Helpful Holiday Gifts For Seniors

As we age, the activities of daily life—from reading a newspaper to reaching up to grab a coffee cup—can present challenges. Fortunately, there are oodles of products designed specifically to help older adults overcome these challenges.

If seniors are on your holiday gift list, ATRIO Health Plans suggests giving presents with the purpose of maximizing older adults' independence and increasing their ability to navigate daily life. Consider these suggestions:

• No-tie shoelaces–For seniors with arthritis in their hands, fingers and wrists, the simple act of lacing or tying a shoe can be a painful struggle. Several manufacturers offer a solution in the form of no-tie lacing systems that provide an attractive alternative to shoes with velcro straps.

• Strain-reducing gardening tools–Many older adults derive great pleasure from gardening, but the pain of arthritis often steals that joy. However, with the help of gardening tools ergonomically designed to reduce back, wrist and hand strain, seniors can continue growing their green-thumb skills.

• Motion-sensor lights–Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury among older adults. The risk of falling rises precipitously at night when all or most of the lights inside a senior's house are off. Motion-sensor, battery-powered lights are an excellent solution. These super-bright LED lights can be placed throughout the house—hallways, bathrooms, stairs, kitchen—and turn on when motion is detected, thus greatly reducing the risk of falling.

• Digital calendar clocks–Many seniors experience memory loss, which can make keeping track of days of the week and dates difficult. Recognizing this, several manufacturers offer high-resolution clocks that spell out the day of the week, as well as give the date and time in large bold letters that can be seen from across a room.

• Grabbers–Capabilities that young people take for granted—such as reaching up to grab an item in the cupboard or bending down to get an item on the floor—can prove problematic with age. Fortunately, handy grabbers can reach where older adults can't.

• Key finders–Although misplacing keys is not unique to older adults, repeatedly searching for rogue keys can prove stressful for seniors. A host of key-finding devices are available to remedy this frustrating situation. Some devices use key fobs that sound off loudly as a way of announcing the lost key's location; others rely on GPS-tracking technology.

• 31-day pill organizers–Many older adults take multiple pills throughout the day. Keeping track of myriad medications is no simple task, particularly if your memory isn't as robust as it once was. Prescription drug misuse among seniors is a serious concern, one that can result in harmful and potentially fatal outcomes. A 31-day pill organizer is a solution for many. Not only can an entire month of pills be prepared ahead of time, but some of these organizers also feature a talking alarm clock that alerts users when it's time for their medication.

While these gifts likely lack the "wow" factor, they will improve the daily lives of older adults who unquestionably will be grateful.

Sources:

https://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/holiday-gifts-for-seniors/

https://www.caring.com/articles/holiday-gift-guide-seniors - This source has been removed from the website by the creator.

https://seniors.lovetoknow.com/Gift_Ideas_for_the_Elderly