Unforgettable Mother's Day Dementia Gift Guide

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

The Unforgettable Mother’s Day Gift Guide Over 130 Mother’s Day gifts and ideas for those living with dementia

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Contents Introduction

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The Unforgettable™ Top 10 gifts

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Picking a gift — what do you need to consider?

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Gift ideas — by shop category

Activities Assistive Technology Bathing & Grooming

Books & DVDs

Clothing

Eat & Drink Health & Wellbeing

Mobility

Communication Sleep

13 13 16 18 19 21 22 23 25 26 27

Gift ideas — by journey

Early stage

Mid stage Late stage

29 29 30 31

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas — by challenge

Aggression Boredom

Eating well Forgetfulness & Confusion Getting outside

Helplessness

Hygiene

Restlessness

Sadness

Self-identity

Sleep

Falls

Communication

32 32 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 37 37 38 39 39

Gift ideas — by room

Living room

Bathroom

Bedroom

Garden

Kitchen

40 40 41 41 42 42

What NOT to buy

44

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Introduction Choosing gifts for family and friends is tough at the best of times. Does Auntie Susan really want those scented bath products? Will Uncle Jim be offended if he gets another pair of ear clippers for Christmas?

So it’s not surprising that people can be left even more unsure at the prospect of buying a gift for someone who has dementia. Now they may struggle to enjoy or take part in their usual interests in the same way that they used to, which can make it trickier to know what to buy them.

But the fact is, people with dementia still have birthdays, and they still want to feel included at Christmas and Easter. And at Mother’s Day, you’ll still want to show your appreciation.

Luckily, there are still plenty of options of Mother’s Day gifts for people with dementia, and Unforgettable is here to help you pick something out — as well as provide tips on what not to give.

Read on to find out.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

The Unforgettable Top 10 gifts

Reminiscent Scent Cards — Original 6 Collection £20.82 Agitation can be a real problem for someone with dementia, but calming activities — such as smelling and chatting about these scent cards — can help. They feature distinct scents to prompt conversation including Fresh Cut Grass, Baby Powder, Chocolate Orange, Tomato Plants, Victoria Sponge and Fresh Laundry.

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Shining Star Cube with Soothing Sounds £19.99 If the person with dementia has a hard time relaxing or is bedbound this shining star cube may help soothe restlessness and insomnia by turning the ceiling into a night sky scene. It’s filled with a mixture of lullaby and nature sounds and is ideal for someone with dementia.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Simple Music Player — Green £91.67 Active Minds 13 Piece Jigsaw — Lady in Red £12.49 Jigsaw puzzles are a fantastic activity for people with dementia but many mainstream puzzles have complicated pictures and too many pieces. This puzzle is made up of just 13 pieces, and features a classic image that will stimulate conversation and encourage reminiscence.

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This makes a great gift for music lovers with dementia as they can operate it themselves and listen to their favourite tunes when they choose to, increasing feelings of independence and control. Music is loaded up via a USB connection, but there is just one button to reduce confusion.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Inessential Things: Poems and Pictures £20.00 Products that help encourage reminiscence are great for people with dementia as they stimulate conversation and boost mood. This book of beautiful photos and poems will prompt conversation and restore personal identity.

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Activity Muff with Multi-Sensory Attachments £42.95 Restlessness and boredom can be common challenges in people with dementia, and this activity muff will keep fidgety fingers busy with its range of sensory attachments.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

The Day Clock £66.66 The Day Clock has been designed to help someone with dementia by simply and clearly displaying the time of day as morning, afternoon, evening or night, reducing confusion caused by a regular clock face.

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Ladies Talking Atomic Watch — Strap £44.99 Dementia can sometimes mean you struggle to tell the time, and it can also affect your visual ability. A watch that speaks the time at the touch of a button is a useful, stylish and enjoyable gift.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Personalised Dementia Jigsaw Puzzle £29.99 Jigsaw puzzles are a simple way to engage a loved one with dementia, but they become even more effective when you can personalise them with an image of family, friends, pets or a wedding as it encourages reminiscence and stimulates conversation. A personalised jigsaw makes a uniquely personal gift, that’s ideal for anyone.

