Five Fantastic Father's Day Gifts for Seniors

By Anna Hazard

Introduction

Here are a selection of five different categories of gifts, both practical and fun, for senior fathers during this upcoming Father's Day holiday. The focus is on helpful tools, gadgets, and other presents that can provide aid when it comes to mobility, schedule planning, medicine management, reading, stress relief, keeping in touch with family & friends, or other related hobbies & daily activities

Memorable Memory Aid Gifts

While these types of gifts are particularly helpful for those senior fathers in the early stages of Alzheimer's & dementia, they are practical gadgets that would come in handy for anyone trying to be more organized or who may need a gentle reminder every now & then.

Reminder Alarms

• These devices act as helpful audio & visual reminders that keep track of a senior's schedule such as the exact time of day that various medications should be taken, doctor's and other appointments, times for a meal break or when pets should be fed etc. Reminders can take the form of desktop clocks, wrist watches, or even apps on a smart phone.
• Reminder Rosie | Watch Minder | Med Center Talking Alarm

Key, Remote, & Item Finders

• We've all done it now & then, completely misplaced our keys, remotes, cell phones or other small & highly necessary objects. These gadgets will help a forgetful dad find their missing doodad in a hurry as long as the receiver/tag has been attached ahead of time. While many finders require the use of a smartphone, some are standalone devices that can keep track of their receivers via their own remotes.
• Tom's Guide's Best & Worst Wireless Keyfinders 2018 |  Top Portal Reviews Top 10 Best Item Finders | Bibble Byte's 10 Best Wireless Finders

Pill Organizers

• The number of medications one takes tends to rise along with the number of years that one lives, thus pill organizers (and medication reminders) can make a practical gift for a senior father this upcoming holiday. Pill organizers range from simple dollar store plastic affairs where pills must be manually sorted into different compartments separated into days of a single week to far fancier (and more expensive)  high tech set-ups that combine organizers and reminders into one with automatic pill dispensing and audio reminders.
• Vive Health's 10 Best Pill Organizers | Daily Caring's 4 Pill Organizer's for Seniors | Wire Cutter's Best Smart Pill Dispensors

Vital Visual Aid Gifts

These gifts are particularly appropriate and helpful for those senior father's who may have visual difficulties and thus would greatly benefit in having larger sized tools, toys, or other items for better visibility.

Magnifying Glasses

• A basic aid for those with failing eyesight, these are particularly popular gifts for readers or others indulging in hobbies or activities that require focusing on small nearby objects. Pocket and handheld magnifiers are particularly wide spread, but larger versions such as desktop lamps as well as ones meant for specific activities such as television, computer, or other monitor viewing are also available.
• WebRN's Macular Degeneration Magnifiers | Find Magnifier's Guide to Magnifiers as Gifts | Telesight Magnifier's Magnifying Glass For Seniors And The Elderly

Large Face Clocks & Wrist Watches

• Having to read the time whether it's a clock on the wall, on a desktop, or on your wrist can be quite a pain when one's eyesight is no longer 20/20. Large face clocks & watches, both digital and analog styles as well as full blown calendar clocks, are particularly popular for the elderly and for those others who may have some visual difficulties.
• Ella Stewart Care's Gifts for Those with Dementia | Ella Stewart Care Gifts for Seniors | Graying with Grace's Clocks for the Elderly | Top 5 Reviewed Calendar Clocks for the Elderly

Large Print Books & Other Media

• In contrast to using a magnifier to read normal sized print, large print books, magazines, newspapers and other periodicals can also be bought instead. Whether it's a single book or a magazine subscription, these are gifts that can be used again & again for those senior father's who may be avid readers or have other hobbies & interests they would like to read up on. Large print versions exist for both print media and digital as well with tablets, e-book readers, and computers being able to switch normal print to large print mode at will.
• Large Print Books: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Large Print Books
• Large Print Magazines: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Large Print Reviews
• Large Print Newspapers: New York Times

Large Print Games

• Besides books & other media, large print versions of many games & puzzles can also be found. While games played electronically on cell phones, tablets, and other monitors can usually be up scaled for the visually impaired, large print versions of in-person games are a family friendly activity that many different people can enjoy at the same time. In addition, the mental stimulation provided by games & puzzles can help slow down the development of Alzheimer's & dementia.
• Graying with Grace's Large Print Games for Elderly People | Maxi Aids Board Games for the Visually Impaired |  Puzzle Warehouse's Jigsaw Puzzles for Seniors

Fun & Trendy Fall Related Gifts (Senior Security/Safety

These gifts are a fashionable way to keep a senior father safe by helping to avoid tripping and falling (the leading cause of fatal injuries & non-fatal hospital visits amongst those 65+ in the USA).

