Brain & Nervous System Alzheimer's Support & Coping The 9 Best Gifts for People with Dementia of 2022 Our picks include Skylight's Calendar and West & Willow's custom pet portrait By Leah Groth Leah Groth Twitter Leah Groth is a freelance writer with a focus on health and wellness. She has written for publications including MyDomaine, Health, and MindBodyGreen. Learn about our editorial process Updated on August 03, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Rochelle Collins, DO Medically reviewed by Rochelle Collins, DO LinkedIn Rochelle Collins, DO, is a board-certified family medicine doctor currently practicing in Bloomfield, Connecticut. 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Holiday shopping for your loved ones can be extremely difficult, especially if your friend or family member suffers from the memory disorder dementia. However, according to Carolyn Fredericks, MD, a Yale Medicine neurologist specializing in memory disorders, choosing the right gift just takes a little more thought and creativity. Reviewed & Approved Gift Skylight's Calendar to help your loved ones keep track of important dates or West & Willow's Modern Custom Pet Portrait to remind them of their furry friends. Dr. Fredericks explains that there are a bunch of different gift options you should consider, starting with anything to keep their body active such as recumbent bikes. “We know that regular exercise can help prevent dementia in older adults, including those with mild cognitive impairment,” she explains. Photo gifts that stimulate memories and feelings and gifts that can entertain them are also thoughtful recommendations. You can also choose gifts that help someone with dementia express their creativity, such as adult coloring books, markers, colored pencils, and other crafting materials. We researched dozens of gifts for people with dementia and evaluated them for the activity type and the price. Here are the best gifts for people with dementia. Our Top Picks Skylight Calendar at Skylightcal.com Jump to Review West & Willow Modern Custom Pet Portrait at Westandwillow.com Jump to Review Brookstone PhotoShare Smart Digital Frame at Amazon Jump to Review Artifact Uprising Softcover Photo Book at Artifactuprising.com Jump to Review Color Your Mind: Color Your Mind at Amazon Jump to Review Paper Culture Personalized Memory Game at Paperculture.com Jump to Review NordicTrack T Series Treadmill at Amazon Jump to Review 1-800-Flowers Snake Plant at 1800flowers.com Jump to Review Amazon Echo Show 8 at Amazon Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks Skylight Calendar Courtesy of Skylight. View On Skylightcal.com It can be incredibly frustrating for someone with memory loss to keep track of important dates and appointments. This smart calendar will help make their daily life a little easier, keeping all of their important information in one place. It’s incredibly easy to use, featuring a touch screen display and a connected app, which you can help out with. For example, add family birthdays, anniversaries, and important events. You can also email calendar additions straight to the device. They can also keep chore lists, grocery lists, and meal planners on it. In other words, it keeps track of their daily duties just in case they can’t. West & Willow Modern Custom Pet Portrait West and Willow View On Westandwillow.com Some of our best memories come in the form of furry friends. Whether they are a current or past pet owner, a custom pet portrait will keep them surrounded by puppy love 24/7 and remind them of great memories. Gift your loved one with the most gorgeous custom, gallery-quality pet art for a surprisingly reasonable cost. All you need to do is submit a few photos of the cat or dog in question and soon after you will receive your work of art, printed on gallery-quality paper and framed in the color of your choice. Brookstone PhotoShare Smart Digital Picture Frame Brookstone View On Amazon View On Bed Bath & Beyond View On Best Buy Digital photos are another great way to keep your loved one stimulated, entertained, and surrounded by love. Brookstone PhotoShare Smart Digital Frame is a photo-sharing digital frame that makes it incredibly simple to instantly send photos to others—even if they aren’t tech-savvy. After setting up the frame and connecting it to WiFi, just download the free PhotoShare Frame app (available for iOS and Android), where you can easily upload your photos and share them with people in your network. You can also send them via Facebook or email. So, once you set their frame up, they won’t have to do anything but wait for you to share life as it happens. “People with more advanced dementia may not remember names and details, but feelings stick with them,” Dr. Frederick says. A photo gift "full of happy memories will likely make them smile, even if they can’t name everyone in their photos.” Artifact Uprising Softcover Photo Book Courtesy of Artifact Uprising. View On Artifactuprising.com Artifact Uprising offers some of the most gorgeous personalized photo prints, books, and keepsakes. Their Softcover Photo Albums are the perfect stocking stuffer or gift—depending on the size of book you choose—to store all their favorite memories. Ranging in size from 5x5 to 10x10, all you need to do is choose your photos, upload them, and place them where you want them. Soon after you will receive your photobook, sure to put a smile on anyone’s face! These customized memory books are a cost effective and thoughtful