Picking gifts for your older parents

[tastybasslines]

I need to get a gift for my 68yr old dad. My budget is about $50 bucks.

He is not very technology inclined, wont really use an mp3 player or the like, and is coming off knee surgery and is mostly immobile right now.

I don't want to get him ANOTHER shirt - I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this.

Any ideas? I've been thinking for weeks now and still cannot come up with anything.

[tplyons]

I have the same problems... never know what to get for Dad despite the fact that he IS a gadget guy, he just happens to have everything useful.

I think it's going to be a sweater this year...

[tastybasslines]

I'm thinking a Netflix membership...

He doesn't have that yet.

[EBodious]

once folks get to a certain age, they know pretty well what they want and have most everything already....

may i suggest heifer international?

Heifer International - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

great feel-good gift.

[Sonic_Death]

Originally Posted by EBodious

may i suggest heifer international?

Heifer International - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

great feel-good gift.

Perhaps a donation in their name to "The Human Fund"?

I am definitely interested in this thread though.. I have struggled for years coming up with good gifts. It seems I always think of a good gift for mother's day, but not for christmas.

In the past we've gotten her a TV, spa package, Glee cds ().. I even got her some sudoku books one year. At this point I am stumped.

[Floyd Eye]

What are his hobbies/interests?
Maybe a nice bottle of wine or scotch and a good cigar?
Ammo for his favorite pistol?

I am getting my 72 year old dad a MarkBass Compressore.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

What are his hobbies/interests?
Maybe a nice bottle of wine or scotch and a good cigar?
Ammo for his favorite pistol?

I am getting my 72 year old dad a MarkBass Compressore.

He used to play bass - he jammed with the Beatles before they were famous in Edinburgh in the early 60's when we lived in Glasgow. Wish I could get him that.

He has Parkinsons now, so no bass....

SIGH

Not too many interests at this point...I was thinking of something like a nice bird feeder so he can enjoy them while out on the patio...not sure if it would go to good use though.

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

He used to play bass - he jammed with the Beatles before they were famous in Edinburgh in the early 60's when we lived in Glasgow. Wish I could get him that.

He has Parkinsons now, so no bass....

SIGH

Not too many interests at this point...I was thinking of something like a nice bird feeder so he can enjoy them while out on the patio...not sure if it would go to good use though.

Why not contact Paul and Ringo to see if they remember him. If they do, they may send a letter and some photos, personalized. I know if I had jammed with a group like that, I'd sure like to have something from them.

BTW- I'm 54 and I have to take a bit of offense at your reference to 68 as "older". If this was 30-50 years ago, I would be OK with it but people acted older then.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

Why not contact Paul and Ringo to see if they remember him. If they do, they may send a letter and some photos, personalized. I know if I had jammed with a group like that, I'd sure like to have something from them.

BTW- I'm 54 and I have to take a bit of offense at your reference to 68 as "older". If this was 30-50 years ago, I would be OK with it but people acted older then.

Well, I'm 37 and that feels "older" to me.

68 is older but not "elderly". What should I be saying then?

[Stumbo]

He has Parkinsons now, so no bass...

Sorry to hear about your dad's condition.

For gift ideas, I suggest you spend more time with him. Maybe watching movies/his favorite shows and listening to music. Make some more memories together.

Or maybe get him to talk about his musical experiences. Video his stories. Document them for yourself and the rest of the family. Put together some scrap books.

Possibly get a tablet/lap top and set him up with Skype so he can video chat with the family.

Stuff like that.

My mom passed 10 years ago and just spending time with her was all she wanted.

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

Well, I'm 37 and that feels "older" to me.

68 is older but not "elderly". What should I be saying then?

I suggest: "My dad, who is 68, .....". Seems like age is just a number these days.

My mother-in-law is 92 and my dad is 83. They are not that old (in terms of spirit, energy, etc). My dad plays golf pretty much every day. My MIL has all her faculties, decent health and probably has at least another 5-10 years in her.

I think, soon enough, 90 will be the new 60 (with all the advances in health care, diet, supplements, and various replacement body parts). All us baby boomers probably have about another 25-30 years of gigging in us (with all the light weight equipment available) if we choose to.

