Holiday gift ideas for seniors

The Norman Transcript

November 28, 2006 12:15 am

— Dear Savvy Senior: With all the different senior gadgets and gizmos you demonstrate on the Today Show, could you give me some tips on where I can find them?
I'm looking for some neat Christmas gift ideas for my grandparents who are both in their 70s.?
-- Practical Pam
Dear Pam: Some of the neatest and most practical gift ideas for seniors today are assistive products, also known as senior gadgets, which are products that help accommodate an older person's physical needs and limitations.
Here are some tips to consider:

Find their needs
Today there are thousands of affordable assistive products that can help seniors live better and safer. To help you determine the best assistive gifts for your grandparents, find out their physical needs.
Do they struggle with arthritis pain? Are they hard of hearing? How's their vision? Do they have a difficult time getting around or remembering? Do their limitations in any way keep them from doing the things they enjoy?
These are all areas that assistive products can help with. To locate these types of products, the best single resource is Abledata, a Web portal that lists (but doesn't sell) almost every type of assistive device or senior gadget on the market.
At www.abledata.com, or (800) 227-0216, you can search for products based on need, and get a list of companies that sell them.

Gifts ideas
In addition to the products you'll find on Abledata, here are a few of my top mainstream gift ideas you may want to consider:
Jitterbug cell phone -- For seniors who struggle with cell phones because they're hard to see, confusing to operate or difficult to hear on, the new Jitterbug cell phone is my top senior-friendly technology product of the year.
This is a simplified cell phone that offers large buttons, simple operation (no confusing icons), easy-to-read text, a cushion that cups around your ear to improve sound quality, volume control and more. Price: $147 for the phone plus $10-$40 per month for the service plan. See www.jitterbug.com or call (800) 550-6649.
Brain Age game -- If the person you're buying for enjoys mind challenging games, check out the new Brain Age game. Made by Nintendo, Brain Age is a fun, senior-friendly, electronic devise that offers a series of mind-boosting games to help stimulate and exercise the brain.
The Brain Age cost $20, but to play it, you'll also need to buy a palm-sized Nintendo DS game unit which costs $129. See www.brainage.com.
OXO Good Grips -- For seniors who enjoy cooking, gardening or tinkering around the house but who suffer from arthritis in their hands or limited hand strength, OXO provides a nice variety of products that are easy and comfortable to grip.
Some of their top selling gift items include the Everyday Kitchen Tool Set (15 different utensils, $100), Container Garden Set (five ergonomic garden tools, $40), and the 9-Piece Essential Home Tool Kit (hammer, wrench, screw driver, etc., $60). See www.oxo.com or call (800) 545-4411.
Omron blood pressure monitor -- Because half of all Americans over age 65 have high blood pressure, a home blood pressure monitor is a health enhancing gift.
The Omron HEM-780 is one of the most accurate, easy-to-use home monitoring systems available. Just wrap the cuff around your arm, press one button and your blood pressure and pulse automatically will be taken and displayed in large numbers in a matter of seconds. Price: $100. See www.omronhealthcare.com.
Hugo folding cane -- If balance or mobility is a problem, Hugo is a good little company that offers a variety of quality products. My favorite is their folding cane, which is a stylish, strong, adjustable cane with a wide grip tip that provides excellent traction and stability.
And when you're finished using it, it can quickly be folded into four parts for easy storage. But the best part is you can customize your cane with 24 stylish, interchangeable handles. Price: $30; additional handles are $7 to $13 each. See www.hugoanywhere.com or call (866) 321-4846.
Fellowes power-shredder -- Because identity theft is such a big problem in the United States and seniors are prime victims, a home power-shredder makes a smart gift.
Power-shredders can help seniors protect themselves by shredding their personal information before throwing it out.
The Fellowes DS2 is one of the top new home shredders on the market. It safely cuts (into confetti) up to eight sheets of paper jam free, along with staples, paper clips and credit cards. Price: $59. See www.fellowes.com.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to NBC's Today Show and author of "The Savvy Senior" books.