 | Carla Shepherd owns the Right at Home franchise in Wichita. Right At HOme is a licensed Home Health Agency providing In-Home Care for individuals needing assistance to remain in their home. Carla is a former manager with Via Christi Health Services with over 20 years of health care experience. Also a Member of the National Privacy Duty Association. You can visit Carla at Right at Home, located at 7438 W. 21st St, Suite 123 in West Wichita. Call (316) 721- 6001, e-mail cjshep@ rah.kscoxmail.com or visit the website at www.rightathome.net/wichita |
Senior Living
2004-12-01 08:49:00
Holiday gift ideas for seniors
QUESTION: Can you give me some holiday gift ideas for seniors?
ANSWER: At this time of year, many children, grandchildren and friends struggle to come up with ideas for the seniors on their holiday gift lists. As people age, their tendency is to pare down their possessions, leaving gift givers searching for presents that won't create clutter or work for their senior loved ones.Seniors appreciate simplicity in their lives. Practical items seniors can use every day, a homemade coupon book for sharing some quality-time activities and even arranging for an extra helping hand around the house are smart choices for the seniors on your gift list.There are many products on the market that are specially designed to meet the needs of seniors. Telephones and remote controls with large buttons, subscriptions to large-print versions of favorite magazines, cuddly lap blankets, soft-handled garden and kitchen tools and gripping devices to help seniors reach items on high shelves help seniors accomplish and enjoy everyday activities safely and comfortably. Other safety-themed gifts can include smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, non-slip rugs and bath mats, flashlights and fire extinguishers.Personal, homemade gifts are popular with many seniors. Photo albums and scrapbooks can become treasured keepsakes. Setting aside time to create them with your senior loved one serves to make the gift even more memorable. You can even bring along a tape recorder to develop an audio history as the story of each image or item is added to the pages.Gifts of time, companionship and assistance around the home are valuable to seniors as well. Families and friends that live nearby can offer to give rides around town, schedule time for working on crafts and hobbies together, liven up a living space with a fresh coat of paint, or offer to help with spring cleaning.For time-crunched families or those that live at a distance, arranging for an in-home supportive care provider to come in for a few hours to help with household chores, hiring someone to shovel snow or mow the lawn, or paying for a grocery delivery service can take care of the tasks they wish they could.However, some of the most valuable things families and friends can do for seniors cost nothing at all. This holiday season, we ask that people remember that patience, understanding, laughter and the joy of their company is what matters to seniors the most. The simple gift of time shared together is truly the one way to show a loved one you care.
