Christmas Gifts for Alzheimer’s Patients

Selecting Christmas gifts for Alzheimer’s patients can be challenging.  Also, what was an appropriate or appreciated gift in the beginning stages no longer interests them (if they even realize it’s Christmas) as Alzheimer’s gets more advanced.  Then the gift becomes something that is appreciated by the caregiver or enables them to make the patient look attractive.

At first gifts for your family member with Alzheimer’s aren’t difficult to choose.  You simply carry on pretty much as usual, but gearing their gifts toward clothing that’s easy to get on and off, slippers and shoes that slide on, food they’ve always enjoyed, a DVD movie they like.  (You often can play this over and over as you do with a child.)

However, as your family member journeys deeper into the Alzheimer’s maze, gifts become more difficult to select.  They also become more childlike as the ladies often like baby dolls and even the men will hold a stuffed toy.  Some manipulative children’s toys and tools also will keep them busy.

The nursing home where Mother stayed also had suggestions of items I could give her.  Mother might not recognize them, but at least she had something to open when they had their Christmas party and when my family and I visited her.

Online stores such as The Alzheimer’s Store have suggestions for gifts you can give.  This store has gifts, as well as items throughout the year, for various stages of Alzheimer’s.  Your local nursing home will have sources for gifts, clothing, and safety items they can suggest, as they did for me when Mother was a resident.