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Animal Bingo £24.99 Playing games that captivate attention and encourage sociability is a great way of preventing boredom in someone with dementia. This bingo game is designed so that it can be enjoyed by people in both the early and mid to later stages of dementia, as it doesn’t require number recognition. Instead, you listen to authentic animal sounds and place counters on the matching image until you have a full house.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Bright Shadow Activity Boxes Specially designed for people with dementia, these boxes provide resources and ideas for a range of different activities, from crafts and exercise to music, food and cooking. They’re designed to provide stimulation for all the senses and are ideal for promoting communication and conversation, getting people moving and encouraging self-expression.

An activity for any time Everything from gentle exercise to craft ideas Engage, connect and be active

Arts & Culture Activity Box £27.99

Great Outdoors Activity Box £27.99

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Picking a gift — what do you need to consider?

If you’re buying a present for someone with dementia, it’s worth thinking about the following factors before you pick something.

Practical vs pleasurable?

When buying items that are suitable for dementia, you’ll discover there are gifts that can be lots of fun and others that are more practical, but equally well received as a gift.

So it’s a good idea to think about what kind of gifts they liked receiving before their diagnosis. If your mum got offended when you bought her a kettle for Christmas, giving her a kettle tipper (useful if the person with dementia struggles with co-ordination) is probably not the best choice for Mother’s Day. However, if she always enjoyed getting a basket of soaps and bubble baths, she will probably enjoy receiving gifts that have a sensory slant — think aromadough, a colouring book or scented reminiscence cards.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Handy Kettle Tipper £35.95

Reminiscent Scent Cards — Original 6 Collection £20.82

Calming Colouring Book Collection — 40% off £19.99

Aroma Dough £27.59

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

What stage are they at?

Dementia is a progressive illness, which varies from person to person, and it’s important to bear this in mind. Often the dementia journey is split into three stages — early, mid and late stage dementia.

1. Early — when symptoms are mild and, despite being quite forgetful, most people are still living relatively independently. They might also still be driving or working.

2. Middle — this is the longest stage and can last many years. Forgetfulness and confusion gradually becomes more pronounced, your loved one might also become withdrawn, depressed or moody, and need an increasing amount of help with daily life.

3. Late — most people at this point become increasingly frail, they may not talk or communicate very much and can appear to be in ‘a world of their own.’ They often need round-the-clock care.

Therefore, it’s important to think about what stage they’re at and how that might impact their ability to use or appreciate the gift you give them. For example, someone in the early stages of dementia may enjoy games or puzzle books as they’re still able to complete them relatively easily, but someone in the mid or later stages of the disease may struggle with them.

Instead, they may respond better to dementia-friendly jigsaws that contain 12 pieces, simple paint projects or sensory bags.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

UNO £8.39

French Boules £6.95

Everything Easy LargePrint Word Search Book, Volume IV £10.99

Call to Mind Conversation Game £37.99

Active Minds 13 Piece Jigsaw — Sheep Dog £12.49

Dementia Puzzle 12 Piece — Relaxing with Friends £12.49

Aquapaint Painting Sheets – Natural World £12.49

Big Ben 3D Puzzle £9.99

Hidden Treasures Sensory Bags £43.19

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

What are their interests?

Think about what your mum enjoyed doing before she developed dementia?

Was she a keen gardener? If that’s the case, she will undoubtedly still enjoy doing gardening and being outdoors, but may struggle to dig flowerbeds or shift compost. Instead, she may enjoy sitting at a table potting plants or watering using specially adapted gardening tools.

Perhaps the person with dementia enjoyed cooking and preparing food or collecting items such as postcards or trinkets? They can still do this. In fact, it’s a great reminiscence activity, and you could provide an attractive display box for them to put items in.

