Gift ideas for seniors with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. With the holidays quickly approaching, you may be trying to figure out what to buy for your loved one who is suffering from memory loss.
Finding a gift for a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can be difficult. Choosing gifts for dementia patients or gifts for Alzheimer’s patients is not impossible with some assistance from these gift ideas. Before you decide on a gift, first consider what stage of the disease your loved one is in when shopping for a gift for them.
Gift Ideas by Stage of Dementia/Alzheimer’s
The type of gift you buy will be dependent on the stage because each stage of dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, the memory and capabilities are different. You want your loved one to be able to enjoy the gift you give them.
Gifts for Early Stages Dementia or Alzheimer’s
- Crossword puzzle books, word find, or Sudoku books.
- Strategic games like Blokus, dominos, handheld checkers or chess.
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Classic movies and television shows that they watched in the past, if they don’t have a DVD player purchase one for them so they can enjoy their shows.
- CDs or records that allow your loved one to reminisce.
- A calendar that showcases special family occasions and family photos. Shutterfly is a great site to create a calendar with photos.
- Digital photo frame, you can add old and new photos from a distance onto your loved ones photo frame through an app or website.
- Scrapbook kit that your loved one can add family photos.
Gifts for Middle Stages of Alzheimer’s
- Erasable white boards that can be hung on the rooms in your loved one’s home.
- A large digital clock that shows the date and time.
- You can purchase an activity board for those who enjoy keeping their hands busy.
- Lace activity cards.
- An automatic medication dispenser.
- Simple craft kits.
- Adult coloring books or painting books.
- Custom jewelry for the person who enjoys fashion.
- Diffuser for oils like lavender which can be calming.
Gifts for Late Stage Alzheimer’s
For late stage, you will want to find sensory stimulating gifts, which can include:
- A soft, fluffy blanket in a favorite color.
- Clothes that are comfortable and the material is soft, like sweat suits or shoes with Velcro that can make putting shoes on easier.
- Slippers.
- A doll.
- A stuffed animal.
- Music and CD’s that feature songs from your loved one’s childhood or teenage years.
- Sensory items, Amazon has a lot of products that would be a great gift.
It is important not to exclude your family member with dementia/Alzheimer’s regardless of the stage that they are in. Although it may seem hard to buy a gift for someone with memory issues, there are many options that your loved one will enjoy. A person dealing with dementia/Alzheimer’s can feel lonely and that they are not seen as part of the family. You can make them feel like part of the family and give them the best gift of all when you show them that they are not forgotten and that you care.
Need help caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s, Call Us to learn how one of our Dementia Specialists can assist with care and how our Cognitive Training can benefit your loved one.