Craft the Perfect Care Package for the Senior in Your Life

Live far away from your loved one and want them to know you’re thinking about them? A care package is a great way to brighten anyone’s day. Need help figuring out what to include? Milestone Retirement Communities is here to help. Here are a few items to consider when crafting the perfect care package for the senior in your life.

Include Their Favorite Things

The No. 1 rule of an excellent care package is to customize it to the recipient’s interests. Does the person you care about love to read? Load their care package with books! Do they love games or puzzles? Include a crossword or sudoku puzzle book or a couple of their favorite board games. What about a love for arts and crafts? Gather the supplies for a project and send them along, whether that means yarn and a pattern for a knit sweater or paints, canvas, and a brush for an artistic endeavor.

Things That Remind Them of Home

Is your loved one living in a community that’s far from the home they left behind? Be sure to include local newspapers, magazines, or any other items that offer a peek into what’s going on in the community.

A Fun Twist on Photos

You can’t go wrong including photos in a care package. It offers the recipient a glimpse into your world – particularly those who are not particularly tech savvy or who do not care for social media. Digital frames are a great way to share photos, and they don’t require much in the way of technological prowess.

With many models, all the recipient needs to do is turn it on. Just preload it with the photos you want to share and include it in your care package. Some digital photo frames even connect to WiFi, freeing up family members to share photos from afar. As long as the recipient can connect the frame to their community’s Wi-Fi network, they’ll be good to go! Here are a few options to check out.

If this isn’t in your price range or you don’t think it will be well-received, don’t worry. Old-fashioned photographs work, too!

A Handwritten Letter

It’s a lost art in this age of technology and social media, but an old-fashioned letter or card hits the spot with those of all ages. It’s so much more personal than a text, email, or Facebook message. There’s value to the recipient in knowing someone took the time to sit down and pen a handwritten note.

Food

Food may not be the most original item to send in a care package, but what you choose can have a major impact on the recipient. Food is how people connect. Think about it. Some of our best, most heartfelt conversations happen over a shared meal, be it at the family dinner table or a favorite restaurant. Keep this in mind as you decide what to include. Is there a particular meal or snack the two of you shared together? If so – and it’s shippable – include it. Maybe it’s a favorite food or snack of theirs. Or even something new you just think they might enjoy. Whatever the reasoning, food is a care package staple for good reason.

Consider a Subscription Box

If you’re short on time but still want to send goodies to someone you care about, consider having a subscription box sent to them. There are a ton of wonderful options out there – everything from snack boxes and full meals to arts-and-crafts kits and games. Here are a few fun ones to check out:

For more tips on helping your loved one live their best life, check out the Milestone Retirement Communities blog.