OAP's birthdays, what to get for a present

[Dawny65]

What do you buy for elderly parents birthdays, if anything? My dad will soon be 84. He has manageable health problems so we're staying away from booze/sweets. He has enough of everything at his age for his hobbies, home, clothes etc & says he doesn't want/need anything. We have Xmas coming up too. My sister has gone & bought something pointless for his garden despite me suggesting paying for a meal out for both our parents between us, so I'm a bit annoyed about that. We're going for a meal with them which she won't be contributing for to now so it will be down to me to pay for both parents if I don't get him a gift. This makes it dearer for me now.
We're furloughed, with redundancy on the horizon so money is tight.
He does not want, need, or expect anything, but I still feel mean turning up with nothing for his birthday...

We normally give FiL books and shortbread, my MiL is much more difficult now as she has limited mobility, dementia and she's 90. My dad on the other hand is a nightmare last year we bought him an ornament for his garden but this year I've no idea.

Dinner out sounds a nice idea. (Surely your sister wouldn't expect 80-year-old parents to split the bill, even if she has already bought a present!) Or a homemade cake. I really wouldn't donate to charity on his behalf; all those adopt-a-whatever schemes are usually run by the charities that spend the most on overheads and CEO"s salaries. I'd steer clear of the sentimental stuff, too; I don't think people are ever as pleased with yet another family photo as the donor thinks they'll be. (My mum certainly wasn't!)