Gift Ideas for Family Members in Assisted Living & Memory Care

The older you get, the more Christmas gifts are about the thought and less about the value. While money may be a quick and easy gift for the younger generations, there are more valuable gifts for family members living in assisted or memory care communities. 

Christmas Gifts that Connect

Digital photo frames have come a long way. Today’s version connects to Wi-Fi and allows multiple users to send photos directly to the frame. A top pick of many, Nixplay can play short videos as well. Skylight is another popular choice. Depending on the size, digital frames cost anywhere from just under $100 to around $250. To access anything but the most basic features, a subscription, usually less than $50 a year, is necessary.

Christmas Gifts That Make Life Easier

It’s hard to keep up with technology and all of the changes that it brings. It’s even harder to figure out what apps or services are actually worthwhile. Consider bringing a service into your loved one’s life that they haven’t used yet. Here are a few examples.

• Amazon. Buy a gift card and then show your loved one how to set up Subscribe & Save to have things like toiletries auto-delivered for a reduced price. 
• DoorDash. Take the stress of meal prepping and daily cooking out of your loved ones’ lives. DoorDash is a great source to provide your loved one with the joy of eating out, without leaving home.
• Uber. If your loved one isn’t driving anymore, an Uber gift card could be a way to help them feel less dependent on others and more mobile. 
• Kindle. If your loved one enjoys reading, a Kindle paired with a Kindle subscription will give them the option to read anything they want at any time. The ability to increase font size and make the screen brighter is an added bonus. 

The Gift of Food

What do you get for the person who has everything? Food! Gift of the month clubs have evolved way beyond the days of jellies and jams. Here are a few of our favorites.

• Trade Coffee. You choose how much coffee to give and when to send it. Once your loved one receives their gift email, Trade Coffee gets to work learning what they like and matching them to different coffees from across the country and then delivering them right to their door.

• Harry & David Chocolate. The nice thing about having chocolates delivered each month is that your loved one will always have a little something sweet to nibble on — or to share with neighbors, friends, and staff. 

• Daily Harvest. If your family member has all of their meals covered, they might still like having a few healthy snacks around. Daily Harvest is known for its organic, ready-to-blend smoothies in more than two dozen flavors, ranging from simple strawberry and peach to concoctions that include chocolate, cherries, almond butter, bananas, leafy greens, and sweet potato.

Shared Experiences as Christmas Gifts

For some parents and grandparents, there is no better gift than spending time with family. Make your own gift certificate for an outing you’ll take together. It could be as simple as dinner at their favorite restaurant or an afternoon at the movies. Or you could get more creative and promise them a trip down memory lane that entails an afternoon spent driving by some special places from their past, such as the house they grew up in or their high school. 

Christmas Gift Ideas for Grandkids to Give

Whether your kids are too little or too busy, you might want to help them come up with a meaningful gift for their grandma or grandpa. Here are a few ideas:

• Have them draw a picture or write a letter (depending on their age) sharing a special experience they had with or something they love about their grandparent.

• For older children, have them write “What I Learned From You” on a piece of paper that can be put in a simple frame. These should be in bullet points, with maybe a half dozen nuggets of wisdom, ranging from light-hearted (Don’t be afraid to use Crisco when baking cookies.) to serious (The love you have for me is unconditional, never-ending, and inspiration when I raise my own family.) Be short and sweet, but creative!

Christmas Gift Ideas for Family Members in Memory Care

Music has been shown to have therapeutic value to those living with memory impairment, but many of the ways we listen to music today (speakers that connect with your phone, for example) are less than ideal for those in memory care.

That’s where the SMPL Audio Player ($149.99) comes in. Billed as the world’s simplest music player, it turns on and off simply by lifting the lid. The only other feature is one button that you press to skip the music to the next song. The player comes preloaded with 40 “American classics,” but you can use the USB cable to connect it to your device and add your loved one’s favorite songs. 

Check out the Alzheimer’s Association’s Holiday Gift Giving Guide for more Christmas gift ideas. 

Christmas Gifts With a Message

We’ve all seen necklaces and bracelets that incorporate either the names or birthstones of family members — and those do make great Christmas gifts.

But if you’re looking for an extra special gift, Heather B. Moore jewelry takes that concept to the next level. Moore’s collection of personalized charms, which range from $180 to nearly $8,000, allow you to transfer everything from a short handwritten message to a fingerprint onto a gold or silver charm. 

Living Your Best Life at Springpoint Living at Manalapan

From therapeutic gardening and guided meditation to fitness classes and social gatherings, Springpoint Living at Manalapan offers activities to enrich each day, celebrate shared experiences, and foster friendships. Take a look at what an average day has to offer or, better yet, schedule a visit to see our Manalapan, New Jersey, campus for yourself.