Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Senior

Finding a great gift—not just any gift—for an aging loved one can stump even the best gift-givers. The senior on your shopping list has accumulated a lifetime of gifts. They may say that they don’t need or want anything. Yet, putting a little thoughtful consideration into selecting a gift for a senior can go a long way toward bringing big pleasure.


 Pathway Senior Living’s team members spend a lot of time with the seniors who call their communities home. Because of this, they have insight into what presents will appeal to seniors most. Take a look at the following list of gift ideas compiled by Pathway’s team. The perfect gift may be on the list or inspire an idea. Either way, you know your loved one best and what will put a smile on your favorite senior’s face this holiday season and throughout the year. Happy gift-giving!


 Keurig’s One-Cup Brewer – this simple-to-use, compact coffee maker makes it easy to brew a single cup of java, tea or cocoa whenever the mood strikes and stores nicely in a small home kitchen or supportive living apartment kitchenette. Visit www.keurig.com   


 Plant or Fruit of the Month Clubs – Live house plants and blooming flowers or fresh-picked fruit delivered monthly, or perhaps seasonally, to your loved one’s door. Each delivery throughout the year will remind your loved one that they are special and give them something to anticipate. Visit www.harryanddavid.com; www.thefruitcompany.com and www.plantofthemonthclub.com


Gift Certificates – especially for the places where your loved one routinely visits like grocery stores, drug stores and restaurants to help cut their grocery and dining expenses and motivate them to enjoy an outing around town. Visit your loved one’s favorite shops and restaurants.  


Decorative Bulletin Board – perfect for organizing and displaying invitations, announcements, photos, tickets for upcoming theater or sporting events, grandkids artwork and more. These bulletin boards can be store bought or homemade for a personal touch. Visit www.potterybarn.com or www.pinterest.com.


 Photobooks, Scrapbooks and Custom Videos — Compiling memory books, scrapbooks or custom videos is a nostalgic gift option that’s sure to please. By gathering cherished photos, newspaper clippings, travel souvenirs and other mementos and compiling them into a chronological art form; the senior in your life will have a tangible piece of his or her own heritage to hold onto and savor. Visit www.smilebox.com or www.shutterfly.com.


 Cozy Sleeping Package – getting a good night’s sleep is a common problem for many seniors that you can help solve with the gift of comfy, easy-to-dress in sleepwear; new, soft sheets and pillowcases; sleep-inducing herbal teas; calming body lotion scents and perhaps a lighted, magnifying glass for bedtime reading.


 Custom Gift Basket — gift baskets add the personal touch to practical products. So whether you create a care basket that includes slippers with your loved ones’ favorite lotions, bath soaps, cologne or perfume, or would rather create a custom food basket of your loved ones favorite meats, cheeses chocolates or sauces; a gift basket balances practicality with custom personality and love.


Kitchen and bath towels — everyone can use new kitchen and bath towels as these daily items get a lot of use. Add monogrammed initials or patterns that compliment the home or apartment to personalize this practical gift. Visit www.zazzle.com.


Blankets or throws — customize this traditional, cozy gift to make it truly special. Whether you’re a talented quilter who can create a homemade masterpiece, or you prefer to customize with a heartfelt photo throw—this gift will warm the soul along with the aging body. Visit www.costco.com or www.shutterfly.com.


Life Alert ® – if your parent, grandparent or aging loved one is still living in their own home, this device could be a real life-saver. Life Alert ® is a medical alert system specifically designed to protect seniors and all family members in a home health emergency. The senior simply pushes a button and Life Alert sends help to the home fast. Visit www.lifealert.com.


 For even more senior gift ideas, we recommend visiting the website, “Thoughtful Senior Gifts” at www.thoughtfulseniorgifts.com. 


 Pathway Seniors Share Wish List


An Executive Director from one Pathway community asked every resident who walked by her office what gift was on his or her wish list. Here is what they said:



  • Nice soap, like Dove

  • Lotion and chap stick

  • Socks

  • Roll of quarters for the pop machine

  • Warm sweater

  • New shoes

  • Special homemade treats, like homemade cookies or banana bread

  • Good bottle of scotch

  • Big box of Fannie Mae chocolates (from a diabetic, of course)

“It’s good to keep in mind that the very best gift we can give our loved ones is the gift of ourselves,” says Karen Leimberer, RN, BSN, MA, CMC, Pathway’s Director of Life Enrichment. “The time spent visiting with your loved one in person or even on the telephone is truly priceless.”


 

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