Foo - Gift Idea..............

Someone in a FOO thread said you could find out anything here sooooooo I am going to test that theory.

My best friend is older(67) and in failing health and I need a Christmas gift idea.

He is almost house bound with Parkinson like symptoms so any trips or things of that nature are out.

Last year I gave him one of those back massager's that you put in a chair and he does use it on a regular basis.

His daughter gave him an I-Pod which he enjoys, but something that costly would be out of my price range.

I had thought about a TIVO, but he tried to get a Time Warner DVR once in the past and couldn't get it to work, possibly because of the age of his other components.

Any ideas would be greatly be appreciated, and yes, I did try this over in the 'Fifty Plus' thread.

How about a life alert button? They are fairly cheap and if he ever fell, which happens easily with Parkinson's, he would be able to get help easily instead of laying in misery.

What about a shelter dog/cat? An older one, that wouldn't need much excercise. Maybe a long shot, just thought I'd put it out there.

IMO, TIVO = bad gift.

You are giving something they will need a subscription to use.

Possibly a newer DVD player of some sort. Maybe a DVD of his favorite series, or movies.
Books, books on tape.

A portable DVD player could be good too. Something he take with him to the bedroom and watch movies with while resting in bed.

How about a hamper of luxury food/drink which he'd like but would never buy himself? I've done this several times for older relatives.

Depends on your budget. Ask the daughter what are his habits, eating habits, how he passes the time of day. Don't get him something that requires a Geek Squad to figure out. Generally, the older one gets, the less one needs materially. When my in-laws died, there was a great deal of clothing (gifts) that had not been used.

I'm going with practical... An urn :)

Thanks for all the suggestions, including the Urn, but I hope he doesn't need one of those for some time.

I like the 'Life Alert' suggestion but there seem to be a lot of complaints about it but I might look for a similar program.

Pets are out for a number of reasons, but that is a thoughtful suggestion.

He lives here in South Carolina and his daughter lives in California so I probably know more about his daily habits than his daughter does but, as always, I will send her a note and ask. Thanks for reminding to do that.

Very good point about material things. He claims he needs nothing and is very happy considering his situation and is a constant reminder that we all have very much to be thankful for.

Please don't hesitate to make other suggestions.

BTW, have a great Thanksgiving.

BF t-shirt with your handle on the back?

How about someone to do his yard work or something else to spiffy up his place?

A few gift certificates to his favorite barber?

A MASSAGE!! :)

How about someone to do his yard work or something else to spiffy up his place?

A few gift certificates to his favorite barber?

A MASSAGE!! :)

Ahem... With treats? :D

Stacey,

We need to have a long chat.

'K... I'm listening. :)

Very good point about material things. He claims he needs nothing and is very happy considering his situation and is a constant reminder that we all have very much to be thankful for.

Yup, food basket time.

Maybe crackers, cheeses, hot cocoa, and small roll of hard salami or something?

Or make a BIG pan of lasagne and freeze it in individual portions if you like to cook. There is something wonderful about home made lasagne and it freezes well.

Photo album? (With photos, of course.)