CONSUMERS : Gifts That Help Keep Seniors on the Go
Trying to decide what kind of holiday gift to get aging Aunt Martha, who doesn’t get around too well anymore?
Selecting gifts is always tough, but it can be even more difficult when shopping for an older relative or friend with a physical disability or dementia disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.
You can select the traditional box of candy or a fruitcake, but there are many products that might be helpful to someone with arthritis, for example, who has trouble picking up things, or to someone who can’t bend over to pull on socks or tie shoelaces.
Chances are, most people know a person in the over-65 population who has mobility difficulties or some kind of chronic illness. Nationwide, there are more than 20 million people in that age category, and the number is growing each year.
“There are many product adaptations to make life easier, little adaptive devices for the home,” said Lee Norrgard, an analyst for the consumer affairs division of the American Assn. of Retired Persons in Washington.
“If they have hand limitations, you could install levers as opposed to doorknobs in their home. Or there are all kinds of reaching devices to pick up things on the floor or get something out of a cupboard.”
Norrgard suggests other possible gift items: attachments that make keys larger and easier to turn in locks and several new kinds of walkers featuring two or four wheels, bicycle handles, braking mechanisms, shopping baskets or seats. He said some of these walkers cost up to $500.
There also is a variety of cutlery and flatware available at medical supply stores. For $7 to $20, you can buy knives, forks, spoons, spatulas and tongs with oversize grips. There are combination spoons and forks and side-cutter forks, which can cut meat and are available for right- or left-handed persons. Food guards that keep meals from sliding off a plate are available for $7 to $10, and wide-stemmed goblets can be found for about $10.
Sports-minded arthritic seniors might appreciate golf clubs, darts or shuffleboard cues with thicker handles for easier gripping.
For the older person who has trouble bending over to put on socks or stockings, there are plastic devices called sock aids (about $15). And for about $2, there are elastic shoelaces that make shoes easier to slip on.
“All these items are called Aids to Daily Living or Aids to Independence,” said Roy Ellington, customer service representative for Abbey/Foster health care supplies in South Pasadena, one of 180 stores in the nationwide chain. “One of the most useful items is the sock aids. And there are others that are good for putting on underwear or slacks.”
Ellington said lift chairs are popular higher-priced gifts. The overstuffed chairs look like regular recliners, but the seats can be raised and tilted forward. Prices range from $850 to $1,100.
Pillboxes are a popular product as well. They range from small plastic ones with separate compartments for each day of the week (about $2) to boxes with digital timers that alert the person to take medication on time ($10 to $25).
Shower chairs or bathtub benches also can be helpful presents for seniors, because Medicare will not cover the $40 to $70 price. Other bathroom aids, from long-handled sponges or brushes to soap-on-a-rope, also make nice gifts.
Appropriate gifts for persons with chronic dementia stemming from Alzheimer’s or other disorders will depend on the patient’s level of need and awareness, health care experts said. An estimated 2 million Americans suffer from such disorders.
“I like to encourage family members to include dementia patients in holiday gift-giving,” said Lynne Morishita, program director for the Center for Geriatric Health at Century City Hospital.
In general, Morishita said, food gifts are a good idea, as are items of clothing with Velcro fasteners.
“Adaptive clothing with easy fasteners like Velcro, instead of zippers or buttons, are best so perhaps the person can dress themselves,” she explained. “You can give them that dignity. There are many companies that make such clothing or you can convert something yourself.”
Debra Cherry, program director for the Los Angeles chapter of the Alzheimer’s Assn., suggested food gifts and “anything to do with music or things that bring back memories.”
She recommends “simple, easy to turn on and off radios or the Fisher-Price toy cassette players. They’re real but simple to operate. Or a photo of someone from the past, a framed wedding picture from years ago. That’s what they’ll remember.”
People who intend to give persons with Alzheimer’s photographs or albums of family photos should determine “what period of life they would recognize,” she advised.
“There are certain games you can play with an Alzheimer’s victim. They usually maintain hand-eye coordination until the last stage,” Cherry said. “Plastic horse shoes, a beach ball or a ring-toss game. Or anything repetitive. If a woman used to sew, you might give her yarn so she could wind it into balls.”
Morishita and Cherry also recommend videotapes and audiocassettes of family and friends or personalized scrapbooks that include cheerful pictures, outdoor scenes, animal photos, etc.
And don’t forget those who care for infirm seniors, Morishita and Cherry said.
You might give them newspaper or magazine subscriptions, a cable TV or VCR rental membership or a telephone gift certificate. Or treat them to a day trip, a lunch, a movie or a concert--with home care for their patient provided during those hours.
Or you might offer a service yourself, Cherry said. Take the patient for a walk or take care of him or her for a day.
“The best gift you can give care-givers is to give them some respite,” Morishita said. “The best gift you can give them is a day off.”
INFORMATION
Center for Geriatric Health (213) 201-6789; Alzheimer’s Disease Institute (213) 201-6788; Alzheimer’s Association Helpline (213) 938-3370; Arthritis Foundation, Southern California Chapter (213) 938-6111; Sears Focus Health Care catalogue, (800) 366-3000; Enrichments for Better Living catalogue (800) 323-5547; Lumex Easy Living catalogue (800) 645-5272
