Holiday gift ideas for those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers

Holidays can be stressful enough, but when you add in a person living with dementia, gatherings with family and friends become more complex. Finding the right gift for our loved ones can be challenging.

With careful planning, celebrations can continue to be a meaningful part of the holidays while ensuring safety, comfort and enjoyment for everyone.

If you have a caregiver or a person with Alzheimer’s on your gift-giving list, the here are some suggestions from the Alzheimer’s Association Central and Western Virginia Chapter to make your shopping a bit easier.

Gifts for people with Alzheimer’s – in the early stages

Items to help remember things:

• Magnetic reminder refrigerator pads
• Post-it notes
• Baskets or trays that can be labeled within cabinets or drawers
• A small pocket-size diary or notebook
• Erasable whiteboards for key rooms in the house
• A memorable calendar featuring family photos – write in special family occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries

Items to help with everyday tasks:

• A memory phone that can store up to eight pictures with the names and contact information of family and friends
• Automatic medication dispenser that can help the person living with Alzheimer’s remember to take medicine
• Nightlights that come on automatically when it gets dark
• A clock with the date and time in large type

Items to help keep the person engaged:

• An outing to a movie, play or concert, sporting event, museum or possibly an organized holiday shopping trip with friends and family
• Favorite musical CDs or a playlist with a compilation of favorite tunes
• DVD collection of favorite movies
• Activities such as scrapbooking or other craft projects

Gifts for people with Alzheimer’s – in the middle-to-late stages

Gifts that stimulate the five senses may bring back pleasant memories:

• Scented lotions
• A fluffy bathrobe in a favorite color
• A soft blanket or afghan to keep warm
• Comfortable clothes that are easy to remove and washable, such as sweatsuits, knits, large banded socks, shoes with Velcro ties, wrinkle-free nightgowns, nightshirts or robes
• Music – research shows that music has a positive impact on individuals with Alzheimer’s, bringing them back to good times, increasing stimulation and providing an opportunity to interact with family members
•  Framed photographs or a photo collage – insert the names of the people in the photo and put in frames or in a photo album created specifically for that person

Gifts for caregivers

The most important gift you can give a caregiver is the gift of time:

• Self-made coupons for cleaning the house, cooking a meal, mowing the lawn or shoveling the driveway
• Time off so a caregiver can do something to meet their needs
• Gift cards and certificates for restaurants, laundry/dry cleaning services, lawn care services, computer/technology support, maid services, and personal pampering services such as massages and pedicures
• Books – in addition to giving novels on the caregiver’s “must read” list, there are a number of books on caregiving

The Alzheimer’s Association Central and Western Virginia Chapter provides information, programs and services at no charge to help people impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. For more information, visit alz.org/cwva