Gifts For Seniors

by Matilda Charles

Seniors have acquired so much stuff over the years that we have nearly everything we need—and more. If you’ve held off buying a gift for a senior in your life because you don’t know what to get someone who al-ready has everything, here are a few gift ideas that would be most welcome.

• • Coupons for cab rides or gift certificates for restaurant meals, laundry services, auto detailing, spa day, or hair salon services.
  • Gift basket created especially for your seniors, such as gourmet food, cheese, jams, or chocolate. Or, consider a subscription to a quarterly or monthly gift club. Options range from fruit baskets or flowers to bacon, coffee, and cigars.
  • Pay for a year of cable TV, the daily newspaper, magazine subscription, or Netflix.
  • Two tickets to a play or other event where you’ll accompany your senior or a pair of movie passes so your senior can take a friend.
  • Pay for a senior’s lifelong learning class, either at the senior center or nearby university, and arrange for transportation.
  • Put together a box of useful things, like stamps, note cards, address labels, batteries, razor blades, and calendar with large print. Include a list of important phone numbers printed out in a large font that can be taped to the inside of a cupboard door. (Keep the file and make changes whenever your senior needs to update it.
  • Make up single serving meals for the freezer.
  • Don’t leave out your own participation and that of your children. A small coupon book full of services you can do year-round, such as cleaning, painting a room, weeding the garden, raking leaves, and checking expiration dates on food in the cupboard—all will be appreciated.

What do seniors really want most? The gift of your time.