When looking for a gift for the senior in your life this holiday season, products that promote safety, independence, and personal connections are at the top of the list. 

We have put together our list of favorite items for our aging loved ones that we want to share with you. The list includes items that are both practical and fun and can also improve your loved one’s quality of life. 

Technology for Safety   

Smart technology is useful for keeping your loved one safe and connected all year long! 

• Smart watches can be programmed to monitor for health issues like changes in heart rate and oxygen levels and many also offer a fall detection alert. All of these can provide aging adults independence but also be monitored remotely by caregivers. 
• Smart home devices are voice-activated and allow seniors to call for assistance without having to remember a phone number. The devices can also help them keep shopping lists and reminders for daily activities and appointments.   
• Smart pill dispensers allow care recipients to load medications and program it to dispense only on a prescribed schedule. Some smart pill dispensers even have locking mechanisms that prevent theft or accidental overdoses. 
• Robo vacuums make house cleaning easier for seniors. The automated cleaning devices can move around and underneath furniture, helping them reach hard-to-clean spaces. 
• Digital picture frames allow family members to share photos from their        smartphones directly to their loved one’s picture frame helping to keep them connected when they are apart.  

Low Tech Items 

For many seniors, simple tasks like cooking or bathing can be painful and sometimes dangerous. These low-tech items can help to relieve some of the burdens.  

• Grab bars are easy to install and great for areas like the bathroom where it is easy to slip. 
• Reach extenders, also called grabbers,are handheld mechanical tools that can increase the range of a person’s reach when they are trying to get an object. The best grabbers have a rubberized claw so the item that is picked up won’t fall.  
• Hands-free can openers are battery-powered and designed for seniors with weak hands or arthritis. 

Finally, one of the most important gifts you can give your loved one is a membership to SandwYch. Our “Guided Group” service brings experts, advocates, and caregivers together to create an online village of support through courses, group discussions and individual learning sessions. 

We walk you through some of the tough decisions that will need to be made, the difficult conversations that will need to be had, and important documents that will need to be completed. All of this is done online through the secure Sandwych portal. 

We know caregiving can be stressful and exhausting. Join the SandwYch community to see how we might be able to help you and your aging loved ones live your best lives.