Kitchen Workstation £69.95

Garden Kneeler £29.99

Memory Box — Beech £35.00

Hands Free Magnifier with Light £18.99

Large Print Scrabble £49.67

Deck of Cards with Large Graphics £3.23

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas — by shop category Unsure where to start when looking through Unforgettable.org for a gift? Start with the shop sections, as they cover all areas of someone’s life.

Activities This is often a great place to start when looking for Mother’s Day gifts for someone with dementia because there is plenty of choice and a range of products depending on how far the dementia has progressed.

Try: Reminiscence — products that help to encourage reminiscence are great for people with dementia as they stimulate conversation and boost mood. Gifts include packs of vintage prints and photographs, memory boxes and smell and connect cards.

Reminiscence Picture — Birds £44.34

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Reminiscent Scent Cards — Original 6 Collection £20.82

1960’s Childhood Memorabilia Pack £7.67

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Puzzles — These make a lovely gift for anyone, but a puzzle that’s suitable for someone for dementia can be difficult to find. However, there are puzzles — particularly jigsaw puzzles — that you can buy which have a smaller number of pieces and are good for someone in the mid to late stages of the disease.

Active Minds 13 Piece Jigsaw — Lady in Red £12.49

Dementia Puzzle 12 Piece — Roses for You £12.49

Active Minds 24 Piece Jigsaw – At The Beach £12.49

Crafts — Dementia can sometimes cause people to become restless and fidgety and crafts can be a good way to keep them occupied and feeling calmer and happier. Craft kits can make ideal Mother’s Day gifts. It could be anything from ‘Make your own masks or cards’ kits to sewing craft kits.

Glitter Mask Activity Pack £25.19

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Count and Stitch £22.43

Air Dry Clay £5.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Games — Not only great for increasing physical and mental activity, games may also help to alleviate feelings of restlessness, isolation, depression and helplessness often experienced by someone with dementia. They can be great fun and a way to help them feel stimulated and engaged and encourage social interaction with people.

The Allotment — Activity Scene £16.66

Giant Wooden Dominoes £12.95

Animal Bingo £24.99

Activity boxes — Promote communication, conversation and get people moving, with a visually stimulating activity box. Each box contains an interesting array of products designed to provide opportunities to prevent boredom and aid self-expression.

Bright Shadow Activity Box — Arts & Culture £27.99

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Bright Shadow Activity Box — Great Outdoors £27.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Assistive Technology This is any item that helps you get along in day-to-day life and for a person with dementia the need for assistive technology will increase due to lapses in memory, decreasing mobility and a lack of dexterity. While this may take a slightly more practical slant than other gifts, they can still be a great item to give to someone with dementia.

Try: Entertainment — A simple music player, or one-button radio, makes a great gift for someone with dementia as they can operate it themselves and listen to their favourite music when they choose to, increasing feelings of independence and control. You could also give some reminiscence DVDs to keep them stimulated or a simple remote control as a handy gadget.

Simple Music Player — Simple Music Player — Simple Music Player — Red Green Walnut £91.67 £91.67 £118.33

Memory Bank Bundle Pack £160.00

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One Button Radio £41.66

Large 8 Button TV Remote £15.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gardening equipment — If the person you care for always loved gardening, but struggles to use garden tools now because of reduced co-ordination, they will probably appreciate some specially adapted equipment that lets them carry on with their hobby. From long-handled trowels to special seats that let you garden while seated, they’ll make a great gift for your mother so she can spend time in her garden.

Sure Grip Garden Trowel - Long Handled £42.49

Garden Stool On Wheels £35.99

Natural Grip Garden Trowel £13.19

Locators — It can be frustrating if memory problems cause your loved one to keep mislaying items. A useful bit of assistive technology and fun gadget could be a locator. This is a device that helps you find mislaid items by attaching a special tracking device that will beep when a button on a lead handset is pressed.

