Actually nice gifts for elderly housebound nan

[Olive180]

DHs nan is 92, in very good mental form but essentially house bound - she can't walk for more than 2-3 minutes as she has bad hips. Too old for surgery.

She has 3 children, 6 grandkids and 5 great grandkids and gets the usual blankets, jumpers, slippers, bed socks, hot water bottles etc. every year from half the family which she is fed up with. Any other ideas?

Few notes: she has diabetes so no sweet or fatty foods. Doesn't have a garden, and not good with electronic gadgets.

An Alexa?

How about sine Reed diffusers,a book, or an audio book? Also Body Shop Hemp hand cream is wonderful.

Alexa? She doesn’t have to be good with gadgets - you can set it up for her

Does she like reading? I got my MIL (same age) a book subscription last year, which she’s enjoyed.

I know you say she’s fed up with cosy tbh fe but does she have a heated throw? They are an absolute godsend.

A lovely framed picture for her wall.

Sorry - just read you said NOT good with electronic gadgets! Much easier to use than ipads etc though!

Magazine subscription?

My nan is 90 and we got her an Alexa last year. Ages not good with technology either but I wrote her a list of what she needed to say if she wants music on. So,
"Alexa play Perry Como"
"Alexa play patsy Cline"
"Alexa play the radio". Etc.

It took her a while but she's got the hand of it. She spent a fun hour with 3 of her great grandchildren listening to day noises 🙈.

That should say listening to fart noises

My nan is diabetic, I do her a hamper of diabetic goodies, and she loves wordsearches so I buy large print wordsearch books.

Potted bulbs? Plant- not temperamental poinsettia!

Very similar circumstances here, my one loves plants (has a little conservatory) and last year I planted up bulbs in a nice pot to flower straight after Christmas. So that's easy. The only 'gift' I've got that was a success apart from plants was a photo blanket of her wedding day. She's very, em vain bless. Loves that blanket.

Have you got time to sit with her and do a simple manicure? If so, a basket with all the bits & bobs for it.

A digital photo frame of family snaps, you could set it up before giving it.

A basket of ready planted bulbs.

If you've got time, one of those memory books to fill in, about her girlhood, and early life, all the family might like to join in with that.

If she doesn’t already have one of these it has proven popular with older gift recipients

www.johnlewis.com/bosign-mini-non-slip-lap-tray-43cm/natural-olive/p2801420?s_ppc=2dx92700071724759919_mixed_home_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gbraid=0AAAAAD2el1x4C45c8tZGnQCCCjnU1BO9f&gbraid=0AAAAAD2el1x4C45c8tZGnQCCCjnU1BO9f&gclid=CjwKCAiAmuKbBhA2EiwAxQnt73oPVv-Dfggx8PIkSGaJt7IQyvTf5JfKayQkiYgNAI2i2Ik8pK5wMBoC5a8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Some sugar-free sucking sweets? We do a selection for diabetic FIL every year and I know he looks forward to them.

Funnily enough we got her a Google home a couple of years ago and she never used it, just didn't get it 😅

Does she have a magnifying glass for reading/doing her puzzles?
All of the money spent on bed jackets and slippers and hats and scarves for my Nana over the years and the only present she remarked on was the magnifying glass!
Or pay for a reflexologist to come to the house to her?
I had my first session recently and it was brilliant, always thought it was woo nonsense but turns out I was wrong!

My elderly mother enjoys jigsaw puzzles.

Photobooks. We’ve scanned in old tiny photos into a4 pages, some books we’ve done randomly but others more categorised (her childhood, grandkids, family weddings etc).
She loves them and they are looked at very regularly.

a plug in clock thing which shows the day, date including month, temperature.

a framed picture of a view she can’t see so much these days but loves (or holiday photo) or photo montage in a frame to put on the wall

I think I mentioned she doesn't have a garden or outdoor space so bulbs are a no.

She likes reading, but very particular, so audiobooks could be good. Although an Audible subscription for a year would work out pretty expensive.

Talking books / books
Luxurious loungewear
Nice toiletries
Framed family photographs

When my mum became housebound these are the kind of things she appreciated.

See I personally love jigsaws! But she thinks they're 'boring gifts for old people.' Can't win honestly.

Can she cope with CDs or DVDs? My dad absolutely loved being given Spike Millogan radio recordings, and dvds of the old Margaret Rutherford Miss Marples, the Lavender Hill Mob, Hancocks Half Hour and other favourites.

When my nan was in her 90s she liked being given pink nail polish and me or my mum doing her nails. She also enjoyed getting a new lipstick, pair of clip-on pearl earrings and a beautiful silk scarf. I think in the midst of all the physical difficulty and pain, she just loved still being seen as feminine and caring about her appearance.

My mum would also make her a Christmassy flower arrangement (my mum was amazong at stuff like that).

When my nan was bed bound we got her a tray with cushion underneath it was from hobbycraft and you could put your own pictures in. So all the great grandkids did pictures and we added photos of all the children and changed them regularly. The carers also said it was a great talking point to get my quiet nan chatting.

Puzzle books - my son got me a brain-training book after I had a stroke. It was very good. Amazon.

A fruit hamper.

One of those bird boxes that is fixed to the window.

Please be careful with diabetic sweets. I got given a hamper of them for a birthday, and thought it was great until then spending 2 days on the loo. I didn't eat many but the laxative effect clearly kicks in very quickly. Someone elderly may not thank you!

Something like a big clock? I got my Dad a "dementia" clock that has a large display, says morning/afternoon as well as the time and the day of the week. He loves it.