Gifts for someone in a care home

[OMGitsnotgood]

Doesn't have to be expensive but equally budget isn't a problem

What they don't need/can't have/already have:
clothes (including nightwear/ slippers etc)
weighted blanket
dementia clocks
books
jigsaws
edibles (dietary requirements + all food provided)
gift cards2 experiences (including vouchers for afternoon teas etc)
jewellery
photo frames / photo books
magazine subscriptions

Am at a loss
books
plants
technology - can't use phone/Alexa/audio books etc)

Stocking will already include every day items - toiletries, underwear, socks etc

Some nice handcream. My nan used to love us sitting there giving her hand a little massage with some hand cream.

Does the home have on site hair dresser or nail bar? You could make up a little voucher so they can get a nice treatment?

It's so difficult when they don't need stuff, or more so have the room for a lot of stuff.

What about a monthly flower delivery (from either yourself or a local florist) to brighten the place up?

A nice light feature, like fairy lights, or a sensory water lamp?

Decorative cushion with a photo of something meaningful on it?

Something 'smelly' - reed diffuser, essential oil diffuser (you can get some lovely ones that light up real pretty!)

I got my grandma scented coat hangers which were very well received!
Anything else small and scented - smell is a good sense to make use of.
Some music from their era and a way to play it.
A soft and cuddly bear/animal.

Hot water bottle.
Perfume/after shave
Day/Evening out?
Photos/Photo Frames - we take so many and forget to share

Is this someone with dementia? If so, how about a fidget muff.

Familio? You have an app you put pictures and messages on (like Facebook) and the family member gets a printed gazette each week/fortnight/month. Some care homes do it for free and print it there, or you can do a subscription and it's posted.

Depending on where her room is, a bird feeder that sticks on her window, or a potted plant that can go outside. If outside isn't possible, a picture for her wall of somewhere you used to go?

A big key ring (maybe her initial?) to make her handbag easier to recognise. Personalised glasses case.

It is tricky!

A robotic pet - they are supposed to be helpful for people in care homes.

https://www.robopets.co.uk/

My mum lived in a care home when her dementia got so bad it became unsafe for her to live alone at home. She was very well looked after but did enjoy having tins of biscuits to keep in her room so she could offer them to her visitors and carers. She did not need them as the care home were always giving her cakes and biscuits but she obviously had memories of offering biscuits to her visitors when she lived at home.

I think the manicure idea is very good - especially if it comes with a hand massage. What about a silk pillowcase? That might not survive the home's laundry so you might need to take it home to wash (which might not be possible if you don't live nearby). A flower subscription would be nice but that's quite expensive. A luxury tissue box cover? I would think along the lines of something that is bright and visually striking as vision can be affected or scented because the sense of smell seems to be preserved better.

Would adult colouring books and a nice set of pens or pencils be suitable?

scented liners for any chest of drawers

One of those soft toys you put in the microwave to heat up as a hot water bottle replacement? I believe you can get nice lavender scented ones.

a digital photo frame? You can pre upload the photos and then she will just need to plug it in.

thank you for all your lovely suggestions.

I've picked up lots of very useful ideas. Please keep them coming x

Potted narcissi and hyacinths for their room

I was also going to suggest hair or manicure

If you are able to take them out would they enjoy one of those live screenings at cinema eg ballet at Christmas or Andre Rieu ?

A weighted plushie

When my mil was in a care home I found it very difficult. She really liked when we treated her to a manicure. They did her hair basic wash, but she paid to have her hair done by the hairdresser each week, is that an option. It really depends on what the home provides as extra’s anyway and if she can afford to pay for them herself.

like I say we treated her to a manicure, it was arranged by the staff but we paid for it each month. She really liked having a magazine subscription too, she had woman’s weekly. In the end she just flicked through the pages but she loved having post !

My Mum has Dementia and is in a home, and this year I am getting her sun catchers for her windows (to make pretty patterns on the walls hopefully!) and a 'photo blanket' for her bed - you can make them on Snapfish 😊

Some sort of projection light? Where you project stars or coloured light on the ceiling.

Your time? Are you able to make tokens and promise her days out? Is she able to leave the home ? Where did she used to like going? Otherwise, go in but with a purposeful activity on that day - that depends on the individuals situation but maybe reading to them, painting, a simple craft, arrange to bake etc etc.

I think some of the in-house treats are a great idea. But, people in this position don't need more stuff - in fact they are of a generation that doesn't like it.

Thanks again all.

Days out and activities and giving time are the norm. I just want a few bits to open, but agree, more 'stuff' isn't needed. Like the idea of something to stick on the window, as said,it doesn't have to be expensive. Stocking fillers will be things that are needed and will be used up.

One of the bird feeders that stick to the window , she'll have lots of little visitors .

www.chubbymealworms.co.uk/products/rspb-window-bird-feeder-1

-A Yoto player is a very simple to use audio player that is meant for kids. You just slot in a card and it goes. You can get different music and audiobooks cards for it, but you can also use blank cards to link to anything of your choice, so you could set it all up with different podcasts, recordings of grandchildren singing etc.
-seeds/ seed growing kit

• sticker mosaic book
• glitter/lava lamp
• lego
• air drying modelling clay
• something beautiful, bright and colourful to use or look at - a mug, a cushion, a painting/poster, some bunting , a tear off calendar
• what is the room like? Does it have her own furniture or is it quite hospital-like? What I most hated in hospital was the blue curtains and the rubbery pillow. Is there anything you could get to make it more personal or comfortable?

We always faced similar issues in what to buy!!

Second PP, hand creams and nail varnish, this was also a lovely way to visit (doing a little pamper)

She always loved cats, so we found one that looked very real and purred when stroked.

Reborn style dolls (we didn’t buy it the home had some) we bought bottles/blankets for her room as she liked to care for the babies.

digital photo frame which we could all upload pics onto via an app, again this made visits nicer as it was something for us to look at together while there.

weighted blanket

The ADHD poppet style things oddly were a hit.

Head scratcher/massage thing.

DF has been in a Home for 7 years.
Personalised blanket (eg photobox)
Individual cans of g&t. Can be non-alcholic gin, but most are about 3% abv. Add some other treats and make up a hamper.
Dementia-friendly radio https://shop.alzheimers.org.uk/products/simple-music-player-green-mark2?variant=42366945001626

There are some special sweets called Jelly Drops, designed by a young man whose grandma suffered from dehydration. They're nice fruity sweets which are 95% water so help to keep people healthy. I haven't tried them myself but they get good reviews and look very attractive in the pictures. They come either in a presentation box or in smaller quantities.

thanks all, i've picked up a couple of ideas from this thread. Some aren't appropriate for this person but hopefully will be of use to others reading this thread for ideas.
Thanks again

Thank you so much for starting this thread OP.