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Object Locator Key Finder £29.16

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Bathing & Grooming Items that can be used for bathing and grooming are popular Mother’s Day gifts, but it’s worth thinking about what exactly is suitable for the person with dementia that you care for. Consider what items can help to make the process more relaxing and calming, particularly if the person with dementia gets nervous about bathing.

Try: Scented bath and shower products — Sensory products are ideal for people with dementia because the senses provide a very strong link to memory, and can help to trigger reminiscence as well as help someone feel rested and relaxed if they’re struggling with agitation and restlessness.

Bath pillow — You can create a comforting environment for someone with dementia while they bathe with an inflatable cushion, and they are a practical present for anyone who enjoys the process.

Soft Bath Pillow £9.30

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Inflatable Bath Pillow £8.03

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Books & DVDs When picking books and DVDs as gifts for someone with dementia, it’s worth thinking about how far along the dementia journey they are (and therefore how much use they might get from a particular book or DVD) as well as what their general interests are.

Try: Hobby books — Think recipe books, colouring books (there are some adult versions available) and gardening books.

Recipes for Reminiscence £30.99

Colour Yourself Calm £9.99

Teeny Tiny Gardening £14.99

Reminiscence DVDs — These are useful for encouraging reminiscence and helping to boost mood. Depending on the stage of dementia they’re at, they might enjoy a classic film that they haven’t seen for a while, a documentary DVD about events from their youth or a wildlife programme.

Holidays DVD Collection £29.99

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Sporting Fun DVD Collection £29.99

Fairs & Fireworks DVD Collection £29.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Fiction books — If your mother or grandmother struggles to read themselves, that doesn’t mean you have to rule out fiction books completely. They may enjoy having a story read to them.

Grace and Mary £7.99

The Night Guest £8.99

Coming Soon!

The Dementia Explained eBook. A comprehensive guide to what dementia is and how it can affect you.

Download the first 3 chapters for FREE.

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One Small Act of Kindness £7.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Clothing Picking out clothes for someone with dementia can be tricky, especially if they now struggle to do up fiddly buttons, put their arms into sleeves or put trousers on. However, there are specially adapted clothes that can also make a good, practical gift.

Try: Adaptive clothing — Clothes can make a great gift and ones that have been designed to help someone dress more easily will also be easier for them to use and help maintain dignity.

Ladies Trousers with Side Zips — Black £20.00

Slippers Patterned Ladies — Wine £22.25

Popper Front Fastening Bra £20.00

Fleecy jacket or cape — Staying warm and comfortable is a priority for someone with dementia, especially if they’re not very mobile. A fleecy jacket makes a great gift to wear around the house or in bed.

Super-Soft Fleecy Cape — Turquoise £25.00

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Luxury Waffle Fleece Bed Jacket — Blue £24.00

Fleecy Bed Jacket — Pink £20.00

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Eat & Drink You may think a nice hamper of posh chocolates and nibbles will make a great present for a loved one, but this isn’t necessarily the case for someone with dementia. They may have reached a stage on the journey where they struggle to swallow or chew food, and giving them food could actually cause more harm than good. However, there are still food and drink-related items that can make a good present.

Try: Drinks — A useful or attractive mug or cup could make for a lovely small gift or present and has the added bonus of helping to encourage someone to drink regularly, and so reduce the risk of dehydration and the associated health problems that brings.

Two-Handled Mug — Green £14.26

Duo Cup & Mug Handle £9.99

Unbreakable Glassware Selection £10.44

Smart solutions — Taking a more practical approach to gift giving can often be welcomed and these eating and drinking products will help your loved one with dementia stay independent.

Non-Slip Wood Effect Trays £15.49

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Kitchen Slicing Helper £6.99

Wooden Bed Tray £27.95

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Health & Wellbeing Products to help maintain health and wellbeing in someone with dementia can be a good option for gifts, particularly if they veer more towards the pampering and relaxation side.

Try: Pampering — Anything that will make the bathing and grooming process more relaxing and enjoyable for someone with dementia will also help the carer.

