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Tips for Shopping with Seniors
Many seniors would still like to do their own holiday shopping, but need a little extra help. Here are tips, from Home Instead Senior Care and the Mall of America:
- Determine the time of the day to go when you know your senior will have the most energy. If your senior has health issues or is not very active, don't plan an entire day away from home.
- Think about what your senior needs. If it's oxygen or a cane, make sure you have those items before leaving the house, along with any medications that need to be taken while you're gone. If your loved one will need extra help, call ahead to the mall or shopping center to find out what's available. For example, the Mall of America - like many shopping centers - rents scooters and wheelchairs.
- Make sure you know the layout of the store, mall or shopping center where you're headed. Call the mall to find out where you can obtain maps and directories. Ask if the shopping center has shopping tips.
- "Shop 'til you drop" is not the theme when you're with older adults. Match your pace with theirs, and take frequent bathroom, refreshment, snack or lunch breaks.
- If your senior would like to go shopping but you aren't available, consider hiring a companion, such as a CAREGiver from Home Instead Senior Care.