Gift Ideas for Elderly Family and Friends

 **Collaborative Feature** 

AD: Whether it's a birthday, Christmas or another special occasion, buying someone a gift is a lovely way to show how much you care for them. Of course, when buying for a loved one or friend you want to get them something they will love and that will be hopefully useful for them. But as those family and friends get older, they can become trickier to buy for, after all elderly people will often tell you "Not to worry" about buying for them or will tell you they have everything they need. That doesn't mean you can't still find great gifts for them though! 

When buying gifts for older friends or family members I think the key is functional/practicality and things they will love. So below I am sharing some ideas for gifts for elderly relatives and friends that they will love for any occasion. 

Light Therapy Lamp 

With the colder winter months also comes the darker weather which in turn can make our homes feel very dark and dreary. This can be hard for anyone but for elderly people who may not want to go out as much in the colder weather or who may be restricted from doing so due to mobility, a darker home can really affect how you feel. A light therapy light is a really great and inexpensive way to get, what feels like, natural daylight into a room whenever they need it. These lamps mimic the natural daylight and can be manoeuvred around the home and simply plugged into any socket. 

Heated Blanket 

You can't beat snuggling up under a nice warm blanket, especially on a cold day. Whether its in front of the TV, relaxing in a chair or led in bed a heated blanket will ensure you are warm, cosy and comfortable wherever you are, making them a great gift option. Of course a non heated version also works well if you are worried about rising heating costs or remembering to switch it off. Just go for something large, thick and soft so it can be wrapped around and snuggled under for warmth. 

Stair Lift 

Whilst this is a fairly large gift it is probably the one that is the most practical and functional for any older person who wants to stay in their own home. Tackling the stairs can become tricky as you get older and this can cause problem, especially if the bathroom and/or bedroom is located upstairs. A gift such as a stairlift from Companion Stairlifts can resolve all of this and give elderly people so much more independence and freedom in their own home. Plus, it is a gift that will last and keep giving all year round for years to come, it would make a great gift for the whole family to pull together and purchase for a loved one. 

Kindle or E-Reader 

Books are a timeless classic and regardless of age, many people love sitting down with a good book and losing themselves in a story. But as you get older holding a bulky book or reading the tiny print featured in some books can make this difficult. A Kindle or other type or E-reader can make a great gift option as it allows the recipient to still enjoy books they love (and to find new books to read) without the need for lots of heavy books. E-Readers also allow the person reading the enlarge the print to make it easier and clearer to see, or they can set it up so that the e-reader, reads to them so they can still listen to their favourite books without ever needing to pick up the book again. 

Photobook 

Photos and pictures often hold real sentimental value for us all and being able to look back on photos is a lovely way for older people to remember lots of lovely memories they may have. Older people don't tend to like looking at photos on technology such as mobile phones and so why not place all of those photos into a photo book for them to treasure forever? There are lots of websites that can print the best photo books for you, or you could just purchase a scrap book style book and create your own from scratch. You can label them with snippets of memories, funny jokes, names etc anything that can help bring that memory alive and make the book even more special for them to look over. 

Amazon Echo Dot 

Technology is pretty amazing right? I mean it has created so many great products that make life easier and it so easy to be able to communicate with others or make tasks really simple. The Amazon echo dot is definitely one of those products and it has so many great features that can all be accessed with your voice alone. The Amazon Echo makes such a fantastic gift because of this and with a little help with setting up they will be able to access everything from music to books, shopping lists to daily reminders and even the weather, just by asking "Alexa". 

Of course items such as slippers, their favourite chocolates or even a big hug and spending time with them perhaps for a walk round the park or cooking lunch together are all much loved gifts too. What gift you choose to get will of course depends on the person you are buying for and their likes/dislikes. But hopefully this list has given you some good ideas to start with. If you have purchased any well received gifts in the past for elderly relatives, friends or loved ones please do share them in the comments below, I would love to hear about them. 

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