Robin Schiltz, C.D.S.
Gift-giving is a wonderful way to show love and express care towards the people we value. When it comes to senior citizens residing in assisted living facilities, thoughtful gifts hold even more significance.
These individuals may deal with unique challenges such as limited mobility, restricted space, or specific health needs.
Therefore, it’s important to consider these factors when choosing a gift – as well as other factors if your loved one is sharing a room with another resident.
The “usual” gifts – such as perfumes, flowers, or food – can actually impact the medical conditions of your loved one or their neighbors.
Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community
A well-chosen gift can not only meet their practical needs but also bring them joy, comfort, and a sense of being cared for.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of heartwarming and practical gift ideas specifically tailored for seniors in assisted living facilities.
1. Beat The Boredom Box
This type of activity-laden gift box will give someone in assisted living plenty to keep them busy!
It contains note cards and envelopes, coloring books, playing cards, large print Word Search and crossword books, colored pencils, pens and pencils, and a pencil sharpener.
2. Leg And Calf Massager For Circulation
A leg massager is good for helping boost circulation in the elderly who spend a lot of time sitting. It features optional, adjustable heat, 3 levels of intensity, and an automatic shutoff after 20 minutes.
3. Essential Oils
Essential oils are great for helping to relax, calm anxiety, and get a restful night’s sleep. They can also be put into a humidifier or dropped into bath water for a spa-like experience.
Read more about essential oils here.
4. Mini Exercise Bike (Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser)
Stationary bikes are great for seniors. They help build up leg muscles for more walking stability and help keep legs and arms from becoming stiff due to reduced use and too much sitting.
This one can also be used for arm exercises. It’s portable, has an adjustable tension knob to increases resistance, and an LCD digital monitor screen that tracks time, distance, RPM, speed, and calories burned.
5. Sock Aid For Putting On Socks
Many seniors have trouble putting on their socks, but a device like this will make it much easier to do!
It eliminates bending and is great for those with limited mobility or who are recovering from surgery.
6. Smart WiFi Mini Plug
Smart plugs make it super easy for seniors to control things with just their voice. No more getting up to turn a lamp or other small appliance on or off.
NOTE: must be used with a smart device, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home Assistant (see next gift item).
7. Echo Dot With Clock
Amazon’s voice activated smart speaker makes life easier for seniors! Use it to control a smart plug (see gift above this one).
It can also tell jokes, tell your senior the latest news headlines, play music, check the weather, and much more (read our article about things Alexa can do for you here).
8. Blank Note Cards With Envelopes
Blank note cards like these make a beautiful gift for the letter-writers in your life. They can write letters, but these cards can also be used for heartfelt birthday greetings, get well thoughts, and many other occasions.
9. SitnStand Portable Smart Rising Seat
As we age, it can become more difficult to get up from a comfy sofa or recliner. If you live alone, you don’t have anyone to help you up, so this medical lift seat makes a perfect gift!
This device is the size of a cushion and works by inflating or deflating cushions as the person stands or sits. The user simply pushes the up or down button.
It works with couches and sofas, armchairs, and standard chairs and can even fit a recliner.
It features a washable cover and is easy to transport (weighs 8.8 pounds (4 kg). It will assist a person who weighs up to 265 pounds (120 kg). It runs on a rechargeable batter and requires no assembly or installation.
*NOTE – this seat riser is for seniors who can walk on their own or with a caregiver and whose feet easily reach the ground when they sit in a chair.
10. Amazon’s Echo Show
If your elderly senior’s family and/or friends have an Amazon Echo Show – then gifting one to a senior who lives alone and may be lonely is a wonderful way to keep in touch.
Using the Drop In Skill that Alexa offers, you can perform a video call with each other which can help to relieve the feeling of isolation that many seniors face. A video chat can be a great way to keep in touch!
11. A Medical Alert Device
There are multiple varieties of medical alert devices available these days, but for an elderly parent, there is no better gift that you can give than something that may save their life one day.
We cover a variety of medical alert devices in our article here!
12. Talking Photo Album
What an innovative and fantastic concept! This is a 20-page photo album that can accommodate up to 2 hours of your personalized voice messages on each page.
That’s right, you can record distinct voice notes for each page, allowing the album to store up to 2 hours of recordings in total.
This makes for a truly unique and thoughtful gift for any senior!
13. Large Print Coloring Books For Seniors
Coloring books are making a comeback! You’ve no doubt seen them in hobby stores and book stores the past few years. That’s because the activity of coloring is both calming and creative.
A large print coloring book would make a wonderful gift for a senior who enjoys being artistic. Don’t forget to include markers or colored pencils along with the coloring book!
14. Reusable Water Painting Boards
Along the same creative path as the prior gift suggestion, this reusable water painting board is great for mindfulness, as well as letting your senior’s artistic side shine.
You use water instead of paint and when the brush with water touches the board the color comes alive! Then after it dries, the board turns all white again!
15. Cozy Wrap Or Shawl
Seniors tend to feel cold a lot, so the gift of a cozy shawl or wrap would be appreciated for sure.
Final Thoughts
Remember, the best gifts are those that show you understand and care about the person’s needs and preferences.
Take some time to chat with them, understand their likes, dislikes, and hobbies before choosing a gift. This will ensure your gift brings a smile to their face and makes their day special.
