With the holiday season right around the corner, Black Friday is when many of us start our Christmas shopping or just take advantage of great deals. It can be a fun and festive time, but also intimidating to navigate for older adults who do not like to be in massive crowds while shopping. Questions such as “Where is the best place to find gifts for mom?” or “What is the best phone for seniors?” may start to cross your mind. Thankfully, Black Friday is easily done in the comfort of your home with online deals so shoppers can decide the best way to participate in holiday shopping. If you are shopping for yourself or for your elderly loved ones, there are plenty of useful and fun gifts that will make the best presents this holiday season!
Technology
Black Friday is known for having great discounts on large technology items like televisions, computers, and other home entertainment products. For seniors, technology can be a little difficult and harder to learn, but many brands make plenty of gadgets for seniors to use for better living. If your loved one enjoys reading, think about buying them an electronic reading tablet to store and read all their favorite books! An iPad or any other tablet brand is also a great present since it can be used for reading, games, streaming their favorite shows, and connecting with friends and family. A robot vacuum is another helpful gadget for seniors. As we age, standing up and cleaning for long periods of time is not as easy as it used to be, so having an automatic house cleaner can relieve lots of stress while having a clean space. Just to name a few more, alarm clocks with large digital displays and television remotes with big buttons are great gifts for seniors with impaired vision.
Many seniors also start having a hard time hearing the older they get and there are plenty of tech gifts to help them out. Sitting and talking on the telephone might become challenging for some seniors but they don’t want to miss out on catching up with family and friends. With the gift of a captioned telephone, your hard-of-hearing loved one won’t miss a word of what you are saying thanks to the instant display of the written conversation. If it is also hard for them to hear their favorite television shows or movies, there are plenty of options for TV listening earbuds that make an exciting present to help them listen in on the action!
Shopping for loved ones diagnosed with memory loss or dementia can also present challenges. Music is a proven source of mental relief and provides a welcomed moment of confidence and joy when a loved one with cognitive decline has the opportunity to sing along. Wireless speakers and Mp4 players allow your family to give the gift of song for the holidays. You can curate a personalized playlist and include all of their top hits! If your loved one is in a nursing home or senior living community, this gift is easy for caregivers to offer assistance and instruction for.
Comfort
As we age, the importance of good sleep becomes more of a priority to stay healthy and happy. The quality of sleep can have a major effect on your loved one’s daily living and energy. To ensure they are receiving the best sleep they can get, gifts that provide comfort and warmth during the winter season are great ideas! It is not always easy to stay warm in your house as the temperatures are continuing to drop. A simple throw blanket or even an electric blanket is the perfect present for those who always seem to catch a chill! You can never go wrong with a cozy sweater and sweatpants. How about a gift that combines fashion and function? Non-slip socks with rubber grips on the bottom can keep your loved one’s feet warm while preventing falls.
If you’re home for the holidays and want to give an extra special gift to your senior loved one, plan time to stop by for a visit and participate in an experience you can share. Finishing a puzzle, playing a game of cards, baking a favorite family recipe, or designing a family photo collage are cost-effective and meaningful ways to spread holiday joy.
Fun and Practical Gifts
Everyone loves to receive a gift that puts a smile on their face after opening! The older you get, the less active you become with spontaneous activities, but that doesn’t mean your loved one cannot still have fun while engaging in senior living. Games or puzzles that stimulate the brain offer many benefits for elderly people. A few fun gift ideas are sudoku, crossword puzzles, word searches, or other brain games for seniors who enjoy a mental challenge. For your loved one that feels like they are missing out on family fun while living in a senior living community, a digital photo frame will let them see all their favorite people. The best part is, you can upload everything from your phone or computer without them having to do a thing.
With the holidays only a few days away, it is time to finish up your Black Friday shopping list! It’s always important to remember even with seniors, it’s the thought that counts behind the presents. Black Friday is a fun time to kick off the holiday shopping, but don’t worry you still have plenty of time to find that perfect gift!