Fun and Functional Holiday Gifts the Older Adults in Your Life Will Love
By Megan Mitchell, PT, DPT, Kelsey Swope, MOT, OTR/L, BCG, and Maureen Colket, MA, CCC-SLP
As house-call clinicians, we get to spend a good amount of time with our clients in their homes. This, combined with our clinical knowledge, gives us a leg up on some helpful and fun gifts the older adults in your life may want or need.
We thought we’d help you out this holiday season by creating a list of unique gifts for your loved ones. We’ve broken them up into three categories: fitness, functional, and fun. One Speech Language Pathologist, one Occupational Therapist, and one Physical Therapist have contributed to each list to ensure our holiday gift guide is well balanced and hits all of the older adults’ needs.
Fitness: As clinicians, we know how important it is to maintain an active lifestyle. These items are to help strengthen both the mind and the body.
Functional: These are the items you didn’t know you needed but do. Practical, simple, and guaranteed to help make your loved ones (and maybe your own) life a bit easier.
Fun: You can’t have a holiday gift guide without a few fun items in it!
Fitness Gifts to Sharpen the Body and Mind
SLP
399 Games, Puzzles, and Trivia Challenges Specially Designed to Keep Your Brain Young by Nancy Linde. This workbook is the perfect mix of fun and challenging. Keep a copy next to your bed or on the kitchen table and give yourself a daily mental workout by choosing among the wide variety of puzzles and thinking games. Crossword puzzles are nice, but who doesn’t like a little variety? Pick up an extra copy for a friend while you’re shopping and you can engage in a bit of competition!
Babbel Language App. Can you think of a more fun form of mental gymnastics than learning a new language? Maybe you have always wanted to speak French or you want to brush up on the Spanish you took in high school. Babbel is an app for your phone or tablet that teaches you a language. Experience any of 14 languages through the app that uses functional conversation, the fastest way to learn a language. New Year’s Resolution, perhaps?
OT
Walking Shoes. What’s better for exercise than a new pair of shoes? These shoes are not only made for comfort, they also have a velcro strap to allow for the tightness you want without the potential difficulty in tying the shoe. These are able to be worn from morning until night to keep you supported and safe in the home or community.
Jigsaw puzzles. Challenge your brain with a jigsaw puzzle while relieving stress and addressing fine motor coordination and visual-spatial relationships. Find one with a favorite scene or animal and enjoy the beautiful image once complete!
PT
Mini Exercise Bike. This exercise bike is the perfect way to get an aerobic workout without having to go to the gym or deal with the weather. Although it is pricey, in our experience it is worth it to pay a bit more for its durability. This bike is perfect for your loved one to use while watching tv, sitting at their desk, or at the kitchen table for an arm workout.
Resistance bands. These simple bands pack a lot of power in them. Perfect for strength and endurance exercises that can be done lying down, sitting in a chair, or standing. This set comes with both long bands and resistance loops for versatility!
Functional Gifts to Make Everyone’s Life Easier
SLP
Digital Calendar Alarm Day Clock. Do you have trouble keeping track of dates/times? Do you have difficulty seeing your current clock? These digital clocks are error-proof! They can be placed on any hard surface using the kickstand (sits like a picture frame) or mounted on the wall. The large font size on the face of this clock displays the date, time, time of day, any day of the week. You won’t regret this purchase!
Daily To-Dos Planner. This daily planner is seriously impressive! The makers have thought of everything here. Fill in the dates as you go; this planner doesn’t “expire”. There are sections for your daily to-do list, errands to run, information related to meals and snacks, times to remember, fitness information (track those steps!), and a water intake tracker. There is even a box titled, “I am grateful for”. What a wonderful time of year to record daily gratitude! This planner is sure to brighten your day and increase your recall for whatever it is you need to remember.
OT
Illuminated Magnifying Glass. For those hard to read items from newspapers to instructions on the back of a frozen food container, this lighted magnifier comes in handy for many and is easy to transport throughout the house!
Insulated Walker Bag. When using a walker, it’s always challenging to take items with you where you are going. This walker bag comes in many colors and patterns to add a little bit of fun to your walker and allows you to stay organized while carrying your necessities including glasses, phones, books, and even a drink.
PT
iPad stand. We all love our devices, but sometimes they can be the root cause of our aches and pains. Looking down for extended periods of time can be a source of pain, which is what makes this iPad stand the perfect gift. Not only can the height be adjusted to whatever you need, but it can easily be attached to almost anywhere!
Measured Water Bottle. Unfortunately, as we age, our thirst receptors become less sensitive. This means that we can’t rely on our thirst to signal when we should be drinking water. That is where this measured water bottle comes in! It was hard to find one with a larger font size but we think this one may be a perfect match! (Hint: you can also make your own for a personalized touch)
Fun Holiday Gifts to Bring Joy
SLP
Reminisce Magazine Subscription. This magazine subscription will certainly take you down memory lane! Rediscover popular products and celebrities from a given era. Read about past food and marketing trends. Enjoy reader-submitted stories about the good old days. Reminiscing is an excellent way to connect with younger generations as well as challenge your own mind.
Tile Sticker Adhesive Bluetooth Tracker. The title doesn’t sound too exciting, but the capability of this product is! Tile is a brand of gadget-tracking devices that is easy to use. Step 1: stick one of these little tiles on your belongings that you might frequently misplace (phone, television remote, keys, etc.). Step 2: use the Tile app on your phone to ring the Tile sticker and locate your item immediately! It’s that simple. Tile can track items within 150 feet using Bluetooth technology. When out of range, Tile can tell you the last known location of your item. Save time and frustration!
OT
Meal Subscription Box. Make a great meal with all of the ingredients and instructions shipped right to your door! There are many great subscription boxes for a wide variety of interests: bulb of the month club, veggies of the month, fruit and cheese, books, and many more! Find what’s right for you.
Personalized Photo Blanket. In the winter, we may not be able to get out as much as we would like or see the ones we love. What’s better than a blanket with some of your favorite people pictured? It will not only keep your body warm but also your heart!
PT
My Life Story…so far. Sometimes experiences make the best gifts. Whether your loved one fills it out alone or you do it together, this book will take your family through a journey in time. This is something that will be cherished and passed down from generation to generation.
Amazon Echo Show. This Amazon product practically does it all. Listen to radio stations, podcasts, and audiobooks. Connect with loved ones through video calls and messaging. Set daily reminders, alarms, and check the weather. Watch television shows and step-by-step cooking videos. Display photos of loved ones and favorite memories. It is customizable to fit any lifestyle. The perfect gift that satisfies both entertainment and practicality. (Note: the newest version Echo Show 10 is to be released soon.)