Finding the perfect gift for someone with dementia can be difficult. The hobbies they once loved may now be impossible to do or just cause frustration. The loss of memory may make it hard to do tasks with more than a few steps. And, limited physical mobility may make some activities dangerous. When choosing a gift, you should consider the stage of dementia your loved one is experiencing and where he or she lives. The following is a list of gifts for those with dementia:
Gifts for anyone at any stage of dementia (and in any setting):
Date/Calendar Clock
1. Date/Calendar Clock with large numbers. This allows your loved one to see the date and time easily.
2. Comfy clothing that is easy to wear. There are a number of companies that sell adaptive clothing and footwear for individuals with all types of disabilities. Once example is Silverts.com.
3. Handmade family photo album with the photos labeled for easy reference. These albums are great items of pride for grandparents and make the act of reminiscing with caregivers easy and fun.
Handmade Family Photo Album
Gifts for loved ones who reside in a facility (regardless of the stage of dementia):
Decorated visitor’s journal
4. Decorated visitor’s journal where your loved one’s visitors can leave messages to memorialize their visits. This will allow your loved one to be able to go back and look at those who have visited. It will also allow your loved one’s caregivers to see who has been to visit and provide gentle reminders of those visits when your loved one has forgotten visits.
5. Family photo collage to hang on the wall of their room. Depending on the stage of dementia, you may want to make sure the collage is simple and that individuals are named in easy to read font.
6. Shadow box of memories to place on the wall of their room or just outside their door.
Shadow box of memories
7. Decorated name plate for the door of your loved one’s room.
Notepads, colorful sticky notes
Gifts for individuals with the beginning stages of dementia:
8. Notepads, colorful sticky notes. These help your loved one be able to leave reminders around the house to make sure they complete the things they need to each day.
9. Personalized calendars give your loved one a place to keep track of appointments and important dates, while giving them a familiar touch each day.
Gifts for loved ones with advanced dementia:
Sensory pillow
10. Sensory pillows with lace, buttons, textured materials, zippers and ribbons attached. These attachments will allow your loved one to pass the time pleasantly feeling the textures and manipulating the items. These pillows can be purchased or made by hand.
11. A wind up music box that plays a simple tune that is recognized by your loved one.
12. A brightly colored lap quilt that is in your loved one’s favorite color, favorite sports team or even monogrammed with your loved one’s name.
Lap quilt
If you have great gift ideas for individuals with dementia, please leave them in the comments below. We are always looking for ideas to make life easy and more beautiful for our loved ones.
