Gift for a Senior Citizen:
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 | Let's begin with a gift for the senior citizen who is active, curious, and rarin' to go! |  |
Make Life Fun!
Educational Travel. Beyond sightseeing and shopping, educational travelers share a desire to discover the history, culture and inhabitants of places they visit. Many long term friendships are developed on educational travel adventures - an added gift!
The whole family might join in giving an educational travel gift for a senior citizen to honor a major occasion such as retirement or a 50th wedding anniversary. Educational travel is a wonderful intergenerational activity, too, as seniors enjoy their grandchildren's wonder at exploring other cultures.
photo by Libby Graphics, all rights reserved.
Here are three excellent organizations specializing in educational travel:
- Elderhostel, "the world's largest educational and travel organization for older adults," has thousands of programs yearly, both domestic and international. They also offer intergenerational, volunteer, and floating educational adventures, along with day and weekend experiences. Their website at elderhostel.org has all the details about about this exciting gift for a senior citizen.
- National Geographic Expeditions may also include visits to their research sites and an opportunity to meet the scientists and authors of their magazine articles. At National Geographic Expeditions you can search by expedition type such as archaeology, family, photography, rail trips, wildlife/nature. You can also order an expedition catalog and sign up for a free e-mail newsletter with updates on new trips, special offers, and expedition reports.
- Smithsonian Journeys offers educational travel, both domestic and international, and include weekends, family programs and cruises. Your gift for a senior citizen might begin with a subscription to Smithsonian Magazine, since the Journeys are available only to members. Their website Smithsonian Journeys has information on subscription/membership and journeys.
Many retirees are eager to take up a new interest or devote more hours to a favorite pastime. A piece of gear or equipment, some lessons or an organization membership related to these interests would be a great gift for a senior citizen who has recently retired. For example:
| Astronomy | Hiking or Camping |
| Birding | Home improvement |
| Boating, canoeing, kayaking, sailing | Needlework or sewing |
| Caning chairs | Painting, arts & crafts |
| Cooking or barbecuing | Photography |
| Cycling | Playing a musical instrument |
| Fishing | Quilting |
| Flying, gliding, ballooning | Scuba diving, snorkeling |
| Gardening | Tennis or racquetball |
| Golfing | Woodworking |
A food-of-the-month basket is an excellent gift for a senior citizen who enjoys getting together with friends to play cards or other games. For example, a bridge player is sure to enjoy a Boston Coffee Cake of the Month - Gotta love their motto: "Let us do all the work...So you can take all the credit!" When your gift has expired, your senior's bridge club may decide to all pitch in on a 12-month membership!
A computer could be the perfect gift for a senior citizen. The Internet is truly a window on the world that helps to combat feelings of isolation. If your senior
resists this newfangled idea, schedule a few visits that include a half hour of tutoring about email and web searching. A written list of each and every step, in order - which key to press and exactly where to click - will encourage your senior to experiment by him/herself. Once the basics are demystified, your senior's confidence (and appreciation) will blossom!
Computer accessories or software are grandparent gift ideas for the 41% of seniors who, according to AARP, are already "online." Geneaology or garden planning software, crossword puzzles, or well-chosen computer games are entertaining possibilities. Accessories like an ergonomic keyboard or a mouse pad imprinted with grandkids' drawings are good gift ideas for grandmas and grandpas.
Many seniors wish to earn an income after "retirement" - out of necessity, to provide an occasional luxury, or for something interesting to do. Some wish to start a business at home but don't know where to begin. A website is a thoughtful gift for a senior citizen that can make these wishes come true. We call it
A Unique Gift that's Trendy and Versatile
and invite you to check it out! | Now let's move on to gift ideas for senior citizens who find everyday activities more difficult than they used to be. |
Make Life Easy!
I've had the good fortune to experience extended-family living, both as a child when my grandparents lived with us, and later when my parents lived with me and my children (...and who knows what's down the road!). All four generations benefited greatly, and we've gained some experience with gifts for senior citizens who aren't as spry as they used to be.
