... to ask you for your non-cliche presents for the (very) elderly

[rightsaidfrederickII]

Let's be honest. They've had a lot of Christmases and they've been considered old for about the last 15/20 of them, and all the classic old person presents have been done to death so many times they never want to see a set of smellies or pot plant again.

The following are officially off the list:
Calendars
Nice toiletries
Flowers
Chocolates / other sweet things
Long books (the concentration isn't there anyway)
Tech which contains more than 3 buttons (more trouble than it's worth to teach them how to use it and have them forget by Boxing Day, and again the day after that)
Shite made by the kids
Pot plants
Alcohol (half a glass and someone will fall over and break their hip)
Jigsaws and other puzzles
Hat / glove / scarf sets

What has everyone else come up with? Previous successes of mine for someone nearer 100 than 90 but still independent include

• 'One cup' kettle that dispenses a cup of hot water at time and means she doesn't have to lift the kettle any more www.argos.co.uk/product/1219292 (11 months on and she's still saying how good it is!!)
  
• Coffee table books of her favourite animal species and - for the people watcher in her - Humans of New York Stories www.amazon.co.uk/Humans-New-York-Brandon-Stanton/dp/1447295552?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
  
• A 'meet the animals' experience at the local zoo where she got to go into the enclosure and feed them (wheelchair friendly, hurrah!)
  

Anyone else had any inspired ideas?

[jarhead123]

Photo calendar of the kids always goes down well :)

[RB68]

lovely soft light jumper or cardi to keep chills off but look smart- we went with cashmere mix

Long knitted socks - don't even ask she wanted them knee high too

china mugs

set of replacement towels I was hoping she would use but she has saved for a rainy day and still uses the patched ones in the bathroom sigh

books - larger print if I can but I always check

Homemade Jam or chutney or a tin of home made mince pies etc (she can freeze and get out 2 at a time)

Lap blanket - made in her home town in Ireland smaller blanket

Coffee table photo book of where she grew up or where she lived for a long time or family etc

[rightsaidfrederickII]

Ooh that reminds me - a subscription to Homes & Antiques magazine has gone down well in the past, as has a subscription to a magazine about her pet's species

[brasty]

Nice writing paper, envelopes and stamps for my gran who still loved writing letters to people.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Food from when they were young, that they liked.

This even works when the older person in question had a fairly deprived background - one of the most successful treats that I did for my mum before she died was to cook her tripe and onions , which she hadn't had for years. An older friend of mine who lives in a town without specialist food shops really appreciates spices, etc, from where she was born and grew up abroad, which i can get easily because I live in London.

[Dullboringusername]

Something like this

Bird feeder

[Breadwithgarlicon]

Subscription to Time Out, Which or Private Eye.
A rainbow maker.
A boat trip up the Thames or similar.
A panto.
Gig/show tickets.
Christmas decorations, esp photo baubels.
A scarf / pashmina.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

My parents get a 3month subscription to hotel chocolat. They choose to have the boxes every other month do it lasts them 6 months. They love it a really fabulous chocolate to have with their coffee each evening.
Their birthdays I gave them tickets to see 42nd street again really enjoyed. I am thinking about a cinema voucher next year.

[Breadwithgarlicon]

One of those memory books that they fill put and then give back to you.

Photo collage mug.

Bird feeder / table.

[Corneliusmurphy]

A bed jacket, easier to move around in than a dressing gown and then could wear it in bed or a chair with the blankets over her lap.
A nice thin but warm cardi.
Books on cd.
A slip, she always wore dresses and hated anything tight round her waist, a nice slip with no lace to irritate.
Those sugary jelly fruit things.
Nice Christmas cards with proper verses and flowers on.
And randomly a plastic chest of drawers she had next to her in the front room for all her bits.

Miss having my nan to shop for.

[thenettyprofessor]

jigsaw my almost 81 year old nan loves one but getting off the floor is the issue. What about a semi nude butler, that would cheer her no end!

