Forget the last minute Christmas shopping and put a little thought into what you get for your parent for Christmas this year. Really, there is a limit to how many lap robes, bathrobes and gift packs or perfumes, lotions and oils that a body needs.
Peg Sheldrick (Lincoln Journal Star: Lincoln, Nebraska: November 30, 2010) included interviews with real seniors about what they wanted for Christmas, and I saw no mention of those previously mentioned robes, bathrobes or gift packets.
Picking out Christmas gifts shouldn’t be all that hard. Most of us don’t want “stuff,” but then again I am looking forward to getting an electronic book this year, so I guess am not totally saying no to stuff either. How about a prepaid cable package for the television watcher, favorite magazine subscription, art supplies for the artist, journals and scrapbooks for the writer. Being older does not mean that you don’t like to read or that you don’t draw, paint, knit, or do needlepoint. Seniors come in all ages, shapes and sizes. They have special interests and hobbies that are perhaps difficult to maintain due to cost of lessons and supplies.
The article recommended thinking about whether the person already has this item, or whether it is likely that someone else might be buying the same thing. Do they have space for it, or do they have the manual dexterity, eyesight, technical savvy, or the energy to enjoy using it? The author also suggests that if a person has physical challenges such as arthritis you don’t want them to have to struggle to open gifts. If your gift item comes in one of those plastic clamshells, please remove it from the packaging before you give it. Remember to include batteries and special detailing needed to make your gift operational.
Get to know your senior better before buying just any old thing. Ask them what they want and don’t except “nothing or anything” for an answer. If your mother/father is living in a care facility ask staff members what they think. My experience tells me that people in assisted living facilities never have enough underwear. Whether they get lost in the laundry, discarded, or the sock monster eats them is an eternal mystery, but no one ever has too many personal items.
People interviewed always picked “time” over possessions. A shopping trip, a ride in the countryside, lunch at a restaurant, or a visit with/from family members were the tops picks. Go forth and shop, but give mom, dad, grandma and grandpa a little extra thought this year.
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