Valentine’s Day Gifts for Seniors

Once a year, the stores fill with items in red and pink. Chocolates and flowers seem to be everywhere you look. And you know Valentine’s Day is coming up.

If there’s an important senior in your life, then Valentine’s Day is a good time to do something nice for them. A Valentine’s Day gift doesn’t have to be something big, just a token to show you’re thinking about them and want to make sure they feel loved on Valentine’s Day. Here are a few ideas that fit the bill.  

1. Netflix or Amazon Prime Subscription

Retirement tends to come with a lot of free time and in this era of great TV shows, a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime can translate into a gift of hours of entertainment. In addition to new TV shows and movies, both services also offer a share of classic entertainment they may enjoy. Prime also comes with 2-day shipping, which can come in handy if your loved one wants to minimize the errands they have to run.

2. Personalized Heart Pillows

These pillows can be filled with the names of people the recipient loves – kids, grandkids, friends, you name it. The heart shape makes them nicely in theme for the holiday and they can make a comfortable addition to any couch or bed, offering a consistent reminder of all those people your loved one cares about.

3. An Invitation to Dinner

You could provide them with a gift card to a restaurant they like, or you could go one better and make some quality time together part of the gift. A celebratory dinner gives you time to catch up, gives them a reason to get out of the house, and comes with a great meal on top of everything else.

4. Deliver their favorite flowers.

Everyone appreciates having flowers delivered, but if you can, go buy some of your loved one’s favorite flowers and deliver them in person. They still get the beautiful bouquet and they get to see someone they love.

5. Baked goods made to their dietary needs.

Many seniors have dietary requirements that make it difficult to partake in the holiday foods everyone around them is enjoying. Imagine how hard Valentine’s Day is for the senior that’s been told to cut down on sugar – when everyone around them is still scarfing down chocolates. Do some digging to find a delicious recipe that meets their dietary needs and make it for them this Valentine’s Day.

6. Plant them flowers.

Flowers that have been picked are nice for a while, but never last long. If you plant them a flower – in their yard, or in a pot if they live in a senior care facility, then they can enjoy it for even longer.

7. Make them their favorite meal.

Cooking dinner for someone allows you even more time together than eating out and allows you to treat them to a recipe you know they love. Meal prep is one of the things that starts to become difficult for seniors, so you may be able to offer them a favorite meal they haven’t been able to make themselves for a while.

Even if you think Valentine’s Day is cheesy or overly commercial, your loved one will be seeing lots of people around them celebrating. Having an opportunity to enjoy a gift or visit themselves will brighten their day and make Valentine’s Day that much nicer.

Kristen Hicks

Kristen Hicks is an Austin-based copywriter and lifelong student with an ongoing curiousity to learn and explore new things. She turns that interest to researching and exploring subjects helpful to seniors and their families for SeniorAdvisor.com.