Safe Non-Slip Shoes

• Having shoes that are comfortable, fit well, are non-slippery on various walking surfaces, and will otherwise not contribute to the propensity for tripping is a basic requirement when it comes to senior safety. Styles should be avoided that have long shoelaces that can come loose and be tripped over, have slippery soles or small heels that require better balance, or ones that pinch the toes or do no provide proper arch support. In addition, a shoe that best fits a senior father's aesthetic & style will be far more likely to be worn.
• Graying with Grace's Safe Slippers for the Elderly | Very Fit Well's Best Walking Shoes for the Elderly | Comfortable Shoe Guide's Best Shoes for Seniors

Fancy Walking Sticks & Canes

• As well as being a good walking aid for those seniors who may require a little bit of balance help without needing the full support of a walker, the fancier walking sticks & canes can also act as a fashionable way to express a bit of individuality (and thus may be used more often when it's considered a nice trendy accessory). Keep in mind that a stick or cane should always be sturdy & easy to grasp without any decorations interfering with its ability to be comfortably carried and balanced and that they should be fitted properly to the height of their user.
• My Pride Today's Best Walking Sticks for the Elderly | My Walking Aid's Best Walking Stick for Elderly | Graying with Grace's Best Walking Canes for Seniors

Long Grip Grabbers & Reachers

• While a long grip grabber or reacher is a gadget that can be helpful to anyone around the house, their tendency to prevent falls due to people precariously perching while trying to reach something out of their grasp is particularly helpful when it comes to seniors who are at the greatest risk for injuries during falls. Although there are many different types of reachers available (including bottom tier ones available for $1 at your local Dollar Store), more expensive reachers that have easy clasping mechanisms, especially those aimed towards people with arthritis, are greatly recommended for their better handling. The easier a reacher is to manipulate, the more likely they'll be used when that moment comes that something is beyond the user's easy grasp.
• Ella Stewart Care's Helpful Gadgets for Arthritis | Wiki's Top Reacher Grabber's for 2018 | The Wright Stuff's Best Reachers for Arthritis

Non Trip Floor Mats

• Another helpful gift for preventing falls includes floor mats, especially those meant for the bathroom where 80% of all senior falls tends to occur. Bathroom mats include waterproof ones meant to be put inside the shower or tub itself with their main purpose being to improve footing while bathroom rugs are meant to soak up excess liquid outside of the tub and thus help prevent any falls due to slipping on an errant pool of water. Non slip mats can be found in various colors & styles that can complement both a senior father's taste as well as the decor already present within the room. In addition, bath mats & rugs can be a welcome change for bare feet to step on instead of a cold & bare floor.
• Vive Health's Best Nonslip Bath Mats for Elderly Adults | Best Choice for Senior's Best Non-slip Bath Mats & Rugs for Elderly Seniors 2018 | Best for Senior's Online Best Non-slip Bath & Shower Mats & Rugs

Carefully Keeping in Touch

These gifts will allow a senior father to better and more easily keep in touch with his family, friends, and other loved ones. Gadgets have been chosen based on their senior friendliness which includes simplicity to use, easy ability to grasp and hold, as well as large displays for better visuals for those who may have failing eyesight.

Tablets

• Tablets are a popular choice for introducing a senior to smart tech due to their portability compared to laptops & desk computers and their larger displays with more forgiving touch-based technology compared to both cell & land line phones. There are several tablet brands & styles that are particularly well known for being senior friendly including some that are specifically marketed to those 65+.
• Ella Stewart Care's Helpful Gadgets for Seniors (Tablets) | Ella Stewart Care's Helpful Gadgets for Arthritis (Tablet Holders) | Assisted Living Today's Safest Easiest Tablets for Seniors 2018 | Table Under Budget's Top 10 Tablet's for Seniors

