What do you buy your dad for his birthday when he has a life limiting illness

In a similar position here, mine may have more than one birthday to go but has been paralysed by a fall and is bed/wheelchair bound and about to be discharged from hospital (after rhe birthday) to a nursing home. Soft socks for wheelchair time sound perfect and I will have a think about photos, an electric frame might be good as he can no longer turn hold a book or turn page. We are keeping the actual day low key because sadly his sibling has just died and none of us are in the mood, we will be taking cake to hospital but some of these are nice ideas for when he moves to the home.

A nice indoor plant?
Would he be up for lego ? They do some amazing themed lego kits now -

My dad just died at 85. What he really loved was photos - I found one for every decade of his life and some of his mum and my late mum. I also bought he really comfortable pyjamas which he appreciated very much

We got dad several of things already mentioned and a picture for the wall of a place we used to visit every year when we were children. He loved his garden and the birds so we got lovely bird feeders and put them outside the window where he could see them. It’s such a difficult time, I’m sorry your daddy, yourself and your family are all going through this.

Going into winter a fleecy blanket. My dad has one that's grey freece one side and mock sheepskin the other. It's lovely.

I'd also consider the heated blankets but he has one of those and still prefers his "fleecy"

My Dad loved the electronic photo frame I bought him and loaded up with pictures.

I too got my dad some cashmere socks, and lovely blue jumper. The socks didn't have elastic in the tops so they didn't dig in his swollen legs. He loved both things, was cremated in his jumper😔.
So very sorry about your dad x

Books
decent socks
slippers
magazine subscription
echo dot that you can put family photos on for him to remember the good times
bottle of something of he drinks
decent toiletries of his skin is fragile

A photo book filled with some family photos? Get friends and family to do videos wishing him happy birthday and talking about some happy memories they have with him, and put those all together? Just “do you remember when we played that darts match/went on that trip etc” type of things. We did that for my DM’s birthday and she loved it.

I got my dad an audible subscription when he was dying. He didn’t have the energy to read but it was nice for him to lie down and listen to books.

when mum was dying she got very dry skin. Perhaps hand cream or moisturizer?

This is a lovely idea. I would do this and also create a photo album of lovely photos. Although digital frames are nice you have to wait for the photos to scroll through and might miss one if you blink. A photo album he can look through at his leisure, even more special if you write little notes in it about the photos.

im so sorry you are going through this.

I got my dad the box set of yes minister when he was told he had six months. To be honest a special made up photo album? Or a turntable and some albums? (I remember stopping myself doing the ‘he won’t get to’ and thought about what he’d like full stop.he lived another 18 months. Huge hugs op

She wasnt expected to go at that point but for what turned out to be my mothers last Christmas I got her a shredder as she had a lot of paperwork that needed proper disposal - statements that kind of thing.

She died the following year, on Christmas Day as it happens and I was sitting with a heap of statements about a foot high feeding in about 4 sheets at at time as that was all it could manage and cursing myself for being a cheapskate and not buying an industrial one

When my darling dad was heading slowly downhill I bought him cashmere socks (you get chilly feet in a wheelchair) & a shocking pink lambs wool jumper that made him smile. He was created in his cashmere socks 😢

I got my mum a bird feeder when she was bed bound near the end. We installed it where she could see it from bed. It mostly attracted squirrels but she liked seeing them too.

You make him a memory box. Buy a nice box and handwrite out 85 lovely memories for him to read about. My sister did this for my Mum's 80th and it was very clearly her favourite present. She read over the memories every day.

I'd say time with him as well. Time doesn't just chatting, watching a film together or listening to favourite music and not doing jobs or care.

Unless there is something practical to make his life more comfortable, I'd concentrate on spending the time with him instead. Having nearest and dearest with you is going to be far more meaningful than stuff.

My last husband birthday was three weeks before he died, and he was bedridden.
My daughter had some photos that he'd taken when he was well (he enjoyed talking photos of nature, on our holidays) printed and framed. They were put on the wall in his eyeline, to enjoy.
I can't remember what I got for him I'm afraid. But those printed photos gave him pleasure and have remained in that room as a reminder of him.

I had this dilemma with my Dad, he took three years between a near miss and actually dying and wasn't able to do much. He couldn't see by the end or walk and was pretty much in a vegetative state.

Boxed sets or audio books or music, cosy slippers, a cardigan. If he will eat (mine went through a phase of eating a lot)then chocolate or cake, alcoholic or fancy non alcoholic drinks.

Bear in mind that you might get it back, or have to clear it out, depending on your family setup.

I got him a mug with a picture of his old uni painted on it years before he died and when he died my mum, who i suspect didn't like it, gave it back to me still in the box. But something like that that he could use might work.

If he has grandchildren, a cushion or throw with their photos on. We’ve done this for my bedbound Dad…

A digital photo frame loaded with photos from past years?

Whisky