option. Color Your Mind: Color Your Mind: A Coloring Book for Those with Alzheimer's and the People Who Love Them Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Journalist Maria Shriver has been an advocate for Alzheimer's awareness after her father battled the disease. She created an adult coloring book to offer an outlet for those suffering from memory loss to channel their creativity and self-expression. It’s the perfect gift or stocking stuffer, as it will provide hours of brain-stimulating activity while letting them channel their creativity. Add a pack of pens or markers to complete the gift. The 9 Best Gifts for Caregivers of 2022 Paper Culture Personalized Memory Game Courtesy of Paper Culture. View On Paperculture.com Memory games are scientifically proven to ward off dementia. We love the concept of this personalized memory game courtesy of Paper Culture. Unlike other “concentration” games, when your loved one flips over one of these triple thick, 100% recycled paper cards, they will be delighted to find photos of all their favorite people on one side and patterns of your choice on the other. They are incredibly easy to create, with the brand’s free online tools and filters. Each game comes with 16 pairs of game pieces in the shape of circles as well as a fun keepsake circular tube to store them in. NordicTrack T Series Treadmill Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordictrack.com As Dr. Fredericks noted, exercise is a great way to keep dementia at bay while providing physical and mental stimulation. While there's a lot of smart workout equipment on the market, you might want to consider shying away from anything that might be overstimulating, as it could be frustrating and difficult to operate for someone suffering from dementia. This incredibly highly rated treadmill from NordicTrack is one of the easiest treadmills to operate, allowing them options to increase or decrease speed as well as incline, and offering multiple types of workouts with the touch of a button. 1-800-Flowers Snake Plant Courtesy of 1800 Flowers. View On 1800flowers.com Gifting your loved one with memory loss a plant will not only liven up their living space, but may also help promote their health. Multiple studies have found that plants can reduce stress (even in hospital environments), sharpen attention, aid in recovery from illness, and even boost productivity. This Snake Plant (aka Sansevieria), will arrive planted in a minimalist white pot, and is the perfect green gift for someone who has trouble with their memory, as it is incredibly easy to care for. Amazon Echo Show 8 Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon View On Best Buy View On Staples Dr. Fredericks mentioned, anything that can trigger their memories—their favorite music, movies, or just the voices of loved ones—is a great gift idea for someone with dementia. This multitasking smart home device is Alexa enabled, so once set up, it will be easy for them to use with just their voice. It has a large screen, allowing them to watch their favorite movies or YouTube videos, communicate with their friends and family via Alexa, listen to their favorite music or an audiobook, check the news, create lists, and even set reminders. If you do decide to wrap one up, make sure to put in the extra love and help set it up. The 8 Best Sound Machines for Sleep Final Verdict When shopping for a loved one with dementia, consider gifts that can assist in their day-to-day routines, like the Amazon Echo Show. Gifts that remind one of happy memories are a great option as well—and a photo book, like this one from Artifact Uprising, can a perfect way to help someone bring back fond memories. What to Look for in a Gift for Someone With Dementia Lifestyle assistance: As Dr. Fredericks mentioned, giving your loved one a gift that can make their day-to-day routine a little easier is a great option. Gifts like interactive calendars and planners can help those with memory loss feel a little more control over their life.Memory triggering: Remind your loved one of all the happy memories you've shared through a gift that does just that. Whether it's a painting of a pet or a family photo album, these kinds of gifts can be the perfect way to put a smile on someone's face this year. Why Trust Verywell Health As an internationally recognized health writer and product guru, Leah Groth understands that nobody wants to waste their time or money on products that fail to rear results. Over the years, she has interviewed the world's top health experts and reviewed hundreds of items, to help readers like you discover the most effective health gadgets, goops, and aids that will help you look and feel your very best. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! When it comes to Alzheimer's, the MIND diet has shown promise in reducing risk and promoting brain health. Sign up for our Alzheimer’s and Dementia Newsletter and get your free recipe guide today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Schultz SA, Larson J, Oh J, et al. Participation in cognitively-stimulating activities is associated with brain structure and cognitive function in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Brain Imaging Behav. 2015;9(4):729-736. doi:10.1007/s11682-014-9329-5 Oh Y-A, Kim S-O, Park S-A. Real foliage plants as visual stimuli to improve concentration and attention in elementary students. Inter J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(5):796. doi:10.3390/ijerph16050796