Last year, we shared a handy gift guide for the teens and young adults that are so hard to shop for. We got some great feedback on those practical ideas. This year, we decided to explore gift ideas for the second hardest group to buy for – the older adults in your life!
When aging parents, family members, friends, and neighbors are starting the process of downsizing, they genuinely aren’t looking to add to their possessions. This makes gift giving hard for the people who love them. People want to give something meaningful that won’t become clutter for their loved one.
We work with clients across all age groups, and we actually serve as the insurance agent for many multi-generational families. Based on our conversations, we know that people who are holiday shopping for older adults want to identify practical, useful gifts that will help their seniors be savvy and safe.
In that spirit of being a great resource for all of our clients in all seasons, we’re sharing this Savvy Senior gift guide for 2024.
Home Inspection
Home inspections are not just for the buying and selling process. Home inspectors can do a check-up on a home at any time. If your favorite senior has been living in their house for 30+ years, a home inspection will give them important information about how to enhance or maintain its safety. Home inspectors check the structural and mechanical components of the house and give advice on what should be addressed quickly or what should be put on the to do list. Call us for the names of our most trusted inspectors in the area.
Video Doorbell System
Older adults are getting more savvy about their personal safety today, and these extra tools and security systems can make a big difference. Video doorbells help your loved ones be more vigilant about answering the door, and they also provide an extra layer of security for package delivery and goings on in the neighborhood. Many of these systems are hard-wired and require an app for functionality, so make sure to include whatever set-up time and tools are needed when you give this gift.
55+ Driving Class
Driving lessons are a sensitive subject for older adults, but this is not about diminished capacity. Anyone who has been driving for more than 30 years has developed an entire set of habits that might need to be revisited. We’ve seen a lot of changes to laws, the way cars work, and traffic volume over the past few decades. Lessons with a professional driving coach will help the senior in your life get up to date on current laws, computerized car features, and resetting a few habits. If an older adult you know has been visibly frustrated lately about their car’s technology or the way everyone on the road is behaving, offer this gift as a way to empower them to be proactive in their defensive driving habits.
Phone and Online Safety Class
You don’t have to look hard to find a news story about older individuals losing everything to scam artists. It’s extremely unsettling to lose the high trust society one grew up in, and we all wish that our world could be a safer place. Although we can’t control all the criminals, we can be smart and vigilant in our daily activities. Phone and internet safety classes for seniors are a great idea for helping them gain more awareness about the most common scams and methods. These classes prepare them to avoid being scared or tricked into compliance with a bad actor whether it’s on the phone, in an email, or while visiting a website. Check your local library, senior center, community bank, or school district community education calendar for upcoming classes.
Identity Theft and Cyber Security Insurance
No matter how many courses we take and security systems we set up, we are all still vulnerable to identity theft and cybercrime. Most homeowners and renters insurance policies have coverage options for ID Theft and Cybersecurity. Offer to pay the additional premium for these endorsements on your older adult’s policy in order to get them the coverage at no additional cost to them. Combine this coverage with the phone and online safety course we already mentioned to make sure your savvy senior has a strong defense against modern criminals.
Power Outage Prep Kit
Depending on where your senior lives in the Bucks or Montgomery County suburbs, power outages might not be a major concern. Underground wires and improved grid systems keep our lights on pretty well, but that doesn’t mean power is guaranteed. If the older adult you care about hasn’t had to be very concerned about a power outage while living in their current home, a great gift would be to create a “just in case kit” for them. Simply fill a large tote or footlocker with a variety of batteries, food and water, blankets, flashlights, lamps, a propane camp stove, and over the counter medicines. Electric portable power supplies are also a safe option for running anything from laptops to lamps to refrigerators. Think about the size that would be most beneficial for your savvy senior before you make the investment, and consider adding solar recharging panels for extended outages.
Home Improvement Project
If the older adult in your life could use a few accessibility enhancements in their home, or it’s just time to make some repairs, offer to help cover the cost and maybe even assist with project management. Often, these projects get pushed out until they become a serious problem. But if someone is offering to help pay and communicate with the contractors, seniors might be more open to getting the job done. Think about sidewalk repairs, bathroom conversions, moving the laundry room, taking down dead trees, porch repairs, or adding ramps to make sure your loved one can continue aging safely in their home. If home improvements aren’t necessary, consider paying for their spring and summer season of landscaping so that they can focus on the fun stuff of gardening while a professional handles the mowing.
Gifts Given in the Spirit of Love
There is always the chance that gifts like these, given in a genuine spirit of love, will be seen as patronizing by the recipient. We always suggest thinking carefully about how to present such gifts so that the person will know the intention is to enhance their golden years and empower them to be savvy at every age. Most of these gifts are about creating more time and freedom for your loved one to live the life they enjoy with fewer worries about worst case scenarios.
One gift we’re suggesting – well actually insisting – you give yourself and your savvy senior is to call us to add an emergency contact to your accounts. When we can’t get in touch with you, we need to find a way to continue providing you with great service and coverage. Emergency contacts help us keep up with what’s going on so that your insurance policies can be most effective. Give us a call to schedule your annual review, check for policy updates and discounts, and to provide us with that additional trusted contact.
Thank you for trusting Smyrl Insurance with your insurance needs in 2024! We wish you a wonderful holiday season and prosperous new year!
