Choosing a gift for a loved one with dementia.

It’s time to find the perfect gift for everyone you love. In general, you only need to use your knowledge about each person’s habits and preferences. Still, when the person has Alzheimer’s or any dementia, it can be complicated. These tips may be helpful:

1. Meet the patient where they are. Maybe your mom used to be a passionate reader of 1000-page books, but depending on the phase of the disease, it may be overwhelming to follow long paragraphs in small letters. She may still be a reader, but probably with some peculiar needs. At Amazon, you find short stories or curiosity books written for dementia patients, with simple plots, short sentences, and large print.
2. Listen to the staff! If the person lives in a facility, let’s agree that the staff knows their current tastes better than you do. Please don’t be shy about asking which activities engage the person and make them smile.
3. Simple is fashionable. Ok, your mom always loved to dress in style, but now the idea is to preserve her self-sufficiency as much as possible. Avoid pieces of clothing with lots of buttons or that are too tight, and remember that in a facility, clothes are washed in big loads and not ironed.
4. Their season may not be “the season.” Remember that facilities are always at 71F or above, even if it’s cold during Christmas. They will rarely wear heavy coats, gloves, and hats.
5. Play the game. Some patients love an old wood game called Shut the Box, which requires elementary Math. Others enjoy puzzles that are appropriate to their phase of the disease. Coloring books and a nice set of pens or pencils can open the door to a new hobby.
6. Music is forever! Dementia patients may not remember what they said 5 minutes ago, but if you turn on the music, they will sing along with lyrics learned 30 years ago. You can’t go wrong with music, but if your loved one lives in a facility, provide them with ear buddies to avoid social conflicts.
7. Stuffed animals are a hit. There are two phases in life when stuffed animals mean comfort: when we are children and seniors. We dedicated a whole article to this subject earlier in 2023.
8. Sensory experiences go beyond words. Soft pajamas, fluffy blankets, massage pillows, and sets of pillows with different textures have everything to become their favorites. Folding and unfolding soft fabric can be calming and soothing.