Choosing gifts for loved ones is often difficult, and finding the perfect present for someone elderly can be especially challenging. You want to avoid buying something that they may feel unable to use, and instead choose a thoughtful gift that they’ll appreciate –– and which may even make them feel more youthful and connected. On top of this, aging parents or other seniors in your life have experienced many holiday seasons and likely received their fair share of presents, making it hard to find something unusual or unexpected!

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at some unique gift ideas to make our seniors feel special and rejuvenated this holiday season

Echo Show

This device is a great tech gift for elderly parents. It provides a host of services which not only assist them in their day-to-day living, but also contribute to keeping them connected with the outside world. We also know that the Echo Show is proving popular among older adults. A community discussion about tech for the elderly revealed that there is widespread interest in this particular product, and that seniors who have one use it for a variety of purposes. These include adjusting the thermostat, turning off the lights, and setting reminders to take medications. In addition, the Echo Show can play music and radio, and make audio and video calls –– making it easier for the beloved seniors in your life to stay in touch.

Heated Mattress Pads

More often than not, our senior citizens will state that they don’t get a great night’s sleep. This can be due to a combination of factors, but discomfort and cold are often among the culprits. We all feel better after a sound sleep, and you can help your aging parents to achieve just that by gifting them a heated mattress pad. These pads may have been considered dangerous to sleep on many years ago, but modern designs are perfectly safe. Plus, most of them now have temperature settings that can be adjusted according to need (and which stay steady through the night). This is a gift that may just lead to better sleep and a healthier lifestyle for your senior parents.

Skin And Hair Care

Even in older age, many adults wish to maintain a skin and hair care routine. And thanks to advancements in beauty products, we’re now able to buy products that target specific ages and skin/hair types. Where skin is concerned, products supporting skincare for dry skin make for particularly thoughtful gifts, given that dryness is both a common issue for aging individuals and a problem during colder seasons. As for hair, a softer brush for more brittle hair makes an ideal present. Soft and gentle brushing is recommended for winter hair care, and can help your aging parents to maintain healthy and attractive hair throughout the holiday season and thereafter. As the saying goes, if you look good, you feel good –– and that doesn’t change with age! Investing in beauty products for your senior parents is a perfect idea, and they’ll be sure to appreciate the gesture.

Health-Specific Gifts

Unfortunately many adults in the elderly community do suffer from health conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s which can affect their memory and cognitive skills (even if the conditions aren’t advanced). The good news though is that there are many gifts available that can provide joyful and comforting experiences for those affected. We’ve discussed robotic pets, for instance, and how they can boost mood, behavior and cognition in dementia patients. These robotic cats (they make dogs, too!) constitute a form of pet therapy, which is known to have many positive effects. On the other hand, if you want to opt for something simpler, conversation cards are also ideal gifts. These feature images and questions designed to encourage reminiscing and storytelling. Provoking nostalgia may help ease the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s sufferers, and help them to connect with friends and family more effectively.

We hope that these suggestions have helped you find a suitable and thoughtful gift for your loved ones this holiday season!

Article written by Denise R. Franks