What is a good gift/gift basket for someone with a broken wrist?
January 23, 2018 9:33 PM Subscribe
My mom was in a car accident this afternoon and broke her wrist. What would a helpful gift or gift basket to get her?
This is her first car accident ever and also her first broken bone, which inconveniently is her wrist. I'm not sure at the moment if it her dominant hand or not. I live across the country so I'm unable to assist in person. But I would love to send her a single gift or a larger gift basket or something to make the incoming casted weeks tolerable.
Additional details: My mom is 60, lives in the Northeast of the US, works part-time as a Registered Nurse, lives with her husband and a very large Golden Retriever, and is active with going to the gym and photography.
This is her first car accident ever and also her first broken bone, which inconveniently is her wrist. I'm not sure at the moment if it her dominant hand or not. I live across the country so I'm unable to assist in person. But I would love to send her a single gift or a larger gift basket or something to make the incoming casted weeks tolerable.
Additional details: My mom is 60, lives in the Northeast of the US, works part-time as a Registered Nurse, lives with her husband and a very large Golden Retriever, and is active with going to the gym and photography.
Shower chair. I know it’s not gift-basket sized but having had casts in the shower on both upper and lower limbs at various times - showering while injured is exhausting. If she’s in a cast, get her a sling. I know she’s a RN, but she’s going to find it hard to slow down (one handed tasks take longer...for everything).
Something that might help that could be un a gift basket: gift cards to housekeeping services or prepackaged meals. I am permanently 1.5 handed, and laundry (I don’t use baskets, I carry my loads via large tote bags); cooking (minced garlic in jars is useful, as are pre-cut veggies or smaller versions like baby carrots/cherry tomatoes); and stability in the shower (mind you, I do have mild form of cerebral palsy) were some of the trickiest things I had to adapt to. Check out my AskMe answer history for more adaptations I’ve talked about over the years to questions like this.
posted by carabiner at 10:42 PM on January 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
Something that might help that could be un a gift basket: gift cards to housekeeping services or prepackaged meals. I am permanently 1.5 handed, and laundry (I don’t use baskets, I carry my loads via large tote bags); cooking (minced garlic in jars is useful, as are pre-cut veggies or smaller versions like baby carrots/cherry tomatoes); and stability in the shower (mind you, I do have mild form of cerebral palsy) were some of the trickiest things I had to adapt to. Check out my AskMe answer history for more adaptations I’ve talked about over the years to questions like this.
posted by carabiner at 10:42 PM on January 23, 2018 [2 favorites]
You can also get waterproof cast protectors to help with bathing.
posted by terretu at 2:08 AM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by terretu at 2:08 AM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
A one-handed bread board such as this one. Not being able to make your own bread because the slice keeps sliding off the plate is frustrating.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:03 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:03 AM on January 24, 2018
Gift certificate for Velcro fastening shoes.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:16 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by sciencegeek at 3:16 AM on January 24, 2018
When a friend broke her wrist a few winters ago, I made her a cast cover since she couldn’t wear her gloves or mittens. A very large men’s mittens would probably work too.
posted by advicepig at 4:47 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by advicepig at 4:47 AM on January 24, 2018
When my mom broke her dominant wrist I brought her lots of one handed foods (curries with naan or to be mixed with rice, granola bars, apples) and jigsaw puzzles were a BIG hit, especially when paired with an audiobook or podcast series.
Seconding the idea of cast covers (one waterproof for the shower, one warm for when she's outside).
posted by dotparker at 5:54 AM on January 24, 2018
Seconding the idea of cast covers (one waterproof for the shower, one warm for when she's outside).
posted by dotparker at 5:54 AM on January 24, 2018
I have broken both hands multiple times (and both hands at the same time, twice!) I would have killed for curly shoelaces. If she's a reader, a Kindle is much easier to operate one-handed than a paper book is. If she has a high-maintenance hairstyle, a gift certificate to her hairdresser for a lower-maintenance style might be a good idea.
posted by workerant at 8:04 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by workerant at 8:04 AM on January 24, 2018
Since your mom's a nurse, she probably won't think this is inappropriate: an easily-donned bra. I got a similar one for my mom when she hurt her wrist and she said it did make things a bit easier.
posted by JulesER at 8:14 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by JulesER at 8:14 AM on January 24, 2018
Maybe some great winter-proof slip-on shoes? Not being able to tie shoes is a crazy lifechanger. I love the oversized mitten idea too. Maybe some outrageous colored nail polish for the injured hand -- best if it can match the color of her cast (yes, they have colors now!), just for fun.
posted by acm at 8:15 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by acm at 8:15 AM on January 24, 2018
When my mom injured her hand a few years ago, one of the most appreciated gifts was the edible arrangement of cut-up fruit. Everything was on a stick, so it was easy to pick up one-handed.
posted by Soliloquy at 8:29 AM on January 24, 2018
posted by Soliloquy at 8:29 AM on January 24, 2018
How close are you to your mom? Because I had surgery on both wrists at the same time about a year ago and this, erm, "bathroom aid" was seriously a lifesaver, especially in conjunction with an inexpensive bidet. I was terrified that my spouse would have to help with every bathroom trip, but I could stay completely independent in the loo even immediately after surgery with this.
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 2:09 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 2:09 PM on January 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
back scratcher
posted by WeekendJen at 10:14 AM on January 25, 2018
posted by WeekendJen at 10:14 AM on January 25, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by fyrebelley at 10:02 PM on January 23, 2018