Here’s some help for you if you’re wracking your brain to figure out the perfect Father’s Day gift for your older dad who doesn’t really want a lot more “stuff.”
Most dads, especially older ones, have enough ties and golf balls to last out the century. This year, try giving your dad a Father’s Day gift that makes a real difference to him. Here are some suggestions which he’ll appreciate even more because they come from your heart.
- Take him on a day trip, complete with picnic lunch and time to spend together. A non-driving dad will really enjoy this. If he still drives, share the driving—it’s a non-threatening way for you to be sure he can still drive safely.
- Spend a day going through Dad’s house with him, looking for burned-out lights, loose steps or railings, frayed cords, broken smoke-detectors, slippery, rugs and other hazards and fix them together. Suggest making the bathroom—the most dangerous room in any house—safer by installing a grab-bar and rubber mat in the tub/shower.
- If his laundry is in the basement, he takes chances each time he carries laundry and supplies down those steps and clean laundry back up. Is there a space on the main floor where a washer/dryer could go—maybe a set of stackables? If you have siblings, share the cost of new machines or re-plumbing the old ones in a safer location.
- Be his private chef. If he lives alone he may just grab some fast food or unhealthy frozen dinners or not eat at all. Bad nutrition leads to ill health and weaknesses that endanger him. Cook a variety of single-serving meals for him and package them in a way that lets him pop them into the oven or microwave. Use a Sharpie to write cooking directions on the covering.
This Father’s Day, give the gift of securing your dad’s safety and well-being. A big hug won’t hurt, either.