Pamper Spa Set £14.49

Foot Scrubbing Mat £23.95

Back Washer £34.96

Feel good therapy — It’s common to feel low or depressed after a dementia diagnosis, so to help boost mood and wellbeing, products such as a Seasonal Affective Disorder light, yoga mat or massager could help.

SAD Therapy Light £83.32

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Yoga Mat £28.36

Handheld Massager £17.90

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sensory experience — Buying gifts that help to stimulate the senses — especially smell, touch and sight — can be useful for someone in the later stages of dementia, as it will be calming, enjoyable and relaxing.

Hidden Treasures Sensory Bags £43.19

Tactile Sensations Bag £131.99

Shining Star Cube with Soothing Sounds £19.99

Activity Muff with Multi-Sensory Attachments £42.95

Textured Sensory Light Multi-Sensory Activity Tray Cloth Balls £55.99 £15.59

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mobility Staying mobile when you have dementia is important because mobility makes it easier to be connected. Whether it’s making your way to the shops, getting to your local dementia café or simply moving easily between rooms, ease of mobility can be a gift for someone with dementia who struggles to walk or isn’t confident doing so, and products can help with this.

Try: Walking stick — You can get brightly patterned sticks and ones that can be folded down so they fit into a bag, making them useful presents for someone who needs just a bit of extra support to get around.

Adjustable Foldable Walking Stick Wild Rose £19.96

Adjustable Folding Walking Stick Walnut £19.96

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Adjustable Foldable Walking Stick Woodland Flowers £20.56

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Communication Being able to stay in touch with a loved one with dementia is vital for preventing loneliness and isolation. To help with this, provide technology that is simple and straightforward to use — items such as big button phones and simple mobiles are ideal for this and also make good gifts.

Try: Simple mobile phone — So it’s not the latest whizzy smartphone, but then someone with dementia is unlikely to appreciate a phone that is too complicated. A simple mobile phone that has large buttons assigned to only a few numbers and which won’t crack or shatter when dropped will be a useful and very welcome Mother’s Day gift. What’s more, having it with her will mean she can stay safe by being able to contact you.

DORO Liberto Mini in Steel/Black £141.67

DORO PhoneEasy 612 £75.00

DORO Secure 580 with monitoring £108.33

Big button phones — If your loved one with dementia struggles to use the telephone, providing one that has been simplified so that it has large buttons, picture buttons for family members or carers will reduce frustration and confusion, and help them to feel more connected.

DORO MemoryPlus 319I PH £41.67

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DORO PhoneEasy Photo 331PH £24.00

DORO PhoneEasy 100W £33.33

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sleep It’s a vital part of someone’s day — finding the time to rest, relax and sleep is extremely important. However, people with dementia may struggle to sleep as the condition can affect your natural sleeping pattern. That’s why it’s so important that if they are waking regularly in the night, they feel comforted and comfortable.

Try: Nightwear — Restrictive nightwear can be uncomfortable for someone with dementia, and difficult for the carer to put on if there are no fastenings. Front or back button nightwear can make a good gift for those with limited mobility, while bed socks make a cosy addition to the gift.

Rosebud Front Button Nightie — Pink £20.00

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Super — Cosy Fleecy Wrap — Beige £18.00

Ladies Bed Socks — Pink £5.50

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Reading lights — Many people enjoy reading a book or looking through a magazine in bed. However, this can be difficult for the person with dementia due to possible visual problems or a lack of dexterity. Providing a book rest or a reading light as a gift can help ensure it remains an enjoyable experience, promoting feelings of calm and contentment.

Blys-Nightlight £111.60

Plug-Through Night Light £12.99

Dayclox Digital Calendar Day & Date Clock £59.99

Magnifying Table Lamp — White £46.99

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas — by journey Early stage dementia At this point, people with dementia will probably be able to carry on with their life as normal, but be prone to lapses in memory. They may still enjoy carrying on with regular activities, but get particular enjoyment from reminiscence activities such as quizzes, looking at old photos or watching films or TV shows that trigger memories from their past.

