Buying a good gift for someone is always a challenge. When that person is an elderly man who has already lived a full life and is now enjoying his golden days, with fewer needs and wants, what do you buy?
Buying gifts for 80-year-old men with impaired mobility or cognition
If you have a father or a friend in an assisted living facility or living at home with the aid of a caregiver, there are not many things that he might use. Choose gifts that will be useful such as a new comfortable chair, a good comforter, a simple mobile phone that he can use to dial preset numbers, and so on. Buy a simple gift that he will recognize and appreciate. He might not remember your new apartment, but he will remember the home of your childhood days, the home where you grew up. Gift him a beautifully framed picture or album of unique photographs of your home or garden or even rare shots of your whole family in that home.
Buying gifts for 80-year-old men who are independent and active
If the person is a healthy and active senior, choose your gift based on his interests and your relationship.
Buying gifts for your father on his 80th birthday
If you’re buying a gift for your father, you can consider buying him a gift that he can not only use but which also has sentimental value. If he is tech savvy, buy him a new cell phone or an accessory like a Bluetooth earphone or a tablet keyboard and charger. You can also buy a special holiday trip to a place that he has wanted to visit for a long time. You can also buy life-saving aids like a medical alert system that can monitor his activity and fitness levels, and alert caregivers or family members in the cases of something being wrong.
Buying gifts for your grandfather on his 80th birthday
If you are buying a gift for your 80-year-old grandfather, get him something that is of special significance to both of you. A beautifully framed photograph of a cherished family moment, a snap of a shared moment during a vacation, or even a photo of you and him doing something together. Buy him a personalized mug or beautiful and useful home decor. Do something special for him like visiting him or taking him to a place that you both enjoy visiting. Make him a gift with your own hands. Perhaps a knitted pouch or a wooden foot-rest.
Buying a gift for a friend for his 80th birthday
You have probably spent long years together, and you have shared interests and hobbies. You can buy him a new chess or checkerboard set to replace the old one. You can buy him the latest novel by his favorite author, or a book of jokes that you will both love to read and laugh at. You can plan a few hours with him doing the things you know he will love.
Gifts for old people are not just about monetary value. More than that, they should have utility, sentimental, or nostalgic value. Most of all, they should show your affection for him and tell him that you care.