Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice or another holiday, religious or not, December is a month of gift-giving.

“Regardless of cultural or religious background, there’s a common acknowledgment in North America that December is a month to give gifts to celebrate the year that is ending,” says Lew Bayer, an etiquette consultant with In Good Company in Winnipeg.

Family and friends will be on your gift list, and you’ll no doubt want to include your favourite clients. But what do you give older clients, some of whom seem to have everything they need?

“Older people have amassed a lot of stuff over the years,” says Tina Short, a gift consultant with Memorable Gifts in Nepean, Ont. “The problem is where to put things, especially if they are downsizing.”

She recommends “experience gifts,” such as gift certificates to favourite restaurants or tickets to the theatre, symphony or art exhibitions. For those less mobile, she suggests high-end food baskets: “Older people like to be doing things and experiencing new things, even if it’s in their homes.”

For a client living in a seniors’ residence, Floyd Murphy, a financial planner and president of The Nakamum Group in Vancouver, suggests creating an experience.

“Ask your local Arthur Murray studio to put on a ballroom dancing demonstration in your client’s honour that the entire group can enjoy,” he says. “Or hire musicians to perform.”

Donations to a charity in the client’s name can also be a thoughtful gift. “There’s a trend toward giving donations in lieu of gifts,” says Donna Ritch, president of Change of Season, a Whitby, Ont.-based consultancy for people and companies working with the elderly. “And donations are especially meaningful if the client has a favourite charity.”

But most people like to open a nicely wrapped present, and well-chosen gifts are always welcome. The type of gift depends on how well you know your client and the depth of the client/advisor relationship, Murphy says.

A gift of a shirt or a sweater may be just the thing for an older man who’s living on his own, he adds. “Many older men hate clothing shopping, find it stressful and don’t replenish their wardrobes. If you take the time to buy a gift of clothing, it will be much appreciated.”

Ritch says a plant may be the perfect gift for an elderly person living alone. “It gives that person something to care for,” she says.

Gift cards allow the mobile senior to pick his or her own gift, and cards are available at most major retailers, including the large department-store and grocery chains.
Retirement educator Barry LaValley, who runs the Retirement Lifestyle Centre in Nanaimo, B.C., suggests gift cards from coffee shops, such as Tim Hortons or Starbucks, for the senior who likes meeting friends for coffee.

Ritch suggests applying for an Air Miles card (www.airmiles.ca) in the client’s name can be a thoughtful gesture, allowing the senior to accumulate points at affiliated retailers. “Even well-off seniors tend to be thrifty,” she says. “Most like the idea of collecting points for rewards.”

Advisors who have been discussing home safety with their clients may consider having grab bars installed in a client’s bathroom or suggesting this to the client’s adult children. Another good idea is a cordless phone, which puts a telephone at hand. Then the elderly client does not have to run to answer calls.

And gift cards for Shoppers Home Health Care stores (there are outlets in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) or other health-care stores will allow clients to select ergonomic products such as pillows and chairs, and assistive devices.

Karen Henderson’s Long-Term Care Planner is another possibility. Henderson, who runs the Caregiver Network in Toronto, has designed a 41-page planner to keep track of care details. The book has pages for social and family information; dietary habits, allergies and preferences; medical history; end-of-life wishes and directives; a document checklist; insurance details; and a budget worksheet. It’s $30 plus GST and $10 postage; cheques payable to Caregiver Network should be sent to 2 Oaklawn Gardens, Toronto, Ont., M4V 2C6.

Many small things make thoughtful gifts, Ritch notes. “A subscription to CARP’s 50Plus magazine will provide good reading on seniors’ rights issues, travel and health,” she says. “A box of quality cards or paper is another possibility. People over 65 still send thank-you notes. Consider, too, a new address book with large pages; older people
have lost a lot of friends and it might be a good idea for them to start a new book.”

@page_break@LaValley cautions about giving trinkets to seniors. “Some older people think the price of the gift reflects the value the advisor places on them,” he says. Again, it comes down to knowing your client.

Advisors who want to make a grand gesture for a special client might provide a year’s worth of home-cleaning services, says Barbara Carter, a seniors’ housing consultant in Toronto. At $80 a day once a month for a year, a gift of this kind will cost an advisor almost $1,000.

Another lavish gift is arranging for fresh flowers to be delivered to the client once a month, starting in December. “It will certainly keep you in that person’s mind,” Bayer says.

She suggests sending a client out for a dinner for two or four as another impressive gesture. “Call the restaurant and leave your credit card number. Or arrange for a caterer to hold a small dinner party in the client’s home.”

Driving is often an issue for seniors, Carter notes: “Why not send a client Christmas shopping in a limousine? Older people are often afraid to go downtown — afraid of the traffic, afraid of falling in the subway or getting onto buses. And if your client is going on a trip, send him or her to the airport in a limousine with a bottle of champagne. Call a limousine company to make arrangements.”

Give older clients the gift of your time, urges Anne Sowden, an etiquette consultant with Here’s Looking at You in Toronto. “An elderly man or woman, especially someone living alone, will enjoy being picked up and taken out to a nice restaurant for lunch, and delivered back home.”

“Don’t just give opera tickets; take seniors to the opera,” Murphy adds. “Your client will appreciate your time and company. And never talk business; these are strictly social occasions.”

Show clients you’ve been listening to them, Bayer says. “If Bertha collects teacups, buy her a lovely cup and saucer. If she has a grandchild she adores, get tickets to a children’s show or The Nutcracker. Or give her grooming products for a beloved pet.”

Books are usually welcomed by retired people. “Advisors are seen as educators today,” LaValley says. “Give a gift that furthers a client’s interests: a golf book for a golfer, a health book for a health or fitness nut. But not books on finance.”

Advisors may think that, once they start giving holiday gifts, they’ll have to continue every year, but Murphy disagrees. “I’ve never felt I have to do it every year,” he says.

“At Christmas, I tend to give to clients who have no one else in their lives. With the others, I tend to stay away from Christmas, birthdays or Mother’s or Father’s Day. When you’re alone, there are many empty days between these events.” IE