[Martin89]

Considering the reference to the Beatle's I would say maybe some of the Beatle's books if he doesn't already have them? I know there is one that shows all the gear they used throughout their career and stuff and that might be good nostalgia for him since he lived and played while all that stuff was just working gear and not "vintage" yet. You could probably get even more great stories out of him, I really enjoy gifts that create quality time than the typical generic shirt gift.

[Floyd Eye]

Andy Babiuk's book might be a nice choice. DId your dad by any chance know the guys from The Undertakers? I know for a fact that one of them ( the guy who also produced LZII) is an extremely nice guy who I am sure I could get to drop an email to your dad. That is if they knew each other.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

I suggest: "My dad, who is 68, .....". Seems like age is just a number these days.

My mother-in-law is 92 and my dad is 83. They are not that old (in terms of spirit, energy, etc). My dad plays golf pretty much every day. My MIL has all her faculties, decent health and probably has at least another 5-10 years in her.

I think, soon enough, 90 will be the new 60 (with all the advances in health care, diet, supplements, and various replacement body parts). All us baby boomers probably have about another 25-30 years of gigging in us (with all the light weight equipment available) if we choose to.

No offense, but 90 is the new 60, and related ideas/quotes/similar sayings...are just more societal compartmentalization. In short...it BS. People may live longer, but let's not all become v jay jays and find yet another politically correct statement.

Saying older is about AGE, not well being or spirit. How else should it be described? I assume that you never refer to person below your age as a younger person or say that someone who is 18 is "young". That would be incorrect.

[tastybasslines]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

Andy Babiuk's book might be a nice choice. DId your dad by any chance know the guys from The Undertakers? I know for a fact that one of them ( the guy who also produced LZII) is an extremely nice guy who I am sure I could get to drop an email to your dad. That is if they knew each other.

Who is he?

My dad played in a band called "Howie and the Sceptres" and had a top hit in Britain in the early 60's.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

Who is he?

My dad played in a band called "Howie and the Sceptres" and had a top hit in Britain in the early 60's.

The Undertakers were another Mersey beat band that came up with The Beatles. They all knew each other and played regularly at The Cavern Club. One of their guitar players went on to become a well known producer and is currently one of the premier studio designers in N. America.

If your dad played in or around Liverpool or Hamburg at that time, chances are they knew each other. You should ask him if he knew them.

[tastybasslines]

I'm going to call him now.

[hrodbert696]

I have the same problem buying presents for my mom - older, has more money than me, there's nothing I can buy which is really going to be all that special. But I think what retirement-age folks usually really want is more time with their kids and grandkids, and gifts are an occasion to have that.

For my mom's birthday, this year, we gave her a "subscription" to baked goods from us, to be delivered once a month - thus guaranteeing a monthly visit. You might try something like that, or maybe buy him tickets to see a concert or a ball game with you. Make the event the gift.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by tastybasslines

He used to play bass - he jammed with the Beatles before they were famous in Edinburgh in the early 60's when we lived in Glasgow. Wish I could get him that.

He has Parkinsons now, so no bass....

SIGH

Not too many interests at this point...I was thinking of something like a nice bird feeder so he can enjoy them while out on the patio...not sure if it would go to good use though.

That's damned pretty cool!

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

Why not contact Paul and Ringo to see if they remember him. If they do, they may send a letter and some photos, personalized. I know if I had jammed with a group like that, I'd sure like to have something from them.

BTW- I'm 54 and I have to take a bit of offense at your reference to 68 as "older". If this was 30-50 years ago, I would be OK with it but people acted older then.

This is a good idea ^


I was struggling with what to get my father last year. He had played fairly high level rugby in his youth, so I got in touch with his old club, they kindly scanned a copy of one of the team photo's and I bought a rugby strip from them. So, it was still a shirt (and a photo), but he really enjoyed the trip down memory lane. He even went on to get back in touch with some of the guys he played with.

[agent77]

A gift certificate to a nice restaurant is always a good gift.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by agent77

A gift certificate to a nice restaurant is always a good gift.

This is what I always do and my parents are in their early 50s. They have more money, note things ect than me, I give them the chance to have a nice evening out.

lowsound