Try:

The Pilates Bible £18.99

Everything Easy Large- DORO Secure 580 Print Word Search with monitoring Book, Volume IV £108.33 £10.99

Holidays DVD Collection £29.99

Chic Talking Watch — White £41.66

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Simple Music Player — Red £91.67

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mid stage dementia During this stage, forgetfulness and confusion gradually becomes more pronounced, and your loved one may also become withdrawn, depressed or moody, and in need of an increasing amount of help with daily life. Products that encourage conversation and boost mood are a good idea.

Try:

Throw and Tell Conversation Ball £14.34

Big Digit Talking Alarm Clock £22.49

Stair Climbing Trolley with Seat £46.99

Faux Candle Lanterns £18.95

Reminiscence Cue Cards 50s & 60s £48.00

Call to Mind Conversation Game £37.99

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Late stage dementia Most people at this point will have become frail, uncommunicative and withdrawn. They often need round-the-clock care. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy and benefit from appropriate gifts.

Try:

Reminiscent Scent Cards — Original 6 Collection £20.82

Feeder Mug with Two Handles — Yellow £13.85

Aquapaint Painting Sheets — Everyday £12.49

Boy and Girl Dolls £21.59

Activity Muff with Multi-Sensory Attachments £42.95

Shining Star Cube with Soothing Sounds £19.99

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas — by challenges If you’re caring for someone with dementia, you’re likely to face a variety of challenges. However, there are products that can help, which can also make lovely gifts.

Aggression Calming products are best if the person with dementia is prone to angry outbursts. Try relaxing bath products if they’re open to baths, or a handcream or oil containing lavender, which you can use to massage them with.

Lavender items are useful in dementia care as a 2005 study showed that lavender helped reduce agitation.

Deluxe Pedal Exerciser £30.59

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Lavender Scented Wheat Bag £24.50

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Boredom If you’re finding that the person you care for is getting easily bored, an ideal gift would be some kind of game, puzzle or craft activity. However, make sure that the gift is also suitable for their stage of dementia. A fiddly craft activity may not be the right gift if they’re in the later stages of dementia.

Active Minds 24 Piece Jigsaw — Lilypond £12.49

The Reminiscence Dementia Puzzle 12 Piece — Roses for You Quiz Book: 1930’s–1960’s £12.49 £33.99

Everything Easy Large- Deck of Cards with Print Word Search Large Graphics Book, Volume IV £3.23 £10.99

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Springtime Project Pack £29.39

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Eating well Keeping your loved one with dementia cooking and eating well is a great gift, and there are items that can help with this. You could go for a placemat that helps someone with dementia to work out where dining items should be put (which can be harder as dementia develops) or even specialist dementia eatware.

Two-Handled Mug — Yellow £14.26

Non-slip table setting place mat £14.16

Plate — Green £21.95

Forgetfulness and confusion For someone who struggles with forgetfulness and perhaps regularly mislays items, and wants a practical gift, a locator device could be useful. It lets you attach keyrings to things (a walking stick, keys, a bag) which will make a sound when you activate the remote control.

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Object Locator Key Finder £29.16

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Getting outside Heading out with someone with dementia is a great way to boost mood.

To help them with this, there are a range of gifts, including foldable walking sticks, adapted gardening tools and clothing to keep them warm outdoors.

Adjustable Foldable Walking Stick Wild Rose £19.96

Sure Grip Garden Cultivator — Long Handled £42.49

Helplessness Nobody likes to feel helpless or lonely, but it’s easily remedied for someone with dementia by giving them gifts that help to boost independence. This could be anything from a simple mobile phone to help them stay in contact with loved ones, to day clocks to aid time orientation.

