Wondering what to get the senior on your list?

BY JA Strom —
Finding a holiday gift for an older family member can be a challenge. Many gifts for seniors take only a little of your time but they could make a big difference in the life of your family member. And they'll be appreciated, instead of more "stuff."

Be a Go-fer or a Handyman for a day

• Offer to help decorate the Christmas tree .... or help take it down after the holidays (or scrape the wax out of the Menorah).

• Take them to the Mall to see the decorations. My mother didn’t want to fight the traffic and crowds by herself but she liked to see the holiday decorations.

• Offer to take them shopping for those large, hard-to-carry items — laundry soap or litter for the cat’s sand box, for example.

• If an elderly relative does not drive or is reluctant to drive very far, ask if there is someplace he or she has not been for awhile and wants to go — perhaps to visit a relative who lives across town or a special shop.

• There may be little things around the home that need a little tuning up or are hard for an elderly person to do. Vacuum under and behind the refrigerator. Replace light bulbs in overhead lights. Help clean out closets, the attic or the basement and take the “extras” to Goodwill. Spend an afternoon looking for things to fix.

• With the conversion to digital TV, many elderly relatives may need help with converters and programming remotes.

• If there is a pet, help take it to the vet for its annual checkup. Or give a gift certificate for a vet who make housecalls. (See the GrayTimes directory for vets who provide in-home pet care.)

Give the gift of safety

• Do a home inspection. Spend some time going through the home looking for potential safety hazards — extension cords that could be tripped over or rugs that slip on floors. Look for anything that could cause a fall. Bathrooms deserve a special look. There are easy-to-install railings for tub or showers and raised toilet seats.

• Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Buy or replace a fire extinguisher.

• Install night lights with sensors (so they don’t have to be turned on) in hallways, closets, bedrooms and bathrooms.

• Put a light on a sensor so lights go on automatically when you enter the house.

• If you're looking for a "thing," a crank radio/flashlight that works without electricity in case of an electrical outrage due to a storm can be a good gift. Make sure your "giftee" can turn the crank.

• Install devices to prevent crime or vandalism (deadbolts, door viewer, alarm system).

• If they are still driving, an automobile club membership or auto emergency kit can be a good choice.

• Consider a 911 cell phone (See this article for ideas on cell phones for seniors).

Gifts of convenience

• It is nice to have birthday, anniversary, get well or sympathy cards on hand — along with a supply of stamps. Use the new “Forever stamps” so there is no worry about postage increases. And get a wide assortment of cards, since you wouldn't want to have to send the same birthday card to all your friends, so why should your mother.

• Elderly skin can often be fragile. Put together a gift basket with good skin lotion, gentle soap, or shampoo for fragile hair. Watch the fragrance and maybe get some that are fragrance-free so as to not conflict with a favorite perfume.

• Many grocery stores deliver but a senior may hesitate to pay the extra charge. Give a gift certificate for the service. (See the GrayTimes directory for a list of places that deliver groceries or meals.)

• There are other businesses that will come to the home for everything from a haircut to home cooked meals.

Make life easier

There are many gifts that can help with some of the “little problems" of aging.

• Lighted magnifying glass. (One option is the LightWedge)

• Large TV easy-to-use remote (which you program)

• Large print calendars (an extra gift would be to write important family dates such as birthdays or anniversaries)

• If your relative uses a walker, a basket or pouch tied to it can be useful for carrying things. But make sure it looks nice. This site might give you some ideas.

• Large-button telephone or telephone-sound amplifiers. Radio Shack, for example, carries a cordless amplified telephone.

• Replace their old phone with a new cordless one that has a long lasting charge. These phones can be carried around so your relative doesn’t have to rush across the room to answer it.

And, speaking of phones ...

• Upgrade the service to include free long distance, call waiting, or voice mail.

Increase the fun

• Many seniors love to have friends and family drop by but don’t have the means to have snacks on hand. Pick up some fun things that they can keep ready like canned nuts, crackers, apple cider, cheese, a bottle of wine, or movie that they can invite friends over to watch. And don’t forget some items they can share with grandchildren.

• Flowers can always brighten the day, especially some of the holiday plants. (If there are pets in the home, make sure the plants are not poisonous.)

Perhaps think twice about these

• While family photos are always welcomed, there is a limit to the number of picture frames one can have around. Consider replacing old photos with new ones and bring along a photo book for the old photos.

• Many seniors have enough knick-knacks, dishes and jewelry. It may be cute but is it needed?

For relatives in assisted living or a care center

• Ask the staff if there is anything they have noticed that your relative needs or could use.

• Don’t take it for granted that the residence can provide everything. Maybe another night light might be helpful or a cordless phone to replace the one the residence provides. Warmer or softer blankets or specially designed clothing. Jansk produces a LapWrap Shawl that can also be a lap blanket. (Find stores in Minnesota here.)

When my mother-in-law was in a memory care facility, I put outfits together for her — matching slacks, tops and scarves and hung them together on hangers — enough for a week — something that the staff didn’t have time to do. She always cared about how she looked and I wanted to give her the gift of continuing that.

• Take a look around to see what you could add or do that would life a little easier for your relative.

Which brings us back to the gift of time ... where we started. Spending time with your elderly relative might be the greatest gift of all — showing them that they matter enough for you to take the time. It could brighten the holiday for both of you.

(Posted December 5, 2008)