Cell Phones

• These tech gadgets are a popular gift for the elderly due to their easy portability, the added safety they provide if a senior is unable to reach a normal land line phone, as well as the bevy of senior oriented cell phone apps that are available. Both smart phones & older styled phones are available with a focus on those ones that are easy to grasp and light weight to tote around, durable in case of being dropped, with large buttons & visual displays, and capable of louder audio for the hearing impaired.
• Ella Stewart Care's Holiday Gifts for Seniors | PC Mag's Best Cell Phones for Seniors | Livewire's 9 Best Cell Phones for Senior Citizens in 2018

Land Line Phones

• For those senior fathers who still prefer a wired connection versus a smart phone, here are a selection of land line phones with a bevy of senior friendly features. Due to their large buttons & displays, picture identification of important phone numbers, loud audio volume, and easy to grasp handsets, these gadgets are a particularly helpful gift for those fathers who may have visual or hearing difficulties, arthritis, or may be in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's or dementia.
• Ella Stewart Care's Helpful Gadgets for Arthritis | Ella Stewart Care's  Gifts for Those with Alzheimer's | Graying with Grace's Phones for the Elderly

Simple Stress Relief & Health Related Gifts

These particular types of gifts are good for stress relief, maintaining a good mental attitude, as well as providing a bit of entertainment, stimulation, or other health benefits for those who may be stuck indoors for an extended length of time.

Indoor Garden Kits:

• Gardening is often a favorite past time for those 65+ (as well as those under 65 as well). With these kits provide all the relaxation & hand therapy benefits without having to worry about sunburn, kneeling, pesky mosquitoes and other annoyances when it comes to normal outdoor gardening. Herb gardens are particularly popular due to the smallness of the plants involved as well as the double benefit of being able to use their produce in the kitchen later. Available garden kits range from the simple & inexpensive to more eyecatching (and wallet grabbing) hydroponic aerogardens.
• Best Products Top Indoor Herb Gardens | Urban Turnip Best Indoor Garden Kits | The Spruce 7 Best Herb Garden Kits in 2018

Vitamin D, Light Therapy, & Dawn Simulation Lamps

• These types of lamps are quite popular during the winter when Seasonal Affective Disorder can flare up due to the decreasing exposure to sun light. This is a particular problem for the elderly who tend to remain indoors more often than their younger counterparts. However, Light Therapy Lamps & Dawn Simulators can come in handy all year long when it comes to helping to provide one's daily dose of (simulated) sunlight to help stimulate Vitamin D production, maintain the circadian cycles, and normalize sleep patterns.
• Ella Stewart Care's Helpful Gadgets for Seniors | Apartment Therapy's Best Light Therapy Lamps | Sunny Clock's Best Dawn Simulator Reviews 2018

Aromatherapy Diffusers & Essential Oil Humidifiers

• These gadgets can pull double duty as acting humidifiers (with all the benefits to treating dry skin & lung conditions such as allergies or asthma) as well as providing the mood boosting benefits of aromatherapy which can sooth or stimulate depending upon the exact blend of essential oils being used. Aromatherapy in particular is one of the therapies recommended both for those with Alzheimer's or dementia and when it comes to dealing with stress for the attending caregiver. Essential Oil Diffusers range from inexpensive travel kits available for $5 to larger & fancier set-ups meant to act as eye-catching centerpieces while they diffuse scents across the entire household.
• Ella Stewart Care's Aromatherapy Gifts for Those with Alzheimer's | Your Best Dig's Best Essential Oil Diffusers | Complete Home Spa Best Aromatherapy Diffusers 2018

Ambient Sound/White Noise Machines

• These gadgets produce soothing ambient noises (either the more common white noise or the increasingly popular pink noise with its more powerful lower frequencies) such as distant waterfalls, babbling brooks, sea waves on the beach, falling rain, or the wind blowing through trees and other such sounds that help the listener relax, provide relief stress, as well as fall asleep easier at night. These types of machines are used in sound therapy treatments for sleep, memory, as well as some treatments for Alzheimer's & dementia. As more & more sleep problems tend to crop up as one ages, they make a particularly good gift for a senior (or stressed-out) father.
• Health.com's 7 Best White Noise Machines for a Good Night's Sleep | Top Ten Reviews Best Sound Machines of 2018 | Apartment Therapy's Best Sound Machines