What were the most successful Christmas presents you bought for loved ones in care homes?

[midnightmoon8]

I didn't come up with great ideas for gifts for elderly family and friends in care homes at Christmas :-( and am determined to do better this year. I am going to aim to purchase presents through the year to help with this and so would love to know what you bought that went down well. Specifically, I'm aiming to avoid anything edible and am looking for folks (male and female) in their mid 80s.

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What about a digital photo frame where you can send photos directly to it so they can keep up with what you’re all up to? Or do they all ready have smart phones?

I would also say digital photo frame or heated blanket

Mini fridge for their room. Great for chocolate and mini bottles of wine

Dementia blanket, nice big fancy toiletries from tk maxx like handwash and shower gel, things to make the room smell nice

Warm cardigans or shawls, fleecy lap blankets, soft grip socks, Velcro wide-fit slippers, music in whatever format they’ll be able to play, super-soft tissues.

Photo book from one of the online companies e.g. Photobox, but not family/memory photos, just pretty photos like flowers and animals, close up and large and colourful, with no text.

It depends how well your relative is. Here's a mix of things:

1. Advent calendar. Most successful for older relatives have been Pukka teas: yes they get tea anyway but the assistants were so kind about the opening and making a special cup every day. Plus having it hanging was like pot pourri in the room. My father likes a fidget toy calendar, though they don't last long. It's the daily experience which is the main gift.
2. Zwitcherbox; an outdoor experience from your bed; the sound is much better than you might expect. My aunt cried when she first heard hers, it's so beautiful.
3. digital frame ( if you do all the work of uploading etc)
4. My life in a book; which only works if you have a family member who visits regularly snd can record all the reminiscences.
5. A seaside escape ( provided you can get them out and back by supper time. We also paid for one of the care assistants to join us on her day off from the home (Granny was quite forgetful by then) . We had tea from china cups with fish and chips and bread and butter overlooking the sea. We took her walker and wheelchair so we could get her down to the prom and she could walk herself to the sea wall. It was a good day.
6. The Nestle box of 71 chocolate biscuits; to be fair this was during lockdown when everyone was stuck in their rooms except 1 day a week they all went outside in their coats for a cup of tea and a chat. I sent the biscuit box (Amazon) as they are all individually wrapped. It has become a bit of a ritual that my aunt knocks on doors and gets everyone together for a weekly chocolate biscuit and tea chat.
7. a pretty tree or plant: if their room is on the ground floor and you can plant outside. 8). Window sticker greenery; this started as a joke when our eldest went to uni a few years back. We bought stick on plants for her window as she was in a tower block. They were so effective we bought some for Granny too. Inexpensive but a fun thing. I hope these help. It is so hard to find something entertaining for people who have everything they need but don't really have anything they want. These are on top of the latest kids/grandkids pictures etc.

Scented coat hangers - they are padded with (presumably) dried flower petals. Smell lovely, serve a purpose, no extra clutter in a small room.

An elderly friend loved a fine knit poncho which literally just had a hole for the head, and was long enough to cover her shoulders but left her arms free. It looked quite stylish and was simple to pop on and off, and fine enough to wear in bed when sitting and reading. And it covered her nightie when she wanted a bit of dignity. You can also find cape versions with buttons for people who can't out their arms above their heads. And quilted bed jackets of course.

In the past; those triangular pillows have been popular.

Also my friend liked straw hats for summer and a wool hat for winter to cover her hair when she couldn't get to the hairdresser.

And you can buy walker bags or hands free bags for seniors.

I’ve just had a bit of an idea.
My kids have Yoto boxes which are fantastic. They simply put in a card for a story and it starts playing.
The cards they sell are mostly children’s stories but they also sell make your own cards which you can then download and store audio books onto.
You can also record messages or yourself reading poetry or a short story.
That might be really lovely for an elderly person. They wouldn’t need to mess around with buttons or anything. Just pick up a card and put it in the top.

MIL isn't in a home but has dementia (the variable stage where sometimes she seems ok and other days she can't remember her own name) and loved an old fashioned looking tin of sweets https://scottish-antiques.com/product/stocking-filler-sweets-love-cat-tin-of-fruit-jellies/ which she now thinks she has had for a good 20 years.

Also knee high fluffy socks from M&S - she complains constantly of being cold and has been wearing the fluffy ankle socks for a few years but these go right up her legs to her nighty so the mornings she forgets to get dressed they keep her a lot warmer

A light up Christmas snow globe that plays Christmas Carols, still uses it now and everyone joins in singing. Carols are not just for Christmas.

I’ve sent/given Christmas floral displays to relatives in care homes. The sort with a candle (probably not allowed to light it) pine cones and hopefully freesias or some other nice smelling flowers. Or Christmas flower bouquet. I thought it would be nice to have some real flowers and something Christmassy but it didn’t clutter up a one room home for long.
some lovely ideas on this thread , the yoto one sounds great and simple
My mother loved a photo book with pictures from various stages of her life, particularly earlier years

Precious petzzzz my gran loved.

We also did
Alpacas into care home, miniature ponies, and dogs.

Photo books are great as it gives visitors something to talk about
Also vouchers for trips out
I have bought a series of pictures :"Happy days in XXXX" town
Things to do with visitors are fab - dominoes?

Good luck

Scented drawer liners
Scented sachets to pop in drawers/cupboards
Dry shampoo
Luxury patterned shower cap (TKMaxx have a good selection)
Luxury hand wash, soaps etc for the en suite if they have one.
A selection of greetings cards in a box with a book of stamps.
Fingerless gloves.

A custom calendar of family photos, one for each month. Did mine through Boots website.