
Make life as relaxing and homelike as possible with these gifts aimed at optimal comfort.
Add comfort to your loved one’s stay in their assisted living home by gifting them a nice pair of house slippers that can be worn in their room or around the property — maybe even a pair for both! When picking out a pair of slippers, consider those that are easy to wash and have grippers on the bottom for extra support when walking to avoid slips and falls. Also, consider those that hold the entire foot — open-backed slippers may slide off and could be a tripping hazard.
Even if your loved one needs assistance with bathing, shower gels or bath bombs are a great way to add luxury and relaxation to the routine. Think about a fragrance your loved one enjoys, and pick out a shower gel or bath bomb with notes of that scent. Scents are a great way to remind your loved one of a special time in their life and bring that feeling into their new home.
Putting together a basket of your loved one’s favorite things is a great way to make them smile. Think about favorite snacks, lotions, reading and puzzle books, drinks, or other small items they use. Add flowers from the region or even those they may have grown at home to complete the presentation. Gift baskets are maybe the perfect gift if you’re not sure what to get because they bring many things your relative loves together.
Our advisors help 300,000 families each year find the right senior care for their loved ones.
No matter the occasion, picking out gifts for assisted living residents can be challenging. You have to consider not only what your loved one wants and needs, but also the restrictions and policies their assisted living facility has in place. But, with the right frame of mind, finding the perfect gift can be a source of joy for you and your loved one. The gesture will be something they and you remember a very long time.
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