Last-Minute Father’s Day Gift Ideas for an Aging Parent

Check out our list of Father’s Day gift ideas that are age-appropriate for the dad in your life

In Honor of Father’s Day, we thought we would share some age-appropriate gift ideas for your dad that will not only help him feel honored this Father’s Day, but will also help him age successfully. As fathers age, many have special concerns like hearing loss, poor vision, cognitive disabilities, and more. Find your dad a gift that he can use to make his life better and more enjoyable.

· A decorative bag to attach to a walker, including bags that depict golf or outdoor scenes.

· Battery-operated electronic games like Solitaire or Bridge that can stimulate his mind.

· Ergonomic writing pens to ease writing for dads with arthritic fingers.

· An extra-long shoe horn to avoid bending when putting on shoes.

· Hand-held magnifying glasses to ease eye strain.

· A “big button” TV remote control for easy viewing and use.

· Nail clippers with an over-sized, soft grip for older hands.

· A “memory” photo album or a digital photo album that does a photo slide show. You can scan old photos from your dad’s childhood, including wedding photos with your mom and photos of you as a child, and turn them into JPEG files if you go the digital photo album route. Be sure to also include new photos of any grandkids, and maybe throw in some photos of a destination your dad enjoyed visiting or hopes to visit someday.

· A user-friendly CD player and some of his favorite music, including jazz, Broadway tunes, Big Band, and more.

· Pill bottle magnifiers that enlarge prescription bottle labels.

· Pill organizers designating morning, noon, evening, and bedtime to alleviate confusion regarding which medications to take and when.

· Gift certificates for haircuts, toe-nail clippings, or a personal historian to record his memoirs.

Of course the best gift of all is your time. Taking your dad out for a meal or to a local botanical garden or a nearby sculpture park for a walk can mean so much. You could also take your dad for a scenic drive or to a concert or to church. The time you spend with him, especially as he ages, is truly the best gift of all.

If you have any gift ideas for an aging parent that you would like to share, including ideas for birthdays and the holidays, I would love to hear from you. Please e-mail your ideas to PMenoni@PartnersInSeniorCare.com or call me at 866-203-7290. I will post them in one of my upcoming blogs.

Trisha