Top 10 Nursing Home Gifts

Nursing Home Residents are hard to buy gifts for because of many reasons. They may be bedridden or not have enough room to keep a lot of items. That doesn't mean you can't buy a nursing home resident a great gift. Here are a few gift ideas to help you get started.

Gift #1: Pillows

Pillow are a wonderful idea for nursing home residents. They can be used to help position the resident in bed to make them more comfortable. A personalized pillow adds a personal touch that will make the gift special to that resident. The residents I work with really enjoy these pillows. They act as an extra picture frame for rooms with limited space. A body pillow adds extra comfort for those residents who need to be repositioned by staff. As a certified nursing aide, we use these to help give the resident full body comfort and support.

Gift #2: White Noise Generators

A nursing home is filled with noise during the night, from call lights beeping to machine alarms sounding to TV's in adjacent rooms. The nursing home is rarely a purely silent place and can disturb the sleep of the residents. A sound generator that plays white noise for the resident is great gift burying the sounds and helping your family member or friend sleep better.

Gift #3: Soothing CD's

If a sound generator is out of your gift range for your nursing home resident, a CD of soft tranquil music works just as well. With the same idea in mind of drowning out the noise, a CD of tranquil music is soothing, comforting and will help the resident sleep better.

Gift #4: Digital Picture Frame

With limited wall space and smaller dresser tops a digital picture frame can help organize all your nursing home residents photos. Not only does it clear the clutter from the dresser top and walls but it also adds a wonderful viewing experience for the resident. If they are bedridden have the frame facing the resident so they can watch pictures of yesteryear, family and friends scroll by.

Gift #5: A Photo Album

Too often I see boxes of photos tucked away in closets. The residents I work with all enjoy looking through their pictures but need help dragging that old box out of the closet. A picture album is easy for them to pick up and reminisce through. Whether store bought or homemade or hanging, a photo album is a gift that will warm the residents heart and make their day brighter.

Gift #6: A pair of warm fuzzy socks

The one complaint I hear most during the night is "my feet are cold". A pair of warm fuzzy socks will help their comfort level at night and adds a personal touch to their outfit. For the male nursing home resident, a pair of wool socks is perfect!

Gift #7: Designer Hospital Gown

Hospital gowns are very impersonal. I like to put my nursing home residents to bed in their own pajamas for dignity. Some of the residents are impossible to place in their own pajamas because of their medical condition. Designer hospital gowns give the resident and the care giver what they need. The resident keeps their dignity with pajamas that are personal and the caregiver can easily dress and the remove from the resident.

Gift #8: Patient Scrubs

Another option to the designer hospital gowns is the Patient Scrubs. This alternative to the gown allows more dignity for the resident and full access for the nurses and caregivers. The front of the garment completely detaches from the back making it easy to change incontinence garments, change the outfit with ease by rolling the resident and assemble the outfit back together allowing your nursing home resident to keep their dignity!

Gift #9: Quilt An extra quilt is wonderful during the colder months. A quilt can also help add a personal touch to drab nursing home rooms.

Gift #10: A net10 cell phone and refill cards

If your nursing home resident is able to move about and make calls but adding a phone line in their room is not an option; then a Net10 cell phone is a wonderful idea! For as low as $30 you can buy a basic phone and 300 minutes of airtime. The simple phones are best. The more options the phone has, the more likely your family member will need to call for help. Keeping the phone simple will keep them independent and closer to family and friends.