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Holiday Gift Guide for Seniors with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

A senior man hugs his daughter while holding a red wrapped gift.

The holiday shopping season has begun. What will you get your loved one who lives with memory loss? 

The great news is that for every stage of dementia, there’s a wide array of great gifts for seniors with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia that may be perfect for them.  

No matter what gift you choose, remember that it’s important to keep these gifts simple. For an extra-special touch, you can tailor most of these gifts to fit your loved one’s personal likes and capabilities. 

Above all, simply being with your loved one during the holidays and year-round can certainly fill them with immense joy and love. 

What Our Dementia-Friendly Gift Ideas Can Do

Holiday gifts for seniors with dementia don’t have to look much different than those you would purchase for another aging loved one, but there are specific gift ideas that could really enhance the life of a senior with memory loss.  

We’ve focused on dementia-friendly gifts that could: 

  • Increase safety 
  • Create connection 
  • Encourage social interaction 
  • Spur memories 
  • Reduce isolation 
  • Inspire empathy 
  • Promote independence 
  • Offer comfort  
  • Relieve stress and anxiety 

Take a look at our gift suggestions for seniors with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia below. 

5 Great Gifts for Seniors with Alzheimer’s or Dementia: Early Stage (Mild)

  1. A memory box: Creating a special memory box filled with items of sentimental value can not only remind your loved one of how much they’re cherished, it can also spark recollection and provide treasured reminders of beloved memories. 
  1. A box of cards with prestamped envelopes: Writing heartfelt cards and personal notes to family members and friends can be an enjoyable activity for your loved one during the early stages of dementia. By providing blank cards and prestamped envelopes, you can help your loved one maintain this activity for as long as possible. 
  1. A personalized photo album: Take the time to put together a photo album with pictures of family and friends. In the album, label pictures with the name and relationship of the person in the photo to help your loved one identify who’s in the pictures and recall specific moments in time.  
  1. A record player/old-fashioned radio: Music has been shown to tap into memories in ways other types of stimulation can’t. Giving a record player or transistor radio can remind them of their youth and provide them with a musical way to connect. 
  1. Boardgames with conversation starters: Mild forms of dementia can make starting a conversation more of a challenge. That’s one of the reasons social activities, like boardgames, are so important. Picking an option that also has conversation starters can help your loved one be more social. This can help unlock memories that can help build strong connections and relationships with your loved ones as well. 

5 Great Gifts for Seniors with Dementia or Alzheimer’s: Mid Stage (Moderate)

  1. A self-care spa day: Scheduling a spa day for your loved one can always be a great gift idea. From professional manicures and pedicures, to face masks, body mist or hand and foot massages with wonderfully scented lotions, giving them the time to genuinely relax and be pampered is a great way to make them feel special. 
  1. A large-print clock: Consider purchasing a large-print clock for your loved one. There are even options specifically made for people living with Alzheimer’s that show the date, day of the week, and time. You can put the clock in a strategic location in the house so they always have an accurate reference point about the day and time. 
  1. A visitor’s journal for family to write in: If your loved one lives in a senior living community, think about gifting them a journal for people to sign in as they visit. Friends and family can even write a little note about their time together, as well as the date and time they visited. This can help remind your loved one that people came to see them, and it also keeps track of their visitors for your information. 
  1. A digital photo frame: This gift idea can be used to show a rotation of images that highlight life moments or display images of family and friends. Some digital frame options even allow you to update photos remotely so you can add recent events or create new galleries that reflect your family member’s interests. 
  1. A desktop Zen Garden: This interactive gift idea gives you loved one a playful and creative tool that can help calm anxiety, quiet the mind and relieve stress. 

7 Great Gifts for Seniors with Alzheimer’s or Dementia: Late Stage (Severe)

  1. Stuffed or electronic animal companions: Research has shown that having a pet can improve a person’s mental health and help relieve anxiety and depression. But, often, a person living with dementia can’t take care of a pet on their own. Robotic dogs or companion stuffed animals designed to feel like real animals can actually help mitigate loneliness and isolation for people living with dementia. 
  1. A weighted blanket: Another gift idea that can help reduce your loved one’s anxiety, agitation and stress is a weighted blanket. The extra weight in the blanket can provide comforting pressure that lessens feelings of anxiety and stress. 
  1. A sensory blanket: This blanket gift idea consists of materials of various shapes, textures, sounds and smells to help activate the senses. Like a weighted blanket, a sensory option may soothe anxiety, enhance focus and rekindle awareness. 
  1. A personalized life story book: As your loved one’s memory falters, the best gift of all can simply be a way to help them look back and remember their life. You can make or buy a simple life story book that includes memory prompt cards that help spark vivid storytelling. You and other family members can fill in the blanks on each page, writing down when and where your loved one was born, the places they’ve traveled to, the children they’ve raised and so on. 
  1. A music player with a personalized playlist: For Alzheimer’s patients, music has been shown to reduce agitation and boost mood and memories, making it a potential therapeutic tool. Consider downloading songs your loved one has enjoyed throughout their life to help improve their mood and lift their spirits when they’re feeling down. 
  1. A video streaming service: Your loved one may enjoy watching TV shows and movies from their younger days, so purchasing a subscription to a streaming service that offers classic TV shows may be a great way to help them spend their downtime. 
  1. Voice-activated devices: Alexa, Siri, Homepod or other voice-activated devices can set reminders to notify your loved one of appointments and important events or tasks. It can also help them complete tasks like make phone calls, play music, read texts, check the weather and lots more. 

Give Your Loved One the Gift of a Memory Care Program

At Freedom Village, we offer an innovative program called Heartfelt CONNECTIONS – A Memory Care Program™ that works to preserve everything that brings meaning to your loved one and your family in a comfortable home-like setting. Our wholistic approach to care is here to support your entire family with resources, counseling and more. To learn how memory care at Freedom Village can support your loved one, call us at ​616-200-7271, contact us here or use our Community Assistant chat feature.