Holiday gift ideas for people with arthritis, migraines, dementia and other conditions

If you love someone who deals with a certain medical condition or is recovering from an injury or procedure, you’d likely go to great lengths to help make their life easier. Gift-giving holidays present a great opportunity for us to splurge on ways to help our friends and family, and clinical experts at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have some suggestions.

Gifts for those with cancer, mobility issues or other needs for easy-open clothing

Adaptive apparel

“About half of our acute leukemia and all of our bone marrow transplant patients have tunneled central IV lines that are inserted into the right side of their neck, tunneled under the skin over their collarbone, and come out of the skin on their upper right chest. These are needed for reliable IV access and have a lower risk of complications compared to PICC lines. However, when the patient’s nurse needs to access the line, the patient either needs to lift their shirt up to their neck or wear a hospital gown. The modified T-shirts allow the right shoulder to be opened up so the nurse can access the line directly.” — Gregory Behbehani, MD, PhD, a hematologist-oncologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

Gift ideas for people at higher risk of falling

Gifts for those with eye conditions

Large-print playing cards

“Helpful for folks with macular degeneration or other low-vision conditions.” — Barbara Mihalik, OD, an optometrist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and associate professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Moist heat eye compress/mask

“A warm compress that heats up in the microwave does wonders for dry eye.” — Anastasia Soulas, OD, an optometrist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and assistant professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Ohio State College of Medicine.

“Dry-eye night goggles and shields, dry-eye drops, gels, ointments, lids scrubs and warm compresses also help for dry eyes.” — Chantelle Mundy, OD, an optometrist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and associate professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Ohio State College of Medicine.

Pocket magnifier with light

“The light is key! This can be beneficial for many patients with eye conditions.” — Stephanie Pisano, OD, an optometrist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and associate professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Ohio State College of Medicine.

Gifts for those with arthritis

The following gifts are recommended for loved ones with arthritis or similar everyday pain, thanks to Alexa Meara, MD, a rheumatologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and associate professor of Internal Medicine at the Ohio State College of Medicine, as well as Kyle Eakins, PT, DPT, OCS, a physical therapist and certified orthopedic specialist, and Stephanie Eakins, MOT, OTR/L, a neurologic occupational therapist, who both practice at Ohio State Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care.

Kitchen tools:

• Electric or wide jar/can opener
• Easy-use kitchen gadgets, such as an automatic potato peeler, bagel guillotine, hands-free egg-peeler or easy-release ice trays
• Ergonomic utensils and thick-handled mugs
• Adaptive cutting board that holds food in place
• Gel floor mat
• Foam tubing for gripping utensils
• Pop-top food storage containers

Gardening:

• Garden kneeler
• Stand-up weed puller
• Thumb-cutter pruners
• Ergonomic gardening tools

Apparel and dressing:

• Sock cuff dressing aid
• Dressing stick with push/pull hook and fastener
• No-tie shoelaces
• Magnetic jewelry clasp converter or bracelet clip

At work:

• Thick pens
• Ergonomic scissors
• Ergonomic trackball mouse and gel wrist rests
• Vertical mouse
• Desk laptop stand

Pain management:

• Paraffin bath
• Foam rollers
• Massage gun
• Over-the-counter electric muscle stimulator unit
• Cane massager
• Massage gift certificates
• Compression gloves/socks
• Weighted heating pad
• Wireless hand and wrist massager
• Microwaveable, heated mittens/hand warmers
• Wireless hot/cold knee therapy device
• Acupressure ball
• Peanut massage ball or neck roller

Exercise:

• Yoga book, class gift card, DVDs or other tools
• Water paddles
• Under-desk bike
• Exercise bike
• Exercise ball
• Light hand weights
• Exercise bands

Everyday functioning:

• Lumbar support pillow
• Portable handle to assist with getting in and out of vehicles
• Heated steering wheel cover
• Seat slide for getting in and out of the car
• Seat belt buckle aids
• Bath tray

Leisure/hobbies:

• E-reader
• Bookrest
• Bookmark/page holder
• Ergonomic crochet hooks

Gifts for migraine sufferers

Kevin Weber, MD, a neurologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and an assistant professor of Neurology at the Ohio State College of Medicine, recommends the following care items for people who live with migraines:

• Electrical nerve stimulation device — The Cefaly device has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is available over the counter, and other devices are available but might require a doctor’s prescription
• Cooling headache relief caps
• Blue light filter glasses for light sensitivity
• Peppermint and lavender essential oils

Gifts for those with other neurological conditions

Care kit for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

The First Step Set from 5KforJK, recommended by neurologist and associate professor of Neurology Ariane Park, MD, MPH, was designed by a local patient to help lessen the fear of Parkinson’s disease for those newly diagnosed.

Gifts for those with memory loss or dementia

Douglas Scharre, MD, a neurologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and professor of Neurology at the Ohio State College of Medicine, recommends the following:

• Electronic trackers for items like phones, wallets, keys or purses, if they become misplaced
• White board to write down notes like the date, daily schedule, “I’ll be back at …”
• Games specifically designed for adults with memory loss
• Jigsaw puzzles — some are designed for people with memory loss
• Voice-assist devices that allow you to make a call to someone who can’t answer
• A cellphone or home phone that emphasizes pictures and has other features designed for people with dementia

Gifts for those with hearing impairment

Melissa Schnitzpahn, AuD, an audiologist and manager of Audiology at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, recommends the following for people with hearing impairment.

Bed shaker or lighted alarm clock, for wakeups that don’t rely on sound

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors — “Some smoke or carbon monoxide detectors can have the alert tone altered to a frequency that is more audible, or it flashes as an alert.”

Captioned telephone — “These can be used by all family members and show the text of conversation for the person with hearing loss. If they speak with a medical provider, they can possibly obtain this for free through CapTel or Caption Call. They can also turn on talk-to-text through their smartphone.”

TV streamer for those with hearing aids — “These stream directly to hearing aids. Look for one that works specifically with their hearing aids if they have hearing aids from the hearing aid manufacturer. If they don’t have hearing aids, TV-specific listening aids like TV Ears can help them better hear the TV without turning up the volume for everyone.”