Great family relationships are essential to increasing a senior’s quality of life, especially when the senior lives in a nursing home or assisted living community. It is confirmed that seniors who have stronger relationships within their family actually live longer lives than seniors who don’t (Amanda Senior Care).
The holidays give the perfect reason to connect with your relatives! Sending personalized cards and gifts during the holidays, and throughout the year, are wonderful ways to express love and facilitate growth in these relationships. It may be hard to think of the perfect gift for a loved one, especially if they are expressing signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia. We have compiled a list of ideas to help you personalize specifically for your loved ones.
Go-to gift idea: Photos
Some of the best gifts for family members who may be experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia, are the easiest to put together. Framed photos with family members, or of significant locations, are great to help stimulate your relative’s brain; it has been shown to help maintain memory recognition between those memories and positive emotions longer (Huijbers, 2011). Photos can also be glued to the inside of a funny animated card with the addition of a sentimental note that can express feelings and also describe what is depicted in the image. If you want to go big, you can even order cozy blankets and comfy pillows with images printed onto them from places such as Walmart and Shutterfly.
Gifts to stimulate the brain: Puzzles
If you want to send your relative a gift that is more tactile and also brain energizing, there are many suitable options out there. Puzzles with images you know your family member will enjoy are always a good option. Depending on their level of cognitive function, you can determine how large the puzzle pieces should be, how many puzzle pieces should be included, and how complicated the image is to suit their specific needs. For those who really like the photo idea, you can also get puzzles custom made with your own photos on them from places such as Shutterfly and Vistaprint.
Word search books are also a great option. These are great for stimulating a senior’s brain and there are plenty of pages to complete. Additionally, it is easy to create custom word searches online. Adding words that hold significance, such as locations, family names, or favorite foods, is also an option to make it even more personalized. Websites like Education.com make this easy; you can generate a word search in seconds. If you want to go a step further, you can even laminate the pages so they can be reused.
Gifts to Make Life More Comfortable
If you are looking for a gift that will just make life cozier soft sweatpants, hoodies, house slippers/ moccasins are amazing options. These gifts can also have images printed onto them, however, just picking out the perfect color or pattern for your relative can be enough. If you do not know what color to get, do not be afraid to reach out, ask, and have a conversation with them!
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By Gabe Fabian
Senior Care Advising Intern at WellPath Partners
Healthcare Administration Student at California State University, Long Beach
