My dad had a serious stroke about 5 years ago. Thankfully we had long-term care insurance, so he’s in a good place. However, he’s very hard to shop for since all he really does now is sleep and eat and watch TV. He can talk fine, memory’s a bit hazy and his timesense is off understandably. I just don’t have the slightest idea what to buy him for birthday/Christmas. Any suggestions?
Netflix?
I’m very sorry to hear about your father, but it’s good to hear that he is doing well and has people that love him.
I spent months contemplating what to get my perfectly healthy dad, so I can imagine how difficult it might seem. My dad likes technology, so I got him a digital photo frame from Kodak that I’m going to load up with pictures.
While reading your OP, I thought of the gift I just bought for my dad. Since his memory is hazy, it might be nice for him to have something loaded up with 2 gigs of ever-changing pictures- maybe it will jog his memory, even for a second. Plus, the whole technology side of it is pretty interesting.
Would that new game, BrainAge, work for him? It might help in his recovery?
You mentioned timesense. I just bought one of these scoreboard clocks for my husband. They look like a scoreboard, and show the temperature as well as the time. If your dad has a favorite team, maybe he’d like this.
It makes checking the date and time a bit more fun.
Edit to add that these can be found for less than $80, if you shop around. This site just had the best looking page.
Thing is, it’s like the stroke kinda burned out the part of him that made his want to do anything. You take him to recovery, and sure he’d do what they said, but he didn’t do it on his own, and he didn’t suggest what he wanted to do, either to recover or just for fun. It’s the worst part, really: here’s a man who became the State Secretary of Revenue without having graduated from college, and now he’s pretty much given up.
Sorry, didn’t mean to rant. He’s not gonna get any better, but the photo frame IS a good idea. Thanks. He’s a big Steelers fan, but the Patriots ruined his birthday this year :mad: 
. I’d almost get him a bib, but that would be embarassing, even though he could use it.
This may be off base and completely from left field from what you are looking for… though have you thought about a letter? It may sound stupid, I dunno… Though with my father getting older and where he and I haven’t always seen eye to eye (and the lack of funds to buy him something… ) I am planning on writing him a letter of how I have come to respect him in alot of ways. And maybe a photo book of him growing up, getting married, becoming a father…
I know to most it sounds corny, but just an idea… if you hate it… just ignore me… LOL
How much is your budget and/or can you get some family members to go in on a gift with you?
My dad - who has NOT had a stroke but is retired - sits around and watches TV all day. That’s his “thing”…whatever.
As soon as he heard about “those huge screen TVs you can just hang on your wall” he was all about those. We urged him to chill on the prospect for a while until the technology straightened itself out and they came down in price.
Well, he finally got one for his birthday this year. 42" LCD. He loves it to pieces. And I tell you what - while I am marveling at the glory that is DiscoveryHD, he keeps telling his friends and relatives how wonderful the TV is because he can finally read the sports scores, finally read the CNN ticker, and finally read the movie descriptions.
Someday, he might notice how kickass CBSHD is for Browns games too.
A big honkin’ TV. That’s all an old man who does nothing but watch TV all day needs.
Sorry, I’m not always able to get to the Dope when I want.
A letter might be a good idea. I can write, so I’ll consider whomping something up. Him growing up in a phone album would be amusing, but it would take a lot of work to get the pictures, since my mom wasn’t his first wife I coudl do it for Christmas though.
A television would be fine provided the people in the nursing home don’t mind us installing it. Again, it would be a good Christmas present. Thanks for the suggestions, ya’ll.
Ix-nay on the eevee-tay. Every nursing home I’ve ever known discourages it because of theft.
My FIL was a different guy after his stroke. We ended up giving him things like ball caps and that sort of thing. It was very difficult to buy for him. 