Question for Women with mothers and grandmothers!?

Travel size items such as tooth paste, shampoo, lotion, soap, talc, etc.

Candy - not chewy stuff and not hard round suckers. Mints are good. Chocolate.

Crossword Puzzle or other puzzle type book. Newspaper

Cookies.

Developed photos of you and other loved ones.

It would really depend on the person.

Nothing expensive! Too many thieves in nursing homes.

1 snack (again not a lot because fat *** staff will eat most if not all of it if you leave some behind)

cross word puzzles or maybe a book by an author she likes

maybe some scratch tickets for fun/something to do while visiting

flowers

playing cards

a balloon

stuffed animal

From my experience in working in a nursing home I have learned that residents LOVE receiving visitors and MAIL. So maybe instead of bringing something when you visit, stop at the grocery store on the way and buy 5 "Thinking about you cards" to send over the course of the next coming months.

You don't even have to write much, just send a card for every holiday, even corny ones like April Fool's day. It means SO much to them. Pictures are also nice to send.

You need to be more specific... are these items she has requested, or are these "just because" gifts or ???? If I were to randomly pick up stuff at the grocery store for my mom without calling to ask what she needs (she lives in a senior apartment complex in her own apartment...not a nursing home) I would buy things she wouldn't normally buy for herself very often (or makes it stretch super far) because it's expensive. I would purchase meats, cheese, frozen veggies (because canned are nasty and fresh go bad too quickly for 1 person), good quality frozen dinners (healthy choice, etc.), bread, etc. Elderly people don't need the amount of toiletries younger people use, but toilet paper would probably be a good item.

My mother-in-law works in a nursing home. She is always doing extra things for the residents because some of them have family that won't do it for them. (sad) Anyway, a lot of them want their own snack in case they don't have something they like that day. Some of them want a TV because their nursing home doesn't provide them for them. (sad) Their own lotion, bath gel, shampoo because the stuff they use is not very appealing (smells medical). Great socks with grips because who wants to be in shoes all day long? (unless it's needed for safety)

I would buy a kit kat so she could enjoy one good last thing.

I would buy a bible so she could read it and make sure she was going to heaven.

I would buy a blind fold so she can't see what's coming.

I would buy one bullet.

And I would buy a gun so she can take her life so she doesn't have to be in a horrible nursing home.

I'm kidding, but seriously I would never send any relatives to a nursing home. Nursing homes are awful!

I'd get what they requested of course. More than likely food and snacks as that's what most often is asked for.

My mom isn't like anybody I know (eccentric) and my grandmother isn't like my mother (more traditional like me) this is an impossible question that makes my head hurt.

I would find out what they need, and buy accordingly.