Do you need a resource to find the best gift ideas for male caregivers? Do you want gifts men will appreciate and enjoy using? You’ve come to the right place – here are some great ideas!
It might be surprising to learn that there are male caregivers.
It’s true! So, having a handy list of the best gift ideas for male caregivers in your life makes sense. However, I’m guessing you don’t have time or ideas to make a list. That’s why I created this list for you! I’ve provided a table of contents with quick links below for your convenience.
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But first, if you’re looking for a quick, easy, and adorable gift idea, here is one of my (and soon-to-be yours) favorites: A thoughtful jerky bouquet will always get a smile!
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When I worked as a nurse providing home healthcare services, it wasn’t unusual to visit homes where the caregiver was the man of the house.
Learning that most men are sincerely concerned about doing a good job as a caregiver was encouraging.
I also learned how much they appreciate help from others and thoughtful gifts to make their caregiving day easier.
Male caregivers are providing unpaid care to a variety of their family members. According to one resource, many caregivers care for a parent or parent-in-law (49%), while one in 10 (10%) provides care for a spouse. AARP 2015 Report
Men can be excellent caregivers.
A recent conversation with my dad, who is the current caregiver for my mom (who has health and memory problems) and previously for my brother (who needed care while recovering from a severe leg injury), gave me some great gift ideas. I’ve added his ideas to the list below.
Best Gift Ideas for Male Caregivers
I don’t live close to my parents, so I usually provide caregiving help from a distance. I coordinate a lot of care, assist with healthcare system navigation, and talk to their primary care provider.
But I also help in other ways.
One day, I asked, “Dad, what are the things that people do or bring (gift) to you that are either the most helpful or most meaningful to you? Please be as honest as possible!”
Probably not surprisingly, a mix of services and products was the most extensive help and the most appreciated.
Because caregiving is extremely stressful, anything to reduce the stress of caregiving is a welcome gift.
You can find more stress-reducing and helpful caregiver gifts in my post, Gifts for Caregivers: The Ultimate Gift Guide.
Services that Make the Best Gift Ideas for Male Caregivers
Some of the services that have helped my dad (actually both of my parents) have been services provided by friends and volunteers.
But we’ve also hired some of these services when necessary. The best service gift ideas are listed below.
Transportation
Throughout my nursing career, both patients and caregivers have shared their frustrations with me. Driving to medical appointments is stressful or difficult for many people!
I’ve also learned this to be true for my parents. So, transportation has been a big help to them.
While elderly caregivers can drive short distances, they get tired and overwhelmed driving for long distances. It can be incredibly taxing if the one they care for requires a lot of assistance getting in and out of the car.
Rides to the correct entrance at the university hospitals (or healthcare systems with large parking lots), doctor appointments, therapy visits, and various procedures are priceless to caregivers and patients.
Several years ago, my mom received chemotherapy treatments, and my dad went to outpatient rehab. Friends drove them to some of those visits, which was helpful and encouraging to my parents. Other friends provided gas cards, too.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Cards are shipped active and ready for use. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
Help for Inside the Home
Another highly valued service has been housekeeping.
We were lucky to have a family member with her own housekeeping business (and she had an opening!), so I hired her services for my parents once a month. Eventually, my dad qualified for assistance through veteran services, but this got them through the most challenging times.
If you do not know someone personally, I have found housekeepers on Care.com.
They have free and premium options. The premium option allows you to search their database, seek references, and compare.
The free version allows you to post a job so people can email you a bid. I recommend trying the free version, and if you think you’ll use it for a while, purchase the premium plan to get the greatest value and the best information to make decisions.
While not a service my dad needs right now, some may appreciate a gift of respite care or a hired caregiver. Care.com would be an excellent resource for this, too.
Help for Outside the Home
Depending on their living arrangement, help with outside projects may be a good idea.
My dad mows the lawn and works in the yard to relax, so we don’t hire this out for him. But for some male caregivers, lawn services would be a great idea.
