Holiday Gift Ideas for Seniors
A gift from the heart is going to mean so much more to our favorite seniors than another trinket from the local mall. Our members have put together a wonderful list of ideas which focus on things that we can DO. Thanks so much! Enjoy.- Cindy
 DO instead of BUY
Note from Cindy: I love the idea of certificates where you or someone
within the family makes a promise to DO. Plus, the certificates are
fun to make. We all have a stash of crafting (perhaps scrap booking)
supplies. We can SHOP at home FIRST to make the certificates. Pick a
rainy afternoon. Let the kids make the certificates for the
activities they want to do. I received my first set of "certificates"
from my children last Mother's Day (no, I am not over 70 LOL), and I
enjoyed them. They were so cute. And they are so handy because I
actually use them. I love what one of our members said, "Time being
spent with them is what is important to seniors, not THINGS!" She's
right.
- When dh's grandmother turned 80 in august, we were thinking
the same thing - what do we give her?? Well, I put my thinking cap on
and came up with this... I bought 10 cards for her ($10) of all
occasion - birthdays for kids, birthday for women and men,
anniversary cards. And I bought a 10 pk of stamps - another $10. I
wrapped cards and stamps with a gay ribbon, and typed up a little
note on colorful paper and attached it to the ribbon. It said "what
do you get someone who has everything in their lives - age, family,
love. We love getting your "love" on our anniversary, on our
birthdays, so we decided to help you out with your "love". Please
accept this gift as an appreciation of the "love" we get back from
you all throughout our year". She cried when she read it, and said it
was the loveliest gift she's ever gotten.
- Grandparents generally like homemade gifts. Such as a t-
shirt or pillow case that the grandchildren decorate for them. Maybe
a framed photo for the wall. Figure people in this age group went
though some pretty tight times themselves. They know all about
shopping at home first and making instead of buying. You could use a
mason jar sitting around the house and put some dirt and make a
terrarium (sp). There are so many limitless ways to give to an
elderly person. You could give a coupon book of chores that you will
perform for them all they have to do is cash them in. The ideas just
keep flowing.
- Set a weekly or monthly date for a walk and you bring the
coffee to sip on when you stop to rest.
- PC (computer) generated Gift certificates for services that
*you and your family* will perform—car wash if they still drive,
errands if they don't. Grocery shopping, lawn service, snow
shoveling, household chores, household repairs, laundry, mending…
- I am only in my 50's but . . . after gaining so much weight,
not really needing anything that takes money to buy, I would think
that some people in their 70's would be more than happy and
appreciative to receive "DO" items. Like . . . wash and wax floors,
or other "heavy" cleaning chores. This would be worth more than
anything "money" can buy. Take them to the stores to shop for their
loved ones, etc. Just a thought.
- A cookie of the month club certificate - make a batch of
their favorite cookies with a note saying a fresh batch of cookies (a
different flavor every month) will be delivered monthly for 6 months,
1 year, whatever you want. Same can be done with a dinner of the
month/week.
- Game day - give a certificate inviting them over to your
house for snacks and a fun game of cards, whatever. Or if they are
housebound, bring the game and the treats to their house.
- Give them a homemade certificate saying that you'll do
something they don't like to do, such as: home repairs, gardening
chores, window washing, house cleaning, dog walking, put their photos
in albums, etc.
- Homemade gift certificate for a backrub, manicure or
pedicure, home perm, etc.
- An I.O.U. for the gift of yard work or some task that they
would appreciate you doing like shovelling snow or washing windows.
 SHOP at home FIRST
Note from Cindy: You all know that I am a fan of shopping at home
first. Most of us have so many things in our homes that we will never
use. When we learn to SHOP at home FIRST, we learn to make better use
the money we have spent. I love the idea of sending your extra
photos to grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles. My mother-in-law
treasures all the little albums and family calendars that have been
sent to her over the years. Trust me, you won't miss the doubles when
they are gone LOL! Also, I envy the people who are good cooks. I know
that when my own grandmother was still alive, she often gifted
families with her home made raison bread (with a bright red bow tied
around the loaf) and when she was older, she truly enjoyed the home
cooked meals that were shared with her. Look around your home and
use your imagination. You never know what you will come up.
