Christmas gifts for the over 80's inc. care home residents with/without dementia

blossomhill_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

...Hawkin's Bazaar. That is a most astonishing place for finding 'fun' presents..

:T

If your oldie has a sense of humour try Hawkins' Jellyiatrics - jelly babies of old folks - just great! I am hoping to get one of the older guys at work for my Secret Santa so I can get him these too :rotfl:

http://www.hawkin.com/search/JELLYATRICS

Great thread - when I realised one year I had been buying MIL 3 presents a year for 20 years I was no longer surprised I had run out of ideas, as there are just so many bird feeders you can give, especially as she has so many kids/kids' spouses, grandkids, ex-daughters-in-law etc

Garden stepping stones are quite a good one though, can make some areas a bit more accessible in slippers!

blossomhill_2

mary-op wrote: »

I bought my mum a lovely bird feeder a few years back before we lost her. She couldn't do much but loved to watch the birds from her window.

Just want to say that my bird feeder comment wasn't a dig at you, it's just she had so many from various bits of the family , I love them

alex21

Sometimes the elderly have trouble with circulation and feel the cold. What about a hot water bottle in a fluffy cover.

Savvy_Sue

The feeling the cold comment: I have bought myself a fleece with pockets in The Works, I haven't worn it yet because someone is going to give it to me for Christmas, but it seems a lot more practical than slankets which you have to take off when you get up and move around.

jap200

Loads of great ideas here - but sadly most are ones I have already used at some point. Like someone said above, when you have been buying several gifts a year for the same person the ideas eventually get used up!

Active (in mind and body) seniors are a breeze to buy for (relatively speaking), but it's those with the more limited (in mind and body) capacities that are the challenge! Not to mention the 'grumpy old man' syndrome - I have a father-in-law who is 82 and a nightmare to buy for because he thinks that anything that he doesn't need (as opposed to want) and that doesn't have a practical use is a total waste of time and money.

I think I might just have stumbled upon something ideal for him though - he has taken over most of the cooking as my mother in law is decending into dementia. Its the Haynes manual (as in the car workshop) guide to cooking. It's £10 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mens-Cooking-Manual-No-nonsense-Buying/dp/1844258696/ref=pd_sim_b_5



I got him the Haynes men's health manual a couple of years back and that was a hit too. It looks like a new edition is out now:

Errata

The feeling the cold moment: I wouldn't mind a hottie if it was a funny or glamorous one, any other sort would go straight in the bin. I have my standards

chesky369

How about something like some really delicious up-market chocolates - like fortnum & masons or harrods. Or a bottle of cherry brandy. Or liqueur chocolates. Or some delicious smelly soap - crabtree and evelyn or some such.

nikki1520

My old granddads both used to be partial to trumpers west Indian lime aftershave. Both shaved every day, never mind about being retired- if they hadn't done it, they weren't well!

mary-op

blossom - no worries re bird feeders........and I love the jellyatric babies...............lol

pineapple

Once again we are stereotyping people by age. Here's novel - why not look at the person? I know one elderly lady who would be thrilled by a ride in a hot air balloon. Oh sorry, she doesn't fit the spec because that's what younger people do. Maybe a nice vest from Damart?