During the fall, my family has hired people to clean out their gutters or rake leaves (and pinecones). But my dad prefers to clean his own garden and flower bed out because he can still do it. It’s good exercise, and it lets him be outside. So gloves might be appreciated by someone who finds yard work relaxing.
- 🌷Gardening Gloves for Women Men – Breathable latex base in Green and Black keeps hands cool and dry. Elastic wrists are easy to wear, preventing dirt and debris from entering. The gloves just taken out of the packaging may have an unpleasant odor. Put edible salt in water and soak the gloves for half an hour to eliminate the odor.
During the winter, neighbors have helped my parents by shoveling (or snowblowing) snow off the driveway and sidewalks.
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Products that Make the Best Ideas for Male Caregivers
My dad is a great baker and cook, but he still occasionally appreciates a homemade meal or dessert, especially the yummy comfort food he grew up eating.
Homemade food
So if the male caregiver in your life is NOT a good cook or baker, this may be his most precious gift.
Cooking a meal or dessert for someone else is no small feat. So, make it easier on yourself (and the caregiver).
First, send everything in sturdy, disposable dishes (#pd link) so they won’t have to worry about returning them to you (unless you want to visit to pick them up—which is okay, too!).
Second, use this casserole transporter (#pd link) to keep everything organized – and your car clean. If you’ve ever taken a meal to someone, you know how embarrassing it is to throw everything into a cardboard box or have a mess of chili all over the outside of the dish.
Fun Snack Food
Or, your male caregiver may prefer a box of snacks that will last a while and offer a ton of variety!
Adding a deck of cards or another interactive item and spending time doing that with them will be well received.
- STANDARD INDEX PLAYING CARDS: Enjoy the ideal balance of size and functionality with our Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards. Perfect as poker cards, these standard index cards are adorned with the iconic Rider Back design
Gift Card Ideas for Male Caregivers
Gift cards for any of the services mentioned above will be helpful.
Some of the best gift cards will be very practical – things to help pay for basics the family uses daily or a fun splurge.
Restaurant gift cards are appreciated. But it may not be used as how you think.
If it’s easy for everyone to get out of the house and sit at a booth or table in public, a sit-down restaurant card might be nice.
These cards give the caregiver a chance to get out of the house, a night off from cooking, and a night away from KP duty.
But something like Subway or Panera might work better for people who have trouble getting out. Food that is fast and can be delivered or easy to pick up and bring home may be most appreciated.
And, of course, it might be fun for them to go out just for a treat. Ice cream, coffee, or even a donut might be a perfect gift!
Visa cards, grocery store cards, or debit cards are helpful because they are practical and useful. It’s fun to splurge on a steak or something extra occasionally.
Family caregivers spend so much money on medications, doctor bills, treatments, therapies, etc., that gift cards for everyday things help and can be used for something fun once in a while.
Finally, my dad stated gift cards to home improvement stores were extremely helpful. “Something always needs fixing, so I’m bound to use it sooner or later.”
The Best Ideas for Male Caregivers are the Ones that Show You Care About Them
As I was talking longer to my dad about all of this, he eventually said:
It’s the personal visits & phone calls that help the most. It can get lonely and we aren’t getting out like we used to do.
A simple trip to the grocery store or gas station used to mean you’d to run into old friends where you just stand and talk for 30 minutes to get caught up on things.
But, those trips aren’t simple anymore, so they are fewer and farther between. So, a short and simple visit to the house or a phone call is always welcome. In fact it’s a treasure.
Remember, the best ideas for male caregivers don’t have to be super flashy or trendy.
They don’t have to be expensive.
Combining practical and fun ideas can make a male caregiver’s day—and life—a little easier.
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Post originally published October 22, 2019
Be sure to grab your FREE Self-care Starter Guide! Lisa Kimrey is a 33-year veteran registered nurse (RN), speaker, and author of the Bible study, The Self-care Impact: Motivation and Inspiration for Wellness. At Mylifenurse, Lisa combines her nursing expertise with Scripture-based encouragement to show readers who serve and care for others how to begin and maintain their self-care journey – without feeling guilty or overwhelmed – to feel happy, healthy, and rejuvenated.