Gift ideas for Diabetic
April 21, 2011 4:53 AM Subscribe
I need gift basket ideas for an elderly diabetic homebound woman.
So far I have come up with: Sugar free jelly beans, cashews, salmon, cheese, sausage, crackers, sugar free candy, pretzels, plain popcorn, puzzle books. Any other ideas would be appreciated. She is 84 years old, homebound and just mostly watches TV and works puzzles.
So far I have come up with: Sugar free jelly beans, cashews, salmon, cheese, sausage, crackers, sugar free candy, pretzels, plain popcorn, puzzle books. Any other ideas would be appreciated. She is 84 years old, homebound and just mostly watches TV and works puzzles.
Though company might be top of the list (and regular phone calls) how about some of these:
What a lovely idea.
posted by Augenblick at 5:20 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
- Photo coasters from somewhere like here.
- Hand warmers
- Organiser tool which goes over the sofa arm for pens/magazines/remotes
- New hobby kit - e.g. cardmaking
- Set of stamps and note writing cards so can write to family
- Battery operated candle
- Magazine subscription to Readers Digest
- Ask her to fill in something like this for you: Life Diary
- Details of any local services like a library van she may not already know about
What a lovely idea.
posted by Augenblick at 5:20 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Fresh, washed, ready-to-eat green vegetables, possibly cooked if necessary (I think too-hard veggies might be a bad idea), e.g. spinach, green beans, broccoli. Seasoned well if possible, maybe with lemon, or a tiny bit of tarragon (for green beans).
This is something that might be difficult for her to obtain on her own, but would probably be much better for her than popcorn and pretzels. Most people would eat more vegetables if only it were easier.
posted by amtho at 5:45 AM on April 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
This is something that might be difficult for her to obtain on her own, but would probably be much better for her than popcorn and pretzels. Most people would eat more vegetables if only it were easier.
posted by amtho at 5:45 AM on April 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
You can get sugar-free chocolate for diabetics. No idea if that shop's reliable, but I've had the brand and it's not bad. There are others out there too.
How about DVDs of TV series or old movies? Depending on your budget and her level of tech-savvy, an MP3 player loaded up with podcasts about things she's interested in might be good.
There are puzzle magazines that come out regularly - you could buy her a subscription, and put the current issue in the gift basket for now.
If, like many older diabetics, she has poor circulation and feels the cold, you could include a scarf, gloves or knee rug.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 5:48 AM on April 21, 2011
How about DVDs of TV series or old movies? Depending on your budget and her level of tech-savvy, an MP3 player loaded up with podcasts about things she's interested in might be good.
There are puzzle magazines that come out regularly - you could buy her a subscription, and put the current issue in the gift basket for now.
If, like many older diabetics, she has poor circulation and feels the cold, you could include a scarf, gloves or knee rug.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 5:48 AM on April 21, 2011
My sister once gave an elderly homebound woman a pocket calendar with several dates marked out, on which she promised to visit or take the woman on an outing. They weren't any big deal -- a trip to get holiday gifts for at Christmas Tree Shoppe, that sort of thing -- but the woman was really grateful and looked forward to those visits.
posted by apparently at 6:13 AM on April 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by apparently at 6:13 AM on April 21, 2011 [2 favorites]
How about some self pampering tools? Lotions, fuzzy socks, one of those gel eye masks, maybe a fleece throw or a Snuggie.
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:26 AM on April 21, 2011
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:26 AM on April 21, 2011
Blank birthday, other occasion cards and stamps and a calendar. Sit down with her and mark up calendar with family members birthdays and the like. Then she's equipped to keep up on this - I do this for my mother-in-law and it helps her stay connected.
Does she have Netflix?
posted by leslies at 6:37 AM on April 21, 2011
Does she have Netflix?
posted by leslies at 6:37 AM on April 21, 2011
Tea?
