Seven thoughtful, sure-to-be-appreciated gifts for seniors
June 26th, 2008 — 08:36 am
ts for young people is easy. Clothes, jewelry, posters, concert tickets and other luxury items are great for young people. Older people are not so into the frivolous gifts that young people love. When people reach a certain age, they’ve accumulated a lifetime’s worth of such items, so it’s more difficult to come up with ideas for gifts for seniors that express your thoughtfulness. If you find yourself scratching your head, trying to come up with a gift idea that your older friend or relative will truly enjoy, here we have seven ideas for gifts for seniors that will hit the mark.
Seniors are often on a fixed income and cannot afford to buy anything frivolous. When you combine ‘fixed income’ and ‘frivolous’, you’ll see that what many younger people consider a necessary expense, does not agree with the senior’s definition.
Anyone over the age of 50 is eligible for an AARP membership. While it costs just $10, membership entitles the member to discounts on hotels, medicine, car insurance, as well as free tax preparation. AARP offers a number of other benefits, specifically geared to the needs of seniors. Visit the AARP website and see for yourself. If the senior on your gift list doesn’t have an AARP membership, this makes a very thoughtful gift.
Many seniors suffer from a lack of entertaining activities. As we get older, chronic medical conditions can really put a bite into mobility. A magazine subscription can be a perfect idea for gifts for seniors with medical conditions that limit their mobility. Just because they can’t get out and jog every day, doesn’t mean that mental stimulation isn’t a valuable resource for staving off boredom! A good magazine or two, in their areas of interest, provides many hours of reading enjoyment. Remember, too, that mental stimulation helps to ward off Alzheimer’s!
Prices being what they are, on almost every consumer good you can think of, puts a huge damper on seniors on a fixed income. While you might never know, your senior friend or relative may not be able to buy a pair of gloves to warm her hands and ease her arthritic pain. Maybe a blanket is just worn out, but the senior’s budget won’t stretch for a new one. Gift cards, from a department store or grocery store, make terrific gifts for seniors.
Music may be a luxury out of the reach of many seniors. They may love music, but can’t afford to buy a CD, much less a CD player. If you know their taste in music, burn a CD from selections from your favorite online music service and tie it all up with a big bow and a CD player.
The price of produce is approaching that of gold, to a senior on a fixed income. They may need to forego purchases of food in order to pay for required medicines. Fruit baskets make excellent gifts for seniors in this situation. Make a large basket, filled to the brim with fruits. You might consider replenishing this basket each week or two.
Young people may complain about vacuuming and cleaning out the tub, but it’s just a disliked task, rather than an impossible task. Among the possible gifts for seniors, a cleaning service gift can help lift the spirits of an elderly person who’s just not up to the work more than you’ll ever know.
Likewise, a senior in their own home with a yard to maintain, may just not have what it takes to mow the lawn and weed the flower beds. Find a dependable local person who can do the upkeep on a weekly basis.
These ideas for gifts for seniors are simple and practical. Your teen-aged sister would doubtless prefer tickets to a concert or an ultra cool sweater. Grandma and Grandpa are different people, at a different stage of life. They’ll surely appreciate your thoughtfulness.
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Seniors are often on a fixed income and cannot afford to buy anything frivolous. When you combine ‘fixed income’ and ‘frivolous’, you’ll see that what many younger people consider a necessary expense, does not agree with the senior’s definition.
Anyone over the age of 50 is eligible for an AARP membership. While it costs just $10, membership entitles the member to discounts on hotels, medicine, car insurance, as well as free tax preparation. AARP offers a number of other benefits, specifically geared to the needs of seniors. Visit the AARP website and see for yourself. If the senior on your gift list doesn’t have an AARP membership, this makes a very thoughtful gift.
Many seniors suffer from a lack of entertaining activities. As we get older, chronic medical conditions can really put a bite into mobility. A magazine subscription can be a perfect idea for gifts for seniors with medical conditions that limit their mobility. Just because they can’t get out and jog every day, doesn’t mean that mental stimulation isn’t a valuable resource for staving off boredom! A good magazine or two, in their areas of interest, provides many hours of reading enjoyment. Remember, too, that mental stimulation helps to ward off Alzheimer’s!
Prices being what they are, on almost every consumer good you can think of, puts a huge damper on seniors on a fixed income. While you might never know, your senior friend or relative may not be able to buy a pair of gloves to warm her hands and ease her arthritic pain. Maybe a blanket is just worn out, but the senior’s budget won’t stretch for a new one. Gift cards, from a department store or grocery store, make terrific gifts for seniors.
Music may be a luxury out of the reach of many seniors. They may love music, but can’t afford to buy a CD, much less a CD player. If you know their taste in music, burn a CD from selections from your favorite online music service and tie it all up with a big bow and a CD player.
The price of produce is approaching that of gold, to a senior on a fixed income. They may need to forego purchases of food in order to pay for required medicines. Fruit baskets make excellent gifts for seniors in this situation. Make a large basket, filled to the brim with fruits. You might consider replenishing this basket each week or two.
Young people may complain about vacuuming and cleaning out the tub, but it’s just a disliked task, rather than an impossible task. Among the possible gifts for seniors, a cleaning service gift can help lift the spirits of an elderly person who’s just not up to the work more than you’ll ever know.
Likewise, a senior in their own home with a yard to maintain, may just not have what it takes to mow the lawn and weed the flower beds. Find a dependable local person who can do the upkeep on a weekly basis.
These ideas for gifts for seniors are simple and practical. Your teen-aged sister would doubtless prefer tickets to a concert or an ultra cool sweater. Grandma and Grandpa are different people, at a different stage of life. They’ll surely appreciate your thoughtfulness.
By:
About the Author:
