Lovely Gift Ideas for Elderly Friends and Relatives

It's never easy to find just the right gift for friends. You'd think it would be easier to choose something for a close member of your family, alas many of us find it equally challenging. Often, the bigger the age gap, the harder it is as interests vary so much. So, to make gift buying that little bit easier, here are a few gift ideas for elderly friends and relatives.

A general tip is to avoid giving a gift that doesn't serve much practical use. As the years go by, people acquire lots of things and clutter like tableware, vases, candles and the like. Though any gift will be appreciated, why not give something with practical value instead?

A Day Out

A great idea is to spend the day together with the gift recipient. This is a particularly nice gesture for people who aren't as mobile as they used to be, or are wheelchair users.

If you have access to a car, escape somewhere together for the day. How about a trip to the seaside, a stately home, or a countryside pub?

Even if you don't have a car, there's plenty you could get up to. Find out what's on around town. Perhaps you could snap up tickets for an exhibition or a show of some kind.

Lunch, dinner or afternoon tea are also nice options. Either visit a place you know and love, or venture somewhere new that neither of you have been to before.

Board Games

You can have fun playing board games at any age. This is a great gift from grandchildren to grandparents, for example, as you can go on to play the games together whenever you visit. They're also a great social activity for the recipient and friends.

Try to choose age-appropriate games such as chess, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit. Fast-paced games and ones with very small pieces may not be suitable.

Gift Hampers

Food and drinks never go unappreciated. First of all, they're a practical gift that you know will be consumed, and second of all there's a lot of scope to give something that the person will never have tried before, thus providing a new taste experience.

Gift hampers can be either pre-packed or bespoke. You can choose from an array of themed hampers, some of which might focus on British foods, while others might be brimming with exotic goodies from around the world.

To surprise the recipient, you can even arrange for it to be sent straight to their home address.