Six Tips to Make Holiday Shopping Easier for Your Senior

By James Hughes | November 21, 2024 |

Companion care at home can help make holiday shopping safe and accessible for seniors aging in place.

The holidays are here, and a favorite activity for many people is not getting presents but buying presents. It can bring great joy to find the perfect gift for someone! It’s also a wonderful mood booster to be out and about, enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of festivity all around.

If your loved one enjoys holiday shopping, there are some great benefits to going out to shop, as well as some techniques and companion care at-home services to make it a little less taxing if she doesn’t have the stamina she used to.

Health Benefits of Shopping

Set aside the concerns about finances and the risks that come from traveling in inclement weather, and holiday shopping can contribute some wonderful benefits for your senior. Like many things in life, it’s all about moderation, but here are a few benefits your loved one can receive from heading out this holiday season.

Exercise: Walking through stores can provide some much-needed exercise in your loved one’s schedule. Many people find that they can walk longer than normal because of all of the festive distractions and entertainment.
Connectivity: Getting out and shopping helps your loved one reconnect with neighbors, friends, and the community around her. Most people are generally cheerful and are more likely to offer a friendly greeting to a stranger when the holidays are here.
Mood Boost: The bright lights, the festive décor, and the delicious holiday smells can all conjure up magical childhood memories of the holidays and improve your loved one’s mood.

Five Tips to Make Shopping Even Better for Your Senior

No matter how much your loved one loves holiday shopping, she may have physical or mental health limits that can come into play and make an all-day shopping extravaganza at her local mega mall impossible.

You or companion care at home providers can help your loved one get out and shop safely and within parameters so she comes home with a warm heart and not aching feet.

Shop small

The megamall may be out of the picture. From parking too far from the entrance to stairs and long distances from store to store, your loved one may be exhausted before she even gets to her favorite store. Consider taking her to small businesses where she can slowly peruse the items and find unique gifts without dropping from exhaustion.

Shop during off times.

Evenings and weekends can get extremely crowded just about everywhere. If you have to work during non-peak hours, consider having a companion care at home provider go with your loved one. The companion care at home provider can go with your loved one when you cannot.

Leave the driving to someone else.

Holiday traffic can be tricky. A companion care at home provider can help with transportation during those daytime trips so that your loved one stays safe as she shops.

Consider using a wheelchair or rent an electric scooter for bigger trips.

This can give your loved one’s feet a break while she takes in all of the holiday shopping activities.

Consolidate

Have your companion care at home provider look over your loved one’s shopping list to help her determine how she can get it all with the least amount of travel and time. It may be worth it to pay a little more for an item at one store if it saves time from traveling to another store just for that item.

Here’s to Happy Shopping with the help of companion care at home!

If you or someone you know needs Companion Care at Home in Mobile, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901

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James Hughes

Owner at Hughes Home Care

James Hughes is a graduate of The University of Alabama (Health Care Administration), the University Of Alabama, Birmingham (Physical Therapy) and is a Navy veteran.

He has three teenage children and are actively involved in their church and community – James coach’s youth football, basketball and baseball and serves at 3 Circle Church. He is a member of the Fairhope Youth Football Board and the Rock Creek POA Board.

It is his passion and commitment to providing quality and responsive service that has made their company the fastest growing home care agency in South Alabama.

He believes that being an independently owned and operated company gives him the flexibility to manage his business in a way that better serves their clients.

He understands that you have a choice of care providers and he will do his utmost to earn your trust.