Published Thursday, December 19, 2002
gifts that
are practical
Herald Staff Writer
Steve Kapsa, 92, of Hermitage, has three shirts still in their packaging stacked up in his house. The shirts were past Christmas gifts that he hasn't used. "At my age, don't send me anything," he said. "I eat out. I don't eat at home. I'm a widower. Gift certificates to a restaurant, that's a good thing."
He and other senior citizens filled out their holiday wish lists recently at the Shenango Valley Senior Community Center in Hermitage, and the emphasis was on the practical needs they have, not baubles and bric-a-brac.
Said Bettie Ardman, 66, of Farrell, "My mother (who is 84) is very hard to buy for. If she needs something, she runs right out and gets her own. Then there's nothing to get for her. Older people can be hard to buy for. They are set in their ways and know what they like."
One of the top items on their wish list is gift certificates, but not just to restaurants.
They also included gift certificates to grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, beauty shops, retail stores and theaters.
"Because they are practical" was the reason Mrs. Ardman gave for the purchase of gift certificates for senior citizens. "Everyone likes to go out to eat. Everyone likes to go out and shop. They wouldn't buy (gift certificates) for themselves. (With certificates) they could do things they'd really enjoy."
There was also a lot of emphasis on doing things for senior citizens.
"There are a lot of things that seniors can't do for themselves, so if someone volunteers their time to do a service for them, it helps," said Christine James, 73, of Wheatland. "Then they also have the company of the person, and that is important for them."
Some of those gifts include: paid yard service or maid service once a month, a paid spring or fall cleanup, a personal escort to church or to stores, invitations to dinner, a visit or phone call to make sure they are OK, and sending cards regularly.
"I thought I could survive by myself when my husband passed, but by six months I was climbing the walls," Mrs. James said. "So it's nice to have someone come. Then you can handle the rest of the day."
Practical gift items include: favorite toiletries, basic first-aid supplies, a flashlight and batteries, a smoke detector (including installation, one senior added), flowers or potted plants, stationery and stamps, and large supplies of paper products such as tissues and toilet paper.
"'Reader's Digests' are also a good idea because there's a lot of good reading ... and also umbrellas," Mrs. Ardman said.
Other gifts on the list included magazine and newspaper subscriptions.
One senior said don't totally discount some of the popular gifts that are out on the market each holiday season.
"Sometimes it's nice to have a novelty that you wouldn't spend your money for," Mrs. James said. "When someone else buys it for you, you feel justified for it."
But the most important thing that many of the seniors said is: just ask.
"They don't ask me," Kapsa said. "I got these shirts stacked up. I don't wear them."
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Sherris Moreira-Byers at sbyers@sharonherald.com