Present ideas for dad with dementia

[Chickenlicken15]

Hi I’m looking for present ideas for my dad please. He has dementia and has just gone into a home. Last year I bought him some nice food/ snacks etc but don’t think that will work for him this year - I don’t think he would now look at a coffee table type book - I’m sure he doesn’t need any more jumpers etc so am a bit stuck. Any ideas gratefully accepted !

The gifts my uncle got most use out off were sturdy slippers with a rubber sole and a big Velcro tab to make putting them on and off easier. Slip on slippers just fell off his feet. Name them though as they can end up in the wrong room.

if he can still focus to read a bit, a freestanding lamp to go next his chair. This helped him see to read longer as it was brighter.

He loved an old style battery transistor radio as wasn’t much of a TV watcher. The radio was on a local general topic radio station and the staff put it on every morning for him and it was on most of the day.

A soft fleece blanket provided a lot of comfort.

My problem too except my nan is also blind so can't see either. It's so hard. I might look into a fiddle blanket. Usually she has a plant but she doesn't have any spare surfaces in her room in the care home now.

Buying clothes is pointless as her clothes often get mixed up with other women's in the home. She doesn't notice and it doesn't matter but kind of makes buying her a jumper pointless.

Things that worked for MiL was a cuddly cat, like one she'd had when young and a fleecy blanket with foxes and deers on one side and a texture on the other. I'm currently snuggled up under it now listening to the wind.

Nice chocolates were given and eaten most of the time.

When my gran was in a home she wanted loose top socks with her name in, like for school.

Hi @Chickenlicken15 dementia is rubbish isn't it. My mum's got it.

I too was struggling for ideas of what to buy so I've got her a nice (small) lamp.

What about a digital photo frame?

You can preload photos onto it.

Been in the position. Really sorry you are. I found a photo board on a large corkboard of himself as a youngster and family relatives plus tapes of music from his youth perked him up. He stopped wanting food presents. It was things that seemed to reignite his brain to his youth or as a younger man. Hope you find something suitable

My mum likes the 'popper' toys, it's like everlasting bubblewrap to her and she can do it herself.

So sorry about your dad. If you know what music he enjoyed as a child or young man there is a good chance he would respond to a CD of it. But the main thing will be having you there; however much he consciously remembers, it will be warming and comforting.

My MIL won't even eat treats without being prompted by carers who are understandably too busy to coax her with sweets. We end up throwing loads of them in the bin every Easter once they're out of date.

We tend to buy slippers, with toilet accidents they do need replacing fairy regularly anyway.

I bought mine some nice cotton handkerchiefs, a pair or gripper socks, and eye mask/ear plugs (he was in hospital, and said he was having trouble sleeping/relaxing).
I had plans to get him a large mug for Christmas, which was easy to drink out of, and a large calendar, and diary before he passed away last year, so we never quite made it. It's tough op, really really difficult. I think you just being there will be the best Christmas gift your dad could ever ask for.

Oh yes, and as a nother pp mentioned photos are such a good idea. Maybe a nice frame with afew of his old favourites in.

How about some toiletries that are nice too? Perhaps something he used to use when he was a little younger?

Thanks everyone for all your ideas they have all been helpful

A Twiddle Muff might be a nice idea. They are knitted muffs to put both hands in but have twiddly bits and pieces attached. Lots of care home residents have them because they help to distract people and give them something to fiddle with. Etsy and Ebay have them.

A visit from a friendly animal, if they don't already have therapy animals where he's living?

Would one of those digital clocks with day, date and time ('morning' etc) be of any use or is he beyond that now? All my sympathy- been through it. Best gift we got for my mother was a toy cat, as has been mentioned above.