Elderly comfortably off parents - tell me your successful gifts (or cunning ideas)

[Sadik]

Obviously before someone makes this point elderly people are all different and have different tastes. BUT the combination of older people often not wanting to accumulate more 'stuff', limitations around what they can do (making tickets to events / days out trickier) and maybe a preference for familiar food/drink items (ie not 'fancy' options) is a bit of a killer. Given that I figured maybe we could swap ideas around successful gifts that have actually hit the spot.

My really surprising hit last year for my elderly dad's birthday was a subscription to Spotify. He uses it all the time and (apart from the advantage of endless new music) it's much easier for him than managing CDs or LPs as he has limited sight.

Obviously that's solved birthdays ongoing (as I can renew it) but it has on the downside meant that I can't go for my usual default present of a couple of new CDs ... I can resort to Kindle books & a box of chocs but it's not very exciting

Mum likes perfume, theatre vouchers, gin, pretty scarfs, flowers. Cashmere bed socks went down well a few years ago (I love them too).

Oh, my Dad's favourite present ever that I gave him was home weather station. Otherwise books and whisky.

We've done plants for the garden
The vine which was a joke present (premature bottle of wine) was a surprising hit and has done extremely well.
Nice wine, gin or brandy
Nice food
Carefully chosen books (doesn't have to be expensive but has to have meaning)

Long charging cables and power banks. He does a lot of coach holidays and long cables are a must.

Some of these were joint presents between siblings. Power bank, heated throws, a gilet (he raves about it once a week 😂), concert tickets and one for me to go with him. Smart TV, fitbit, small trips away with sibling, sporting memorabilia, a foldable cart with wheels, gas camping stove and kettle to use when electricity goes, torch. Basically useful things!

Back scratcher, world scratch map, magnetic arm thing for screws.

That is a FANTASIC idea. Thank you so much. Mum has macular degeneration and (understandably) complains she can’t see photos, but I think she would manage with that. I always used to get her a photo book so that’s just perfect, particularly with the ability for people to send pictures to it for her.

Netflix subscription plus Dd visit to teach them how to use it, a grenadier fire lighter gadget ( brilliant for open fires or wood burners), cashmere football/rugby scarf from Savile Rogue.

Every year is a struggle so following for inspo!

We exchange food gifts with my dad, who loves to cook. The most successful gift we ever got him was a couple of kilos of chickpeas from an adopt a farm thingy. Nice wine or champagne always welcome, or I give him a 'food kit'. For example, all of the ingredients for an amazing boeuf bourguignonne. This year I'm getting him a bunch of things from Hodmedods.

Mum is trickier because she doesn't want or go out much, although I did well by just giving her £50 towards her nail place. It's something she treats herself to, but she appreciated that we remembered and it was there for her.

Oh and a cheap trail camera off ebay. They loved seeing the wildlife that was coming into the garden at night.

My dad said he had no more room for photos of the kids but loves a jigsaw so I got him a jigsaw of the kids! He loved it so much he ended up having it framed which made me laugh 🤣

This year I'm getting my mam a dyson airwrap dupe off tik tok (she wants the real deal but refuses to pay that much and was buzzing when she tried my knock off one!).

My dad im getting a picture we have framed that he "borrowed" when we redecorated 🤣🤣

It's his 70th birthday just before Christmas so I've got him tickets for the rod stewart story west end show!

Cheese subscription.

New or extra speaker(s) or headphones? It fits with his Spotify. admittedly this will only work for 1 year...

I'd love a weather station - a proper on with wind speed - DH gets nervous about the roof and would have a fit if it got really windy🤦‍♀️

My dad is notoriously bad for presents, he rarely drinks and is diabetic so that's a lot of presents out. Last year I bought him an RHS book and a biography of Magellan. The year before that I bought him a pebble picture from Etsy.

Following for much needed inspo,
Thank you 😊

For my dads 80th I got him a collection of the newspaper front pages for every birthday since his birth. He loved that.

Another popular gift was a nice fluffy blanket from Next.

I bought mine oodles and they use them all over he time

My impossible to buy for dad loves his subscription to the Oldie magazine

a subscription to a stained glass making course
…and a box of plasters. I’ve done one of those.

For my dad, a subscription to Private Eye has been the go-to for years.

My dad liked his Guardian subscription. DP's mum was delighted with her monthly bouquet.

We have put together a hamper of nice food, drink and a couple of nice "things" (new scarf, new framed photo of her great grandchildren for example) for my gran over the last couple of years. She is quite fussy with food so buying a ready made hamper is out of the question. This way we can fully tailor it to what she likes but wouldn't necessarily buy herself. Better than buying stuff that just ends up in a cupboard, she uses all of it.

'Naff 'perhaps but my 'has everything' Mum loved a 'Lady' title certificate from 'Established Titles'. They're a good environmental group too.

Christian Aid charity gifts, like farming animals for African villagers. It’s thoughtful and it’s a gift that keeps on giving to those who need it.

My MIL loved her Netflix subscription. She would never have got herself one so we just renew it every year now.
My parents love books.