DORO PhoneEasy 508 – White £40.00

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The Day Clock £66.66

DORO Easy Remote Control £20.00

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Hygiene You can help someone to maintain their personal hygiene by giving them gifts that encourage washing, such as pampering items. Items that aid washing, such as long-handled brushes or basins are also useful gifts.

Pamper Spa Set £14.49

Back Washer £34.96

Inflatable Shampoo Basin £18.35

Restlessness People with dementia can often become restless and agitated, especially if their communication has declined and they struggle to explain what is wrong.

Sometimes, they just need to keep their hands occupied. A great gift is an activity blanket, muff or toy. They have sensory items attached to them to provide something to fiddle with, and help to reduce restlessness.

Multi-Sensory Activity Tray Cloth £55.99

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Activity Muff with Multi-Sensory Attachments £42.95

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sadness Unfortunately, dementia can leave people feeling very sad and depressed.

Providing a gift may help to boost their mood, but you will of course need to think about their own personal interests, too. Something that provides a fun activity can make a great gift, such as reminiscence cards, dominoes or a painting kit.

Active Minds 1940s Reminiscence Cards £25.00

Giant Wooden Dominoes £12.95

Active Minds Painting Book £9.99

Self-identity Maintaining self-identity is very important for someone with dementia, and there are gifts to help with this. Photo albums are great for pulling together a person’s life story, which will build and maintain their identity. You could put together a life story box and stick old photos, ticket stubs and any other memorabilia into it. Or opt for an attractive photography book full or reminiscence pictures to help them feel connected.

Memory Box - Beech £35.00

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Travelling in Pictures £20.00

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Sleep Disturbed sleep can be exhausting for both the person with dementia and their carer, so any gifts that can help to create a relaxing, comforting and hopefully sleep-inducing environment will be welcome. Think blackout blinds if they keep waking early during the summer, cosy bed jackets, an easy-touse light so that the person you care for can get to the bathroom easily or a teddybear or doll if that’s what gives them comfort. Doll therapy — using dolls to reduce aggression and boost mood — was found to be beneficial for people with dementia in a study from Newcastle University.

Luxury Waffle Fleece Bed Jacket — Blue £24.00

Magic Blackout Blind £29.99

Blys-Nightlight £111.60

Boy and Girl Dolls £21.59

Shining Star Cube with Soothing Sounds £19.99

Lavender Scented Wheat Bag £24.50

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Falls Worrying that your loved one will have a fall can be extremely stressful, and unfortunately, they can be common in people with dementia, who may find they struggle more with walking and co-ordination. However, it’s also been found that exercise and, in particular, strength training can help to prevent falls, so providing exercise balls, a static pedal exerciser or exercise DVD could be a great gift.

Active Minds Spa Ball Multi-Pack £19.99

Deluxe Pedal Exerciser £30.59

Active Minds Seated Physical Activity DVD £10.00

Communication Help the person you care for to chat about their life with reminiscence prompt cards. These are cards that have interesting pictures, phrases or subject topics that encourage someone with dementia to talk, or even a board game that encourages conversation.

Active Minds 1950s Reminiscence Cards £25.00

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Home Front Memorabilia Pack £7.67

Call to Mind Conversation Game £37.99

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Gift ideas — by room A good way to pick gifts for someone with dementia is to think about which areas of their home they may need more support in, particularly if they spend a lot of time in one of these rooms.

Living room You want a living room to feel comfortable and cosy, so picking gifts for your mother that helps with this is a good idea. However, furnishings are an area which can throw up a few issues for someone with dementia. For example, giving them a nice rug could prove a problem if it is a dark colour, and they mistake it for a hole in the floor (because dementia can cause sight problems and confusion). Instead, go for comfortable throws and blankets (without busy patterns) or cushions, a digital photo frame, which lets them see photos of their family, or a day clock to aid time orientation.

Infrared Lap Blanket £41.99

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Busy Cushion £55.99

The Day Clock £66.66

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Bathroom Good bathroom gifts for someone with dementia include relaxing bathing products — bath oils, cushions, body washing aids — that will make using the bathroom much more comfortable.