[ArcheryAnnie]

If they like crosswords but don't do them because of eyesight, I also had a big success when I bought the guardian for a fortnight, cut out the cryptic crosswords, blew them up HUGE on a photocopier, then bound them all into a booklet.

[Naoko]

My grandad was very happy with an electric egg cooker. He likes the food in the home where he lives but he was really missing his daily boiled egg with lunch. Very safe too, no messing around with pans of boiling water.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Oh, and my aunt was bought one of these tall walking trolleys for her flat. She loved it, made her life so much easier. And it was attractive enough (ie not very, but not ugly) that she had it by her chair in the living room always, and it meant that she could bring tea, etc, into the room by herself, then have something to put it on!

www.completecareshop.co.uk/household-aids/household-trolleys/trent-compact-trolley-view-large?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvfCL9pfY1wIVorztCh0SnQJMEAQYBSABEgI2-_D_BwE

[Somewherethatsgreen]

sounds boring, but think my gran most loved a nice hot water bottle I got her one year.

[CaptainCallisto]

I got my granny a 'coffees of the world' gift set from Whittards last year that she loved because it was lots of small, sealed, packets so she didn't need to worry about using them up too quickly. She loves proper coffee but quite often has to bin some of it because it goes off before she can use it.

We got her an afternoon tea for two voucher the year before at a lovely hotel. We made sure we went for somewhere quite close to the bus stop in town, and she and her neighbour had a lovely day.

This year I'm making her a patchwork lap quilt.

[bedtimestories]

Writing stationary

[NewIdeasToday]

@ChoccyJules

Great tip re the Britain from above books. I’d never heard of them. You’ve just solved my annual problem for a very awkward uncle. Thanks :-)

[slug]

MIL got seriously ill this time last year. Recognising that she would need to spend more time inside we got the inLaws a year’s Netflix subscription and set it up for them. This has gone down very well

[Wormulonian]

My successes:
cashmere cardigan
Thermal stretchy socks for the house/bed
Cashmere scarf
Small fruit cake with ridiculously thick marzipan on it
Hobby type floor lamp with really bright lights and magnifier (for reading)
Doro smart phone - with big font
Favourite TV DVD boxsets (often available very cheaply now)- Poirot, Dad's Army etc
Uniqlo light down filled jacket - any very light but warm clothing
Aid's they have not come across e.g. can ring puller

My Dd wants to get her gran a sock aid this year

I feel conflicted about "useful" presents - it's a bit sad in some respects. OP I think your zoo experience sounds great.

[Lucisky]

My partners dad is 90 with poor eyesight so that rules out quite a lot. One that went down well was a feather mattress topper. He is thin so it stops him feeling his bones in bed! Also a trip to the theatre (matinée) with a meal out after. He is also very fond of home made marmalade (and Baileys, but you said no booze). Also got some of those gripper spikes you put over your shoes in icy weather, plus a spike attachment that goes on the end of a walking stick for the same thing.
A really good torch.
A clock radio with really big numerals on it.
A foot rest.
A wheat heat pack that you warm up in the microwave.
Electric over blanket.
Electric heated sofa throw thing to put over your knees.
Hot water bottle.
(You can tell he's always cold!)

[buckeejit]

I've said this on other threads but if they have wifi then an Amazon echo dot & a smart plug (get it quick for the Black Friday deal)

Or Google home I believe is similar. Basically you can set it up to turn things off & on with your voice, so I say 'alexa, lamps on/off & it happens, or play radio 4 etc' it's fab & so many uses for those that have impaired mobility.

[ArcheryAnnie]

buckeejiy that's the first time ever that I have contemplated a reason I would ever buy one of those! (They creep me out but I can now see the utility if mobility-restricted.)

[LellyMcKelly]

Give them time. A homemade voucher to take them out to their favourite coffee shop for lunch or afternoon tea with you is worth more than all the shortcake in the land.

[TooManyPaws]

I made my mother a lap quilt when she was in a home. Everybody was very envious of her!

The most successful present for my father was a microwavable wheat heat bag.