Finding the best gift for a dad who is living at the nearby assisted living facility can be a daunting task. You want to show him you care for him and that you appreciate him for taking care of you to maturity. At the same time, when your dad is living at a senior community, you want to support him in all ways possible. Here are some of the gift ideas for fathers living in senior living communities.
1. Renew His Best Subscription Service
Seniors subscribe to a number of different services to keep themselves busy and informed. For instance, your dad might have subscribed to an audio book subscription service or a newspaper. For sports enthusiasts, they might have subscribed to a sports news channel. However, since he is not working, your dad might not be able to afford the subscriptions himself. Keep him busy and entertained by paying for his subscription. This will to keep his mind informed to fight memory loss and also helps him avoid stress by engaging him with positive thoughts.
2. Take Him on an Outing
You don’t necessarily have to give your father a tangible gift. It can be a paid night out or a fun day out. In fact, this is the best gift that a whole family can give to their dad living at an assisted living community. You can arrange a family get together and involve your children too. Your dad will be happy to see his grandchildren and spending quality time together. Make sure that you take photos of him together with the grandchildren so as to keep the memories of the great day you had together.
3. Purchase an E-Reader
According to SeniorLivingHelp.org, the average age of adults living at assisted living communities is 87. As such, many older adults in assisted living facilities have poor eyesight at this age. For your dad, this might also be the case and so he might not be able to read newspaper and magazines. There are E-Readers available which are also referred to as e-book devices. It is a mobile device designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books. Shop for the best e-book device made specifically for seniors and gift your dad with one. The E-reader comes in handy especially when he is staying at the senior living community and has more time to enjoy reading.
4. iPad/iPhone
Apple devices are designed as user-friendly devices and seniors can easily use them. These also support a myriad of applications that are designed for use by the seniors. Purchase any one of them for your dad. It is important you educate your dad on how to use the device and install senior-friendly apps on it. Make sure the applications are updated and teach him basic internet security. This will ensure that he does not end up a victim of internet fraud. The device will also help him to stay connected with the rest of the family and to his support network. This includes his aging peers with whom he can share experiences.
5. Senior`s Activity Tracker
Your dad will stay healthy and active if you buy him an activity tracker. These devices have apps that are designed to keep track of the activities that their wearers indulge in. In fact, it is an incentive that lets seniors stay active. It is used by the caregivers also and the doctor to monitor if your dad has been active as of late. The tracker specific applications can be downloaded from the Google Play store or Apple app store.
6. A Digital Photo Frame
Seniors living in assisted living communities like being surrounded by family pictures. These pictures help in ensuring that seniors remember their family members. However, the challenge is that sometimes there are too many photos, so it is difficult keeping them all around your house. A digital photo frame makes it easier to store and view a large number of photos, with up to 32 GB or more to store the photos. They can be transferred via Bluetooth, scanned and saved on the device. Alternatively, you can choose to connect the device to the Google Photos application that auto syncs all photos and videos to one account. The digital photo frame holds a lot of pictures and videos too.
7. Fireplace Space Heater
Living at an assisted living residence might not be easy especially during the cold winter season. A fireplace space heater will make a good gift for your senior dad. It helps to keep the apartment warm and at the same time the heater looks exactly like a fireplace and makes the senior living apartment more cozy.
8. Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Seniors will want to listen to some audio files without causing disturbance to those nearby. If your dad is the type that likes to listen to cool music, this will be an ideal gift for him. There are Bluetooth cordless headphones which are made to be very comfortable for use by senior citizens. Your dad can watch sports on his tablet; he can listen to an audio book and also to the radio station of his choice when he doesn’t want to disturb the others.
9. Playing Cards
Seniors enjoy playing card games, such as solitaire which help to keep the mind sharp. These card games are easy to learn and have an added value since they keep the brain busy and active. There are different print playing cards that are easy to see and read. So before you purchase the cards, make sure they have large fonts so doesn’t struggle to play.
10. Pants
As simple as it sounds, your dad will enjoy wearing new pants and especially a pair that comes from his son or daughter. Ensure you purchase a pair made out of a soft material and that is comfortable to wear. The pants that come with elastic waist and side snap are ideal for older men.
You should always make it a habit to give gifts to your father who lives at an assisted living community. Gifts show your parents that you still value and appreciate them. Spend time together with your senior dad and make sure you show him how to use all the gifts you buy for him.
This guest article was submitted by Holly Klamer.
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