Body Washer £28.25

Inflatable Bath Pillow £8.03

Bedroom Comfort and relaxation are the key factors to consider for bedroom-related gifts, so go for pyjamas or nightwear that are easy to put on, ensuring a certain degree of dignity if the person with dementia struggles to dress themselves now. They may also appreciate bedside lighting that helps them to read or do activities if they spend longer in bed now.

Rosebud Front Button Nightie — Pink £20.00

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Hands Free Magnifier with Light £18.99

Blys-Nightlight £111.60

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Garden The garden can be a lovely place for someone with dementia to relax and get some fresh air, which is vital for helping to boost mood and aid contentedness. Gifts to encourage someone to get out into the garden are a great idea, and can include specially adapted gardening tools, a birdhouse they can make or decorate or even a book on gardening.

Let’s Decorate a Birdhouse £11.51

Natural Grip Garden Cultivator £13.19

Teeny Tiny Gardening £14.99

Kitchen Keen cooks will love to get useful tools that help to keep them in the kitchen, and this is no different for people with dementia. If they like to help out with the cooking, but struggle with co-ordination, products that help them such as a kitchen slicer, kettle tipper or non-slip tray could be useful. Even a pretty apron or pinny could make a nice gift.

Handy Kettle Tipper £35.95

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Non-Slip Wood Effect Trays £15.49

Non-Slip Jar Opener £5.26

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Personalised Dementia Jigsaw Puzzle A jigsaw puzzle for someone with dementia has less pieces — usually between 12 and 35 pieces — which are uniquely shaped to be easy to fit together for someone with dementia who has less manual dexterity. Using an image that’s personal to the person — such as a photo of family, friends or a home — will turn it into a powerful reminiscence tool that’s great for stimulating memories and communication.

Stimulate conversation and memories with cherished images of family, friends or pets Use for all stages of dementia — the puzzle can be made with 13, 24 or 35 pieces Makes a wonderful gift for any occasion

Personalised Dementia Jigsaw Puzzle £29.99

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

What NOT to buy Now you’ve got lots of good gift ideas for Mother’s Day, it’s worth knowing which types of gifts are best avoided.

Children’s toys

If the person with dementia enjoys doing jigsaws, but can only manage ones with 15 pieces or less, don’t be tempted to buy them a child’s jigsaw. Doing so reduces their dignity, so where possible try to ensure that the gift you give them is designed for an adult, or does not feature child-related packaging.

Sweets and chocolates

Yes, these can be an easy choice of gift for Mother’s Day, but dementia can sometimes cause chewing and swallowing issues, and a big box of chewy sweets or chocolates could pose a choking hazard.

Breakable glassware or crockery

While that delicate bone china tea set would make a lovely present, your mum may be less co-ordinated than she was before diagnosis, and may struggle to keep hands or feet steady (a common occurrence with dementia).

So it might be best to choose crockery or glass wear that won’t shatter and which is made from hard-wearing plastic such as melamine.

Complicated technology

Splashing out on the very latest MP3 player, mobile phone or TV might be your way of giving your loved one the best present possible, but if it’s complicated to operate it could cause too much confusion and stress, and become an expensive waste of money. Instead, opt for simple music players, phones and TV remote controls which are often ideal gifts for someone with dementia.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Everyone knows that picking out a Mother’s Day gift for someone can be pretty tricky, so just imagine how tough it can be if the person you’re buying for also has dementia, and can no longer do quite the same things that they used to.

However, there ARE products out there that make excellent gifts, and we’ve pulled together ideas for people at all stages of dementia.

Many products in the gift guide are eligible for VAT relief because they’ve been designed for people with disabilities. Where that is the case, we’ve shown the price with VAT relief.

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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Whatever the stages and whatever the challenge you are facing, we are here to help. We’ll do this by: 1. Highlighting products that you didn’t even know existed which can make life easier every day.

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