Christmas Ideas

[EmersonandEvie]

It's that time of year again...

We are trying to think of what a good gift for B's mom would be. His dad passed away earlier this year, so we are looking into giving her something/things that would benefit her and generally make her life easier. She is in her 60s, and her home isn't exactly elderly friendly. She is fine (for the most part) for now, but I reckon she will really start struggling in the next 10 years or so with mobility issues, etc. We will cross that bridge when we get there, but she would like to stay in her home as long as possible.

We are thinking of prepaying for a year's worth of lawn services so she wouldn't have to worry about her grass.

Can anyone else bounce some ideas around that would be useful/helpful? For the older TCS folks, what are some things that you would appreciate being done/have at your disposal?

Thank you!

 

[neely]

Can anyone else bounce some ideas around that would be useful/helpful? For the older TCS folks, what are some things that you would appreciate being done/have at your disposal?

I may not be in my 30's anymore but I still work out regularly at a health club and would love for someone to pay for a year of my annual dues. It may be a little more difficult now with the pandemic but fitness centers have felt the drop in membership. They offer virtual classes, social distance activities, one-on-one personal training, etc.

 

[Winchester]

This may sound silly, but what about a safety bar in her bathtub? Makes it easier for her to stand up and get out of the tub. Same with a shower stall.

Anything she needs for home improvement? Anything need painted or a good cleaning?

Where is her washer and dryer? Can you bring it up to her living level, if it's in the basement now? My GF's kids put her washer and dryer in an unused closet in a spare bedroom of her house. They put it in a large tub, so if there are any water issues, any leakage won't spill onto the floor. My sister and BIL are only in their 60s now, but when they did their main bathroom over, they put their washer/dryer in their bathroom. She says it's one of the best decisions they've ever made. It may cost a few bucks, but in the long run, it's better for her not to run up and down the basement steps.

I do like the idea of a yard service for her.

 

[susanm9006]

Does she have WiFi? If so, an Alexa or Google Assistant is a great gift. I got Alexa for my mom last year. It helps her know date and time, it plays her 30’s music on request and she uses it for alarms, shopping lists and reminders. For her birthday I added WIFi light controls so she can turn lights on and off with her voice.

If she doesn’t have WiFi, that would be itself a great gift.

 

[posiepurrs]

If she lives in an area where it snows, what about paying for snow removal for her? Home repairs are another good suggestion from another poster. If she is alone, how about setting up video chats? She is probably lonely due to losing her spouse and the pandemic limiting visiting.. If she is pet friendly how about getting her one (after consulting her, of course). You could pick up vet bills and/or food for a year as a gift.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Everyone, thank you so much for all of your replies! I wasn't able to get on yesterday to acknowledge all of your help.

Unfortunately, everything you have suggested is a no go She is quite hard to shop for...

She doesn't go to the gym- never could afford it so she never went, not that she would anyway.

She only takes baths (no showers) with minimal water. Washes her hair in the sink...not sure why but she has a huge water phobia. She won't get her head under water or under running water.

Her house...oy. It was B's dad's constant project ever since be bought the thing in the 80s. The work it needs done....it would honestly be better to just tear down. His dad jerryrigged the hell out of it and basically turned a single wide trailer into a double wide- nothing is up to code. I doubt an electrician or a plumber would work on it due to liability issues. Fortunately, it's pretty sound mechanically speaking, so let's hope it stays that way. It definetly needs some updates, but she wants to keep the house "just as he left it" as well, so there's that.

She does not have WiFi and she doesn't want WiFi. I imagine that will change when we have a kid but that was the first thing she got rid of when B's dad died. She doesn't have a computer or tablet- again, doesn't want one.

It doesn't snow where she lives, but not a heavy snow. It's the kind of snow that may stick around for a day or two. I don't think his folks ever owned a snow shovel. That would be an excellent gift if she needed it, though!

We are already paying for her animal's food. She has 3 cats and a dog. We send her Chewy orders for her animals as needed so she isn't lugging food up and down her hill.

I think we will continue to pay for her animal's food and make a payment on her car for the month of December. Thank you all again for your help!

 

[game misconduct]

a walk in bathtub comes in really handy never gave that kinda stuff much thought until i became disabled but lots of things for the disabled are just as handy for the elderly or people with mobility issues