- Meals- prepare and take to them or invite them to your house
for dinner. Prepare and freeze things that you know they can eat.
Cook and freeze ground beef, chicken in bite-sized chunks-these make
meal prep very easy.
- Seniors love to go out to eat and better yet, love to dine
with someone they care about! Either buy a gift certificate to their
favorite place to eat or "you" make dinner for them and dine with
them. In my opinion, Time being spent with them is what is important
to seniors, not "things!" Also, gift certificates to drug stores or
grocery stores are helpful also! You know medications are VERY
expensive for seniors and Medicare will not cover certain (IF NOT
ALL) MEDICATIONS.
- Make them a freezer dinner to pop in the oven when they don't
want to cook. Same with cookies - make cookie dough, spoon into
cookie size portions, freeze, give along with baking instructions.
- Dessert of the month and you can drop in and bring dessert or
send it if they live far away or you can stay and visit and have the
dessert with them. If they don't eat dessert you can bring a quiche
and have coffee with them.
- How about a small album with those doubles you get when you
get your film developed? You can put them in an album to show what
your family has been doing throughout the year.
 If you have to shop, SHOP SMART
Note from Cindy: When you are buying for seniors (anybody actually),
shop smart. This means that you have taken the time to think about
what they would want. No clutter. Think disposable. My 83 year old
mother-in-law is receiving a Christmas flower arrangement, and my
parents will be getting a gift certificate from their favorite
restaurant. Also, don't fall victim to some idea that there is a
certain amount of money that "should" be spent on each person. The
flowers will cost about $30 and so will the gift certificate. Don't
just grab something off the store shelves for the sake of having a
gift to wrap. That hug and kiss you shower your favorite senior with
will mean more than anything that comes in a gift wrapped box.
- I was doing mystery shopping last year when I came across
this one. It was a local print shop that I had to shop at the time.
We decided to buy my grandmother's Christmas present and get
reimbursed for it. It was a calendar that we took a regular picture
of my children in and they added the picture to. You can do this on
most computers and print it out and just laminate it. We also got her
a clear ornament that had the same picture on a transparent sheet
that was cut out into the shape and put into the middle of the
ornament. She loved both of the gifts. That was the year before last
and she is still enjoying the gifts.
- Stamps, note cards, gift certificates for the beauty shop,
the grocery store, and bagels.
- If spending money--Consumables—-laundry soap, dish soap, bath
stuff that you *know* they use-no useless gift sets that they can't
use on their dry skin. Grocery store gift cards (check on expiration
policies for these).
- Mine is now 78. What we have done this even before she was
70...and this was for my Baba (101) was buy her some groceries or
little treats that they liked. My mom asks for things that the
grandkids like, so that when they come over they have just what they
like. A case of pop lasted a whole year. My older sister usually
gives her a gift certificate for which ever grocery store she shops
at.
- A one-time deep clean or multiple visits from a
maid/housecleaning service. (Note from Cindy: if you are close
enough, perhaps offer to do this yourself. My mother-in-law enjoys
the complete apartment vacuum I do at her place whenever we visit. Of
course, Charlie has usually left tons a white hair everywhere…LOL)
- A consultation with a professional organizer (to declutter
before a move). (Note from Cindy: be very careful with this one. It
can be very difficult/emotional to downsize. A senior may be more
comfortable doing this with a family member.)
- Pick-up laundry service (for linens, clothes, etc.)
- A magazine or newspaper subscription.
- A game with plans to come over and play it with them.
- Movie tickets for a movie out.
- A gift card for a movie rental at Blockbuster and a pkg or 2
of microwave popcorn.
- Make up a gift basket with some of their favorite foods,
facial ingredients, manicure ingredients, etc.
- A gift card for a haircut, manicure, pedicure, facial, etc.
- A gift card to their favorite restaurant.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
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