Christmas gift ideas for elderly woman

L

LongLiveBevo

250+ Posts
I am at a serious loss for what to get my 89yo grandmother. She's a virtual shut-in at this point. The only place she goes anymore is to the doctor. She doesn't watch TV at all. She just naps and sits around waiting for people to come see her, which does happen pretty often. Obviously doesn't use a computer or technology. Any ideas at all?
 
Take her out to eat, then drive around and look at Christmas lights. Give her a blanket sized to use sitting in a chair. Mount a hand hold on the wall of the bathroom to make it easier to get off the toilet. Take out the trash. A night light to make it easier to get to the bathroom at night. Call her. See what kind of soap she uses and get some. Wash her laundry. Fix something broken in her house. Mount a papertowel holder in her kitchen. Clean her refrigerator. Give her a hug. Look around her house and see what's worn out and replace it. A simple to use flashlight with an easy switch. One of those dealies that makes it easier to open bottles. An easy to use can opener.
 
Get her a Christmas corsage to wear when the family gets together for Christmas this year. Old ladies love decorative flowers.
 
Does she do the whole hair thing at the mall? Dillards and places like that have the blue hair salons for the puffy hairdo with a tint to it. Get her a gift card for a cut. It is just as much social hour.

Find out her favorite music and make or buy some cd's with that music on it. The memories should be a good thing and music soothes the soul.
 
If she does indeed get visitors, then something that people who entertain would appreciate. Flower of the month club type of thing for example.

Is she physically able to keep her home clean? Maybe a once a month maid service would be good for her.
 
I like many of these suggestions. She has a lot of allergies but I'll find out how she is with flowers. My mother (her daughter) is a hairdresser so she does her hair. She has an adult daughter and an adult son living with her so they take care of household chores and cleaning.

She has 8 children, 20 grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandson so yesterday I bought her a large print calendar that I'm going to prefill with family birthdays and anniversaries, etc. She keeps that info on index cards now but has terrible arthritis in her hands so I think this'll be easier for her. And believe me, you're gonna get a call from her on all those days.

She has bad vision since a stroke a couple of years ago so I got her a subscription to large print Reader's Digest. She loves to read but the Bible is too heavy for her.

I'm thinking of coordinating filling a digital picture frame for her. It would take some time so maybe Mother's Day would work.
 
You say she loves to read but would she love something like a book on tape? Maybe the bible on tape? There are services for this like Netflix where you change them out when done. Maybe some sort of service to get newspapers, magazines and such via sound?

Also, does she have a favorite tea? A year supply, refreshed monthly of very fresh, Grade A tea may be nice. I think this is sweet you have put this level of thought and individuality into her gift. She's lucky.
 
The funny thing about the Bible on audio is that when she was in the hospital after her stroke, she was really blind at that point, so I bought her a CD player and the Bible on CD, but she was so afraid that someone might steal it that she made my mom take it home.
 
What about a new reading light/lamp? Maybe one with the compact fluorescent bulbs?
The 85+ group that I'm familiar with have upgraded to new floor lamps for their easy chairs.

Their preference is for bulbs w/ the "daylight" (spectrum)..... I think ~ 5000 - 6500K ("K" = 'kelvin' - a designation of the color of the bulb).
 
My 90 year old aunt loves to read so we get her books that we think should would enjoy. She definitely does not like new tech or any home stuff for that matter. She does like Godiva chocolates, wine and the fixings for Manhattans so we often get her those.
 
Sit with her and ask her to tell you about her childhood, young adultood, marriage and raising her family. Let her tell her stories. Ask about the war years.

And tape record it.

This really is more for you than her. But she will appreciate the chance to tell her stories to someone who really cares.
 
Having recently lost my elderly father this has been a thread I avoided ashamed to say I thought HF would get in one of their sarcastic tones but am so glad I opened it.
What Texanne said, please do this! My father got to where he finally would talk about things we wanted for a long time to hear - WWII stories and he and Mom very young - when he also was in such a state of deterioration we could barely understand him. Get every story you can and write it or record it. You and your kids will love hearing them - long after.
While a struggle for everyone, Dad's last years have to go down as some of our most cherished.
Thanks HF's.
 
My mom used to volunteer at a nursing home, and she would do manicures for the elderly ladies there. This is something they have trouble doing for themselves, and they really appreciated it. If your grandmother can still get out, a gift certificate at a manicure place (you probably would arrange to take her as well) woulld be a thoughtful idea.
 
The calendar thing may not work after all. Turns out she keeps it all on a poster kind of thing that is specifically for that purpose and doesn't require maintenance if you will 12 times a year.

Having her tell stories is very intriguing. She talks about that kind of stuff to me a lot but I have never recorded it. I am interested in doing a genealogy thing but haven't made it a priority. What she has to say could help a lot with that.
 
I recorded my parents. They were pretty "camera shy" so you have to make the machinery very unobtrusive. I used a video cam because I wanted to remember what they looked like and sounded like. I just set the camera on a table and pressed record...didn't take time setting up lights or tripod in an effort to not draw attention to the camera. They were still camera shy, but became more comfortable after a few minutes.
 
Damn.


I was going to suggest some of those non-slip slippers... I think they used to be called totes toasties?

Or, in all seriousness, a snuggie.

Maybe some really high thread count sheets? In my grandmother's later years, she got really hung up on texture-- everything had to be very soft. So we bought her things like super soft sheets and blankets/ She would have loved those super fluffy fleecy stuff sheets you can buy/
 
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