By Bob Gregory
It’s that time
of year again and the commercials on TV are already telling us that Black
Friday shopping will begin early on Thanksgiving Day—for your convenience, of
course! I’m sure by now you have your
list and you’re checking it twice, but are you stumped as to what to give your
elderly parent who resides in a Senior Facility? Every year I am asked for recommendations on
gifts to give elderly parents and I have even written a helpful blog full of
ideas (What
gifts for the Holiday are appropriate for my parent is in a Senior Facility?)
that I refer people for ideas. This year
is no different and the questions are already being asked in the wake of the
upcoming shopping frenzy beginning on Thanksgiving.
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| Family (Photo credit: betta design) |
This year was a little different for me as I confidently
referred people to my blog post. I took
the time to sit back and ponder all
the gifts that I gave my mother that brought her joy during the holidays as she
spent her last few years in a Senior Facility.
Yes, most of the gifts I gave can be found in the post, but the gift
that I gave that was the “best ever” was the gift of my time. It was really that simple and it took me a
while to realize how precious the gift of time can be for someone who has so
little left, yet spends so much of it apart from loved ones. The Holidays are always a mad, frantic rush
for most of us with so much to do and so little time to do it in. We are lucky to show up to our own parties,
dinners and even Christmas with so much preparation required to have the “perfect”
Holiday!
Each year I took great joy in giving my Mother what seemed
to be the perfect Christmas gift. They were
always very appropriate for her age and living quarters at the Senior Facility
and she always appreciated the gifts and showered me with hugs and kisses. However, what I recall she enjoyed most was
me taking the time to sit and visit—the gift of time! Looking back, I realize I didn’t really need
to bring a gift; I just needed to be there with her and enjoy our time
together. After all, that’s really what
brought her the most joy. The real “best
ever” gift would have been one extra visit or even one extra hour.
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| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Gifts are wonderful and fun to give and receive but what we
all need in our lives is more time. I’m
not just referring to extra hours in the day to complete our daily demands or
even extra time on Earth to accomplish our destinies; I’m referring to the time
we get to spend with our loved ones. Our
children grow up and move on so quickly we can’t remember it happening! At the same time, our parents grow older and
move on to
another life just as quick. This year, if you want to give the
perfect gift, I encourage you to give the gift of time—your time. Spend that extra hour or make that extra trip
to visit. If you do so, I think you may
be surprised that you will also receive a wonderful gift!
If would like a list Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing
Homes or any other type of Senior Facility, I hope you will consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts and ideas,
please leave them in our comment section. We want to hear them. Helping people
care for themselves or their loved ones is what we care about.
We look forward to reading yours.
Bob Gregory is an advocate
for Seniors and is one of the founders of www.seniorfacilityfinder.com. At SeniorFacilityFinder.com, we are dedicated
to helping families get the Elder Care help they need without having to provide
their personal information! If find you need an assisted living facility or
other type of senior facility, please consider www.seniorfacilityfinder.com
If you want to bring the smile on your parents face them offer the best retirement community place for them where they spend some precious time with each other...This is one of the best gifts for them ever..!!
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Choosing the right Senior Living Community is important.The place should offer services which meet the personal needs of seniors and also keep them engaged in physical and social activities which is good for their happiness and overall well being. Keeping contact with family members is also essential. Living a happy and relaxed life in a community with likeminded people of their age and at the same time keeping in touch with family are the most genuine gifts for seniors.
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