Here are some grandparent gift ideas we found, and some we wish we'd found:
| Afghan/lap robe | Keeps those chilly bones feeling cozy |
| Alarm clock | With under-pillow vibrator, you don't have to hear it |
| Armchair pocket caddy | No need to get up once you've gotten comfortable |
| Books on Tape | Rest the eyes, or listen while doing something else |
| "Chillo" pillow | Relieves hot flashes and night sweats |
| Doorknob converter | Converts a round doorknob to a lever |
| Night lights | Light the way from bedroom to bathroom |
| Ergonomic utensils | Easy-to-grip tools for kitchen, garden, crafts |
| Garden stool/kneeler | Some have wheels, all ease the back and knees |
| Grabber/reacher | They come with wrist grip and adjustable reach |
| Jumbo Caller-ID screen | No running to the phone for unwanted calls |
| Lap desk | Flat working surface to use in a comfortable chair |
| Large-button items | TV remote, calculator, phone - easy on eyes & fingers |
| Large-printed materials | Books, sheet music, crossword puzzles, playing cards |
| Natural-light lamp | Good for eyes and sense of well-being |
| Over-bed tilt-top table | (or over-chair) - great for reading magazines |
| Sweater, light-weight | Be sure it has pockets (accessible when you're seated) |
| Teddy bear | Or, a "hot teddy" for easing stiff muscles |
| Wind chimes | A lovely sound, even without a hearing aid |
| Window bird feeder | Brings the birds for a close-up visit |
A personal alarm system is a must-have gift idea for a senior citizen who lives alone or spends most of the day alone. My mom resisted the idea at first, because
with poor hearing she couldn't make out what the responder was saying. We instructed her to just keep repeating, "I can't hear you, I've fallen down, please send help," and the alarm service people would hear her. (The alarm was never needed, but having it eased our minds!) Gift ideas for senior citizens that increase their safety will also prolong their sense of independence.
Letters and visits and hugs! There's no better gift for a senior citizen, especially one who lives alone, than frequent contact with friends and loved ones. Even when brief, these forms of contact are meaningful, and therapeutic too! Some suggestions:
- Make a weekly routine with the kids of mailing a postcard or note to Grandma or Grandpa - perhaps include a photo or a grandchild's drawing. And how about a scrapbook so your senior can save these treasures? Years from now, your grown kids will get a big kick out of reading their letters to Grandma.
- Regular visits are a gift for a senior citizen that needn't be a big production. A weekly half hour over a cup of tea (perhaps during lunch hour or on your way to the store), or a Tuesday evening cribbage game or TV date will make a positive difference in your senior's life and general outlook - even more than longer but infrequent visits.
- Of course, sometimes it does take a big production. My grandmother was a confirmed homebody - though friendly and garrulous, she preferred to do her visiting at home. One Thanksgiving Day, to everyone's disappointment, she resisted joining us for my mom's traditional, all-family dinner. So one of the dads helped the young cousins make "demonstration" signs, then took the kids to picket Great-Grandma's house until she agreed to return with them. She had a great day and laughed about it long afterward. Sometimes it's the special fuss that makes your gift for a senior citizen the most fun.
- Nursing home residents who are physically able will usually enjoy going for a drive. Seniors suffering from dementia present a special challenge, as they often have very little to say. They may enjoy looking through an album of family photos, or an attractive magazine related to their lifelong interests, or working on a simple jigsaw puzzle, or even singing together. Surprisingly, folks with dementia often have good recall of the words to old songs. The best gifts for a senior citizen with dementia are centered on the "here and now."
- The value of hugs cannot be overstated! Human contact is vital to everyone's well-being, but physical contact is all too often overlooked or avoided for seniors. This is doubly important for seniors who live alone. Many seniors, especially the elderly and infirm, report that family and friends pay them friendly visits but do not touch them. Warm physical contact means more than most people realize, so don't forget that hug!
Your gift for a senior citizen will be a hit
if it makes life fun or makes life easy!
Explore online resources for the over-50 age group at SeniorsSearch.
Logo photo by Jane M. Sawyer, courtesy of morguefile.com. Other graphics courtesy Microsoft.