Gift Ideas for Elderly Parents

Purchasing the perfect gift can be one of the most difficult tasks, even for people who are naturally creative. The task can be even harder when you're buying for elderly parents. If you ask them what they want or need, their response is generally, "We don't need anything, you worry about yourself." If this is your situation, here are a few ideas that may just make your gift-giving a bit easier.

Send Them on a Cruise

While you were growing up, chances are your parents had to make many sacrifices to give you what you needed and wanted. Now that you are able to give back to them, go all out and do it right by giving them a cruise for two. Many elderly people love to travel and see new and exciting parts of the world they were unable to see while their kids were little. A cruise is the perfect way for them to do this. Just make sure the cruise line you choose is senior-friendly.

Make a DVD

One of the most popular ways of saving memories these days is to gather a collage of pictures and have them set to music on a DVD. Although they are still photographs, it will play like a movie, shifting smoothly from one picture to the next, with songs of your choice recorded on the DVD as well. You could start with pictures of your parents as children, then move onto their wedding day. If you knew what their wedding song was, you could have this playing as the photographs from their wedding play across the screen. Continue on through all their children and finish with pictures of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It's a keepsake that will bring tears to everyone's eyes.

Make a Quilt

This is more a gift for mothers than fathers, but heartwarming just the same. Take a piece of every child's baby blanket, including grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and piece them together to make a quilt. If you are not particularly handy when it comes to sewing, you can always have a seamstress make it for you.

Gift Certificates

When all else fails, buy them gift certificates. For dad, you usually can't go wrong with a certificate to a local hardware store, since men usually like to putter around and fix whatever appears broken. For mom, a certificate to the hairdresser will make her feel like a whole new lady again. And for the two of them, a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant is always a nice treat--it saves them from a night of cooking and cleaning.