When a loved one is living with dementia, it can be difficult to know what to buy them as a gift. You may want something that reminds them of the past without upsetting them, or something practical that they can use as symptoms evolve.
Today, we’ll explore the best gifts for parents with dementia to take the stress out of giving. We’ll consider each stage of dementia when recommending gifts to make them even more personalised.
Gifts for Parents with Early-Stage Dementia
During the early stages of dementia, symptoms are often mild and don’t interfere with daily life too much. This means you may be able to give your parents gifts similar to those they received before their diagnosis, with only minor changes to make them more accessible, if necessary.
Popular gifts could include:
1. Gardening Gifts
If your parent enjoys gardening, you could get them something to help them continue their hobby.
Popular gifts include:
- A simple gardening kit (such as seeds, pots and plant food)
- A DIY herb garden
- A perching stool to help them sit outside and tend to their plants
- Tools or a watering can with adaptive technology, such as grip assistance
- A tabletop greenhouse where they can grow plants without bending down
2. Creative Gifts
Does your parent enjoy making and appreciating art? Then you may be able to find them a great dementia-friendly gift that helps them continue creating.
These may include:
- Watercolour, oil or acrylic paints
- Pencils and a sketchbook
- An adult colouring book and markers
- Assistive technology, like pen holders and a lap tray, to keep the paper closer to them
3. Accessible Technology
Assistive tech products are wonderful gifts for someone with dementia, as they allow your parent to continue using technology without their symptoms making it too difficult.
Some of the best accessible technology options include:
- Accessible radios or music players: Music can be a powerful tool in evoking memories, so choose a music player with simplified controls that your parent can use independently.
- Smart speakers and home assistants: These can be controlled by voice, allowing your loved one to play music, get weather and news updates, and listen to messages without fiddling with fiddly buttons.
- E-reader: If your parent loves reading, an e-reader like a Kindle or Kobo could be a great option, especially with features like larger font sizes and instant definitions.
4. Digital Photo Frame
A digital photo frame is a lovely gift for a parent with dementia, as it can evoke memories and help them recognise the faces of their loved ones. You can program your own images into the frame, so all they have to do is place it where they can see the pictures as they change.
5. Puzzles and Games
Games can be a great way to spend quality time with your loved one and stimulate their minds, supporting overall well-being. Multiplayer games offer the added benefit of socialisation, helping reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Good examples of games to gift your parent with dementia include:
- Board games
- Sudoku
- Dominoes
- Card games
- Jigsaws
Make sure you consider the difficulty level of the game you choose to prevent frustration or increased confusion. Certain companies offer accessible games, such as puzzles with fewer pieces or board games with thicker game pieces.
Gifts for Parents with Middle-Stage Dementia
As symptoms progress to the middle stages, they often become more impactful on daily life. Your parent may benefit from gifts that enhance their safety and independence, making it easier for them to continue living life the way they want.
Gifts for this stage could include:
1. Medical Tag Jewellery
Jewellery with a medical ID tag on it is not only stylish and thoughtful, but could also be paramount in ensuring your parents’ safety.
The tag should include vital information to help paramedics know who to contact in a medical emergency, such as:
- Your parent’s name
- Details of their condition
- Contact information for next of kin
You’ll hope that they’ll never need to use it, but keeping this information on their necklace or bracelet can give the whole family peace of mind.
2. Dementia Clock
As dementia symptoms progress, it’s common for people to struggle with understanding time. A dementia clock is a digital clock that displays the time, whether it’s morning or night, and the date. The numbers should be easy to read so your loved one doesn’t need to focus on processing the information.
Dementia clocks may help reduce disorientation, especially in the evening, thereby reducing symptoms like sundowning. Sundowning is a phenomenon in which people with dementia become more confused and irritable in the evening, often due to changes in light levels and increased fatigue.
3. Night Lights and Motion-Sensor Lights
A common symptom of dementia is disturbed sleep, so a night light can be a thoughtful and useful gift for your loved one. A night light with a timer can signal to them when it’s still nighttime and when they can get up for the day, hopefully reducing tiredness and irritability throughout the day.
Motion-sensor lights can help your parent stay safe at night, especially if they frequently wake to go to the bathroom. Motion sensors can temporarily turn lights on to help them find their way to and from the bathroom, reducing the risk of falling.
Gifts for Parents with Late-Stage Dementia
During the late stages of dementia, your parent’s abilities may be affected in multiple separate ways. They may find it more difficult to communicate, move around, and do everyday tasks independently.
The best gifts may promote well-being or foster close relationships with loved ones. Here are some examples:
1. Dementia Memory Box
A dementia memory box can reinforce positive memories and emotions in a person with dementia, especially when symptoms have progressed to late-stage.
The box can be homemade and full of things that incorporate their senses, such as:
- Touch: A square of material from a soft blanket their children used to use, their wedding dress or veil, or favourite stuffed animal.
- Sight: Pictures of them and family members from their favourite holiday or special occasion; drawings from their children when they were younger.
- Smell: Their favourite perfume or aftershave, their favourite tea or spice that they always used when cooking.
- Taste: Their favourite treats they used to bake with loved ones.
- Hearing: Music that they used to dance to, their first dance song, a playlist that they always used to listen to.
A dementia memory box is the perfect gift to evoke memories and spend quality time with your loved one as you connect over shared memories. The contents can be swapped out regularly, making this a gift that can be used again and again.
2. A Scrapbook or Life Story
A book filled with your loved one’s life story can be an incredibly thoughtful gift. It can trigger memories, encourage them to talk to you about their past, and help dementia carers get to know them on a deeper level.
Depending on your loved one’s condition and abilities, you can either create it together or make it for them to show them later on.
Include things tailored to their personal life story, such as:
- Personal details, such as name, job and age
- A family tree full of important people
- Religious or cultural beliefs
- Memories from childhood
- Significant life events, such as weddings, children and new homes
- Likes and dislikes, such as food, music and films
- Activities they enjoy
- Meaningful dates
Use photos and other scrapbooking materials to make their story come to life in a book that they can revisit over and over again.
Talk To Us Today
At Trinity Homecare, our ultimate goal is to enrich your lifestyle in the comfort and familiarity of your own home. This allows you to live the independent lifestyle that you love without the daunting thought of moving into a care home. We are here to support you with various forms of live-in care.
Call us now on 0207 183 4884 in confidence for a free, no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.
