Vacation reunions start to feel different when a family member and loved one are living with Alzheimer’s disease. This is why the Alzheimer Association created a guide to giving thoughtful gifts. The idea is to help keep the holidays a meaningful and loving time.
If a family member or friend has Alzheimer’s disease, or if you know a caregiver who also has Alzheimer’s disease, this guide from the Alzheimer’s Association can help!
Alzheimer’s gift guide – the early stages
Items to help remember things:
- Magnetic Reminder Fridge Pads
- Post-it Notes
- Baskets or trays that can be labeled in cabinets or drawers
- A small diary or pocket notebook
- Erasable whiteboards for key rooms in the house
- A memorable calendar with family photos – write on special family occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries
Articles to help with daily tasks:
- A memory phone that can store up to eight photos with names and contact details of family and friends
- Medication vending machine that can help a person living with Alzheimer’s disease remember to take their medication
- Night lights that turn on automatically when it gets dark
- A clock with the date and time in large letters
Items to help keep the person engaged:
- A trip to the cinema, a play or a concert, a sporting event, a museum or possibly an organized shopping trip with friends and family
- Favorite music CDs or CDs with a compilation of favorite tracks DVD collection of favorite movies
- Activities such as scrapbooking or other craft projects
- Activity gifts that can give a sense of accomplishment
- Wooden toolbox (includes wooden tools, nails, screws, nuts and bolts)
- Lacing beads (large wooden beads and a lace)
- Magnetic spelling trays
- Floral arrangement (fake flowers, block of foam and vase or basket)
- Plastic bolt and nut set
- Ask your loved one to help you make homemade gifts for the family (painting ornaments, decorating stockings, decorating tables or place cards, etc.)
Alzheimer’s gift guide – intermediate to advanced stages
Gifts that stimulate all five senses can bring back fond memories:
- scented lotion
- A fluffy bathrobe in a favorite color
- A soft blanket or an afghan to stay warm
- Comfortable, easy-to-remove and washable clothing, such as tracksuits, knitwear, wide-banded socks, shoes with Velcro fasteners, wrinkle-resistant nightgowns, nightgowns or bathrobes
- Music – research shows that music has a positive impact on people with Alzheimer’s disease, bringing them back to good times, increasing stimulation and providing an opportunity to interact with family members
- Framed photographs or photo collage – insert the names of the people in the photo and put them in frames or in a photo album created specifically for that person
- Register the person with MedicAlert, a nationwide 24-hour emergency response service for medical emergencies and wanderings.
- Soothing gifts that can help fight anxiety
- Weighted blankets
- Weighted moving mat
- Hand massage ball
- Lavender essential oil diffuser
- Activity and sensory apron
- Gelwave Activity Cushion
- Stuffed animal
- Photo cover
- Sensory or wrist pillow
- Lavender essential oil diffuser
- Gifts for caregivers
The most important gift you can give to a caregiver is the gift of time:
- Homemade coupons for cleaning the house, preparing a meal, mowing the lawn or shoveling the driveway
- Time off so that a caregiver can do something to meet their needs
- Gift cards and certificates for restaurants, laundry / dry cleaning services, lawn care services, IT / technology support, maid services, and personal care services such as massages and pedicures
- Books – in addition to making novels on the caregiver’s must-read list, there are a number of books on caregiving.
