Fun and Fantastic Gifts for Someone in Assisted Living

Assisted living provides seniors with a safe and secure environment, one where they have support with their daily living needs. It can be a surprisingly good place for connection too, as there are many other seniors nearby. Assisted living facilities often arrange activities too, helping to keep residents active and engaged.

Yet, assisted living can be hard too.

Seniors are living away from their homes, surrounded by strangers. This can make it a lonely experience, especially at the beginning.

Visiting your family members can make a huge difference. Seriously, coming to see your mom or dad regularly can mean the world to them. Choosing gifts for someone in assisted living helps too. The right gift can help them to feel settled and loved.

What do you choose?

Most gifts for your parents work well in assisted living too. But, some types of gifts are better than others. In this post, we’re digging into some important styles and examples of gifts – ones that can make assisted living a much better experience.

Popular Gifts for Someone in Assisted Living

Give Them a Touch of Home

Moving somewhere new is often difficult. This is even more so for seniors who have lived many decades in the same house. Making their new environment feel like home can help a lot.

To do this, think about what will be familiar to them. What do they love?

Think about the space as well. There may not be much surface space or floor space, so large items or lots of clutter mightn’t be an option.

Small knickknacks are a great place to start, particularly ones with meaning – like reminders of trips from earlier in life, photos in frames, or special collectibles (such as small figurines). Artwork and plants are perfect as well.

Pay attention to what your mom or dad had around them in their own home. This will give you a clue about what they love.

Nice Toiletries

While toiletries aren’t the most exciting gift, they work well, as the senior will be using them regularly. So, why not give them a touch of luxury? This is a great way to make each day feel a little special.

Scented hand cream is a go-to approach here, but you can go far beyond this. You could even build an entire luxury bathroom gift, focusing on products like skincare, a bathrobe, slippers, nice shampoo and conditioner, and more.

You can find full toiletry gift sets from many stores and through Amazon. There are even some fun gift boxes that touch on this theme.

Toiletries have another advantage too – they get used up.

This is important, as people in assisted living facilities don’t have a large amount of space. They’re probably living in a much smaller room (or rooms) than ever before and need to be wise about what they keep and what they get rid of.

If you’re often buying gifts for someone in assisted living, then it’s worth focusing heavily on those that won’t stick around for months or years.

Gifts That Help Them to Write

Writing letters provides multiple benefits. It’s a way for seniors to connect with friends and loved ones, especially when they receive letters in return.

The experience can help seniors to feel less isolated and more in touch with family members, while also acting as a way to fill the day. Some seniors get a lot of joy out of the process, even spending their days on the hunt for ideas to fill their letters with.

Letter writing isn’t complicated. Seniors just need a pen, paper, envelopes, and stamps.

But, you can make the experience much better by giving them lovelier products, like a vintage stationary set or calligraphy brush pens.

What about keeping a journal instead?

This is appealing too and can be powerful for mental health. There are plenty of beautiful journals (like this one) and journaling pens that make the experience even more gratifying.

Comforting Gifts

We all have times when we yearn for comfort. So, why not look for comfort-based gifts for someone in assisted living?

A luxury blanket or comfy slippers can be a fantastic starting place, if your loved one doesn’t already have these. You might want to splurge here, as the difference between expensive and cheap blankets can be dramatic. Take the time to feel different textures when you’re shopping and look for one that’s just right.

Weighted blankets can be appealing too. Some of these are weighted with glass beads, but others use a thick weave style instead, so they feel instantly familiar.  

Self-care gift boxes can be amazing too.

These combine a variety of soothing gifts, like books, journals, fidget toys, and more. If you don’t have the time to build one for yourself, check out the options on Cratejoy. This site has some amazing monthly gift boxes.

Their standout two in this field are TheraBox and HopeBox.

TheraBox was designed by therapists and focuses on self-care. It gets exceptional reviews and features a happiness activity each month, plus 7 wellness products.

HopeBox is similar, except it focuses more on anxiety. It often contains more happiness-focused gifts and fewer comforting ones, but you always get some of each type.

Gifts to Engage Their Mind

Seniors with physical health challenges may be limited in where they can go, but there are still plenty of stimulating activities they can do. Many of these are great for gifts.

Activity books are a fun choice. These come in many styles and range from very simple to extremely challenging. You could also look for puzzles or brain teasing games.

The trick is to match the gift to the senior’s interest and skill level.

For example, one senior may love large print word search puzzles, while another may find them boring and simplistic.  

Don’t forget about books either. Reading helps people escape into another world for a while. What could be better as gifts for someone in assisted living?

If you know the senior’s favorite genres and authors, you could choose books for them. Otherwise, there are some creative options:

• Buy them a gift card for a bookstore. If they’re not able to go to the store themselves, you can help them to choose the books they want online.
• Buy them an eBook reader or set up the Kindle app on their phone/tablet. Even if the senior is resistant at first, they may come around once they start reading. Amazon even has a program called Kindle Unlimited, which gives readers access to a huge selection of books.
• Some seniors may enjoy audiobooks instead. This gives them the chance to enjoy the story, even if their eyesight is limited. There are plenty of services that offer audiobooks, including Audible.

Other entertainment gifts work well too. The best entertainment gifts for people in assisted living are those they can enjoy on their own or with others. This could include single-player board games, especially for seniors who enjoy intellectual challenges.

Technology-Based Gifts

Despite common assumptions, many seniors are familiar with technology and love using it. Even seniors that aren’t technologically savvy may enjoy some easy-to-use technology gifts.

• An MP3 player can work well, giving the senior plenty of music at their fingertips. You could even curate a music selection for the player, focusing on favorites from their past.
• Digital photo frames are popular choices too. Many of these can be loaded with photos, which the senior can then browse using the touch screen. After all, most of us don’t print photos out often these days, so it’s easy for seniors to miss out.
• A CD or DVD player. Technology gifts don’t need to be ultra-modern. CD and DVD players (and even record players) are already familiar, increasing the chance that seniors will actually use them.
• An alarm clock might be appealing too. There are some cool ones out there these days, including ones that have smart lights, sleep sounds, and promote a healthy sleep routine (the Hatch Restore takes this approach).

Food Gifts

Food can be familiar and comforting, making it an easy gift choice. There are plenty of options here too.

You might make homemade treats for your loved one, like cookies or even cake. Don’t forget about healthy food either. You might make a few servings of your loved one’s favorite dinner, one that they don’t get now they’re in assisted living.

Food gift boxes can be fun as well, like Urthbox and SnackSack, which both focus on healthy snacks.

However, you’ll need to check the assisted living facility’s policies buying or preparing food-related gifts. Many facilities allow outside food without a problem, but some places may be more restrictive, particularly for homemade food.