With Father’s Day approaching here are some gift ideas for Dads who are caregivers. Thinking about the different challenges that many male caregivers face, here are gift ideas for that superhero, Dad
A Second Set of Hands- hire outside assistance to supplement Dad’s caregiving responsibilities
Meals- bring prepared meals that can be served or frozen for future use. Meals On Wheels Arrange or offer Grocery delivery which is available from a variety of stores, including Walmart Grocery Instacart Peapod Shipt Safeway
Cleaning Service- hire a regularly scheduled cleaning service
Emotional Support- go with Dad to a monthly caregiver support group
Time Out- get tickets for Dad and another family member or friend to go to a sports, recreational or cultural event.
Dinner and a movie, lecture, or concert. No doubt caregivers deserve time out and need to be with people. Give a gift certificate for two and let the caregiver do the asking. There are virtual live shows, check out Day Caring article Coronavirus Virtual Experiences at Home: Animals, Music, Art, World Travel, Museums, Theme Parks.
Stay in touch thru a video chat- To make it easier for Dad to be able to virtually see you more often, consider gifting him with a video calling device and taking care of the setup ahead of time. These devices do need to be set up to connect to a WiFi network, so if possible, you could ask someone in their household to help get it set up. Devices that make video calling easier for older adults include ViewClix – A smart picture frame with an auto-answer mode so the older adult doesn’t need to do anything to receive a video call. Amazon Echo Show – It’s like an Alexa personal assistant with a video screen. You can also enable a “drop-in” feature between two devices that allows you to make video calls without your Dad needing to accept the call. You’ll just appear on the screen and be able to speak to him. GrandPad – A simple, secure tablet that’s designed to make it easy to video chat with family and friends. Facebook Portal – It has Alexa built-in and a “smart” camera that follows the person if they move around the room.
Regular scheduled visit. Caregivers need company. They often complain of isolation. Visits can be a combination of phone and in-person visits on a weekly or more frequent basis.
Medical Alert System: Sometimes a caregiver is afraid to step away and it is common for individuals with dementia to wander. A medical alert system will give a caregiver peace of mind. Medical alert choices
A gift certificate or gift cards. Many family members take unpaid leave or cut down on their work hours to provide care. Gift cards and cash are well earned and always welcomed.
Easy activity to do with the care recipient –TV game shows, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Dick Van Dyke Show were a delight for Mom. For TV shows and concerts go to youtube.com. Also, check out my blog Activities For Individuals With Dementia
Father’s Day Gifts should help to unburden the responsibilities of caregiving. As a suggestion, it’s helpful when conveying your gratitude to Dad, share that there is no perfect caregiver only a loving caregiver.
Want to brainstorm more ideas for a meaningful Father’s Day gift specific to someone special? Contact Me