Gift Guide for Homebound Seniors
Many of you have had your Christmas shopping wrapped up since Black Friday (or before!), but for the rest of us, sometimes we need some inspiration as we rush around trying to figure out what to buy for everyone on our list.
The homebound seniors on your list, such as home health and home hospice patients, have some special needs to consider as you figure out the perfect gift.
For starters, they may not be as mobile as the rest of us, so keeping gifts in mind that allow for easy use in an armchair or while in bed can be very important.
Also, many homebound people are also older, so gifts that require fine motor movements or really good vision may also not be the best choices.
With those things in mind, here are some of our favorite gift ideas:
Puzzles - if your gift recipient has arthritis or other hand problems, consider puzzles with larger pieces
Reading Lights - perhaps a light that clamps to the bed, or that has a gooseneck that can be easily pulled to a more useful position
Awesome pillows - In addition to a new pillow for regular use, you could also consider a full-length body pillow to help prevent bed sores or a “backrest”/“reading” pillow that can help them sit up in bed.
Hot tea mug with lid - keeps your drink hot longer, and prevents spills
Remote with larger (and fewer!) buttons - make the grandchildren program it as their contribution to the gift!
Fuzzy blankets and throws
Slippers
Digital photo frames - especially the kind that allows you to remotely update the photos so that your loved one always feels connected to the latest news
iPad or tablet for games - may be better than a laptop because it is lighter weight, harder to break, and keeps its charge longer
Books, audiobooks, magazines - you can even combine this idea with the iPad/tablet from the above idea, using an app like Scribd that gives you unlimited access to a vast library of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, and other documents for around $10/month
Photo albums and/or scrapbooks
Gift certificates from restaurants that deliver
Do you have any awesome gift ideas that we haven’t thought of here? Share them in the comments below!