There are many great gifts for someone with dementia and our team has rounded up a variety of types of gifts for various dementia stages and needs. If you know someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia (or a caregiver), these ideas will help you out this holiday season or any time of year. For a comprehensive guide, visit our gifts for seniors page with an array of ideas for every situation and budget.
Daily Living Gifts for Someone with Dementia
There are many products designed to make daily life easier for someone with dementia, and their caregivers. In addition to those listed below, consider medication reminder systems, home safety products (fall prevention items, alert systems, nightlights, etc.) and any type of memory-aide item. Some commonplace items can be useful as gifts for someone with dementia, such as easy-to-read calendars, whiteboards to list key phone #s and other reminders, appointment books, and notebooks.
The picture phone is a great tool for the person who has trouble remembering phone numbers. You can put pictures of key people on the buttons, making it easy for the person to reach out to family members and other important contacts.
Clothing Gifts for Someone with Dementia
Dressing and personal grooming starts to become difficult for the person with dementia as they lose the ability to manage complex tasks or remember routines. Simplifying choices and reducing steps involved will help the person function more independently longer. Adaptive clothing can also help caregivers to more easily dress and assist the person.
We recommend Buck & Buck and Silverts for great adaptive clothing. You can even get a special discount at Silverts, just for our friends!
This top is great for elders who live at home with assistance from a caregiver or who live in assisted living or a nursing home. It completely opens up with a simple back closure, so dressing can be done while seated and the person does not have to lift their arms or stretch. It is a nice looking color block design, available in a few different color combinations.
Men’s Jumpsuit for Alzheimer’s Patients Who Disrobe
Unfortunately, some people with Alzheimer’s develop a tendency to undress at inappropriate times. Special clothing designs that make the clothing less accessible for disrobing can be the perfect solution for preserving dignity.
This men’s jumpsuit with the appearance of a two-piece sweatsuit is one example, and Buck and Buck offers several designs for men and women.
Activity Gifts for Someone with Dementia
Activity needs may change as a person’s dementia progresses, but there are great ideas to help engage the person in activities that he/she will enjoy. In early stages, memory games and stimulating brain activities can be helpful. Reminiscence, music, movies and things that keep someone’s hands busy are appropriate throughout many stages. In later stages, aromotherapy, music and other items that provide comfort are ideal.
Caregiver Activity Tote-Early/Middle Stage Dementia
This tote contains a variety of great activities that caregivers can use with the person who is in the early to middle stages of dementia. It includes: dominoes, art memo, bluebirds puzzle, a stress ball, a tangle therapy tool and a DVD and book.
Twiddle Muff (in pup, cat and original styles)
This great product keeps hands warm, provides sensory stimulation and provides different items to keep hands busy and relieve anxiety. We have had clients use it and seen the comfort it can provide, even for someone in the very late stages of Alzheimer’s.
A little extra help can also go a long way when considering gifts for someone with dementia or their caregiver. Contact EasyLiving to arrange a home caregiver to assist with errands, cooking meals, respite care and more. Time and attention can be the best gifts for someone with dementia. Our caregivers are specially trained in dementia care. They provide dignified assistance and companionship, and come up with creative activity ideas to keep your loved one engaged and happy.