Gifts for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients

Give Elderly Useful Presents for Holidays and Everyday Use

Apr 26, 2009

Choose gifts for dementia and Alzheimer's patients that remind them of home. Framed pictures, custom photo albums and nice bedding add comfort to nursing home rooms.

Going into a nursing home or assisted living home is never easy. Often dementia patients do not realize they are in need of help and have a difficult time adjusting. Family and friends can help make the adjustment easier by giving gifts that provide a touch of home and familiarity for the patient.

Note Cards, Stamps, Thank You Cards for Assisted Living Residents

When loved ones or friends first go into an assisted living facility, it is important to encourage them to maintain a routine. A thoughtful gift is a small box with writing supplies so they can stay in touch with neighbors and relatives. Gather an assortment of birthday, get well, note cards, and holiday cards along with pens and stamps. Add a small address book and offer to help fill in addresses. When the patient gets less sure of himself, offer to help address or write notes for him.

Small Photo Albums and Small Framed Pictures with Labels for Early Dementia

Space is always at a premium in any institutional setting. A small photo album with current photos is perfect for a patient in early stages of dementia. Label each photo and they will enjoy looking at and showing off the pictures while they can still recognize everyone in them. An album with one or two snapshots to a page is easy to handle and store.

A few small framed photos, also labeled, can make the room look more familiar and more like home. Unbreakable frames without glass are safest.

Label and Laminate Individual Photos for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Although framed photos make the room look good, many adults enjoy having photos they can touch, keep in a pocket, show to the staff, or tuck under a pillow at night. Photos are also important to remind a patient of happier times.

Collect a group of photos that reflect a happy time in the person's life. These could be as a young parent, newlywed, time in the military, with a young child or photos of a friend. Scan these or have them put onto a disk at a local store. Use your computer to label each one and then print it.. Laminate using sheets you buy at an office supply store. This will keep the photos clean and allow them to be washed.

Trial Sized Toiletries Work Best for Assisted Living Situations

Make a gift bag of trail sized toothpaste, lotions, emery board, shaving cream, after shave, makeup, deodorant and toothbrush. Choose items that the patient uses and ask a nurse to check the bag before you leave to make sure the items are allowed and to make recommendations for future visits.

Clothing Needs to Be Washable in Hot Water for Nursing Home Gifts

Because of the need to curb the spread of infection, clothing that is laundered by the staff of an assisted living home or nursing home is washed in hot water. The items also need to look good without ironing. Loose fitting light weight sweat shirts or scrubs work well for many patients.

Bedding and Decorative Fabric Items for Nursing Homes Need to Be Washable

Decorator pillows, lightweight throws, small quilts, or any personal items made of fabric will still need to be laundered following the nursing home standards so be aware of this when choosing such items.

Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day and birthdays are very popular times for giving but choose gifts carefully. All items are not appropriate for all patients. The stage of dementia or Alzheimer's will determine a patient's needs. Always check with staff for rules regarding items that might not be allowed.

The copyright of the article Gifts for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients in Seniors' Health/Medicare is owned by Rosalie Thompson. Permission to republish Gifts for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.