Buying a gift for an elderly grandmother means thinking about her individual needs and likes. Personalized gifts in a 99-year-old grandmother's favorite color or theme are good choices. Noting her health needs and any special needs can also help you find a gift that Grandma will need and use.
Practical Gifts
Some elderly people live on a fixed income, giving them financial gifts can be a big help. Consider giving a 99-year-old grandma cash in a card or a gift card to a store she frequents. Pay for her cable, telephone or utility bills a few months ahead. Another practical idea is to give her healthcare products. Aging people usually have some health and well-being issues like muscle aches, brittle bones or poor circulation. Think about her health problems and buy gifts to make her feel better. For example, if she often talks about a sore back, buy her a back massager seat cover. Make a gift basket with products she could use to feel better like over-the-counter pain relievers.
Memory Lane
Grandparents like to talk about memories from childhood and beyond. Listen to those stories and create items that she can look at to remember. Fill a CD with music from the time when she was a teenager or that she talks about. Confirm that she has a CD player, if she doesn't, buy one along with the CD. Make a memory book by copying old newspaper articles about events during her lifetime and write down her own recollections next to the news stories. Create a photo album. Start with the earliest photos of her and end with the latest.
Personalize
A grandma will appreciate personalized gifts. Make a photo collage of all of her grandchildren and great- grandchildren, one she can hang up in her home or nursing home. Use some of her favorite colors or hobbies and decorate a tote bag in her favorite color with her name written on it. Place items she enjoys in it -- like yarn for a knitter or books for an avid reader. Create a sweatshirt or T-shirt for her to wear to show off her status as a grandmother. Print "Grandma" on the front, and on the back write all the names of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.