Either soup mixes, or gladwares of soup for the freezer?
posted by aimedwander at 7:30 AM on April 21, 2011
Either soup mixes, or gladwares of soup for the freezer?
posted by aimedwander at 7:30 AM on April 21, 2011
My own diabetic homebound grandmother likes this flavored lip balm.
posted by castlebravo at 7:48 AM on April 21, 2011
posted by castlebravo at 7:48 AM on April 21, 2011
T1 diabetic here, just addressing the snack suggestions (the others are great!)
Before you go crazy with the sugar-free chocolate and whatnot, please read the carb count on the label. All carbohydrates matter, not just sugar. Many "diabetic friendly" candies have almost exactly the same carb count as the normal equivalent, and damn -- if I'm going to eat chocolate, I'm going to eat *real, sugared chocolate*. Not nasty artificial sweeteners. A small piece of chocolate -- a square of a lindt-ish bar -- is about 6 carbs. She can eat that. She just can't eat the whole bar at one sitting.
Background points:
1. Sugar is tricky for diabetics because of its high glycemic index, and we certainly can't eat a lot of it (unless we are treating low blood sugar, which is only relevant to your friend if she is on insulin (as all type 1's are, and some type 2's.)) But we CAN AND DO eat it in small quantities. Most of us, anyway.
2. All carbs are equal, bracketing complexities re glycemic index. Your friend can't drink a large glass of OJ any more than she can eat a whole bag of skittles. And she also cannot mindlessly eat pretzels.
posted by kestrel251 at 9:52 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Before you go crazy with the sugar-free chocolate and whatnot, please read the carb count on the label. All carbohydrates matter, not just sugar. Many "diabetic friendly" candies have almost exactly the same carb count as the normal equivalent, and damn -- if I'm going to eat chocolate, I'm going to eat *real, sugared chocolate*. Not nasty artificial sweeteners. A small piece of chocolate -- a square of a lindt-ish bar -- is about 6 carbs. She can eat that. She just can't eat the whole bar at one sitting.
Background points:
1. Sugar is tricky for diabetics because of its high glycemic index, and we certainly can't eat a lot of it (unless we are treating low blood sugar, which is only relevant to your friend if she is on insulin (as all type 1's are, and some type 2's.)) But we CAN AND DO eat it in small quantities. Most of us, anyway.
2. All carbs are equal, bracketing complexities re glycemic index. Your friend can't drink a large glass of OJ any more than she can eat a whole bag of skittles. And she also cannot mindlessly eat pretzels.
posted by kestrel251 at 9:52 AM on April 21, 2011 [1 favorite]
Things we like to get for my diabetic 80-something Oma - hand lotion, scented soaps for the bathroom, lip balms, licorice (not sugar-free; a small piece or two every few days doesn't impact her blood sugar and it tastes better), dark chocolate balls or squares (ditto), gift certificates to Tim Hortons or her favourite restaurants, so she doesn't have to cook and she can go out and be social.
My mom, her sister, and my Oma do a book-swap; they all like murder mystery novels and pass them along one to the other. If she doesn't read much, maybe audio books? Lately Oma's gotten back into knitting, so there is a swapping of washcloth patterns too.
She doesn't like candles - she's afraid to light them - but she does love scented things in general (sachets, potpourri, those scented oil dispensers, etc); maybe your friend would like something similar if she's not into candles either.
I don't know how much time you have to spend with her, but I got my Oma some nail polishes in colours she likes, and when I visit I do her nails for her and she loves that.
Good luck!
posted by sandraregina at 11:14 AM on April 21, 2011
My mom, her sister, and my Oma do a book-swap; they all like murder mystery novels and pass them along one to the other. If she doesn't read much, maybe audio books? Lately Oma's gotten back into knitting, so there is a swapping of washcloth patterns too.
She doesn't like candles - she's afraid to light them - but she does love scented things in general (sachets, potpourri, those scented oil dispensers, etc); maybe your friend would like something similar if she's not into candles either.
I don't know how much time you have to spend with her, but I got my Oma some nail polishes in colours she likes, and when I visit I do her nails for her and she loves that.
Good luck!
posted by sandraregina at 11:14 AM on April 21, 2011
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posted by kmennie at 5:05 AM on April 21, 2011