Granny's Holiday Gift Guide 2022
You know what’s tough? Picking out a holiday gift that your Granny will love.
In years past, you gifted her with warm blankets, fuzzy robes, and herbal teas. But Granny needs TLC in another form: gifts to make her bathroom experience better!
And I’m not talking about a new moisturizer or soap! I’m talking about gifts that Granny will use with joy time after time after time!
Hang on to your seats and keep reading below to learn the best bathroom gifts to give your Granny and loved ones this holiday season!
Background
Here's a little bit of background on Granny’s Holiday Gift Guide:
I was a caregiver for my grandmother, who I lovingly referred to as “Granny”. I helped make changes to her bathroom so she could safely live at home.
There were many times Granny said, “Maria, I do not want to live in a nursing home”. I didn’t blame her for feeling that way because I've worked in them. They're terrible!
My experience as an occupational therapist and caregiver has shown me how important it is to make changes to the bathroom. So I created this yearly tradition of Granny's Holiday Gift Guide to give you some suggestions on what to gift your Granny and other family members to help them live safely and comfortably at home!
Are you ready to get started? Let's go ahead and talk about the first gift!
Alpha UX Pearl Bidet Seat
When I was a caregiver for my grandparents, I really really wish I knew about bidet seats. They’re incredible for helping people thoroughly clean their private parts with water!
I absolutely would’ve gotten a bidet seat for my grandmother, especially the Alpha UX Pearl. That's because the Alpha UX Pearl comes with a remote control to:
turn the water on and off
move the water nozzle
control the temperature of the water.
Now, when my grandmother was at the very end of her life, it was more difficult for her to thoroughly clean herself. She also had urinary tract infections caused by urinary incontinence.
If my grandmother had a bidet seat like the Alpha UX Pearl, the water would have helped thoroughly clean her bottom. She would have felt more comfortable and wouldn't have worried about smelling bad.
Heck, Granny probably would’ve had less urinary tract infections, too!
What's also great about the Alpha UX Pearl is its seat warmer and warm air dryer. Granny was always freezing cold! My grandparents kept their house at eighty-something degrees Fahrenheit year round! I know for a fact that she really would’ve liked this bidet seat to keep her warm.
The only downside to installing a fancy bidet seat like this is the need for a GFCI outlet next to the toilet. It’s absolutely worth the investment to call your friendly neighborhood electrician to install an outlet to avoid tripping over extension cords!
Bella Spa Teak Folding Shower Seat
What I love about this shower seat by Ponte Giulio is that it’s so chic and made of actual wood! It reminds me of spending a lovely afternoon at the spa.
On a practical level, folding shower seats are great in the bathroom, especially for older family members. Sitting while showering saves energy and helps prevent falls. We don't want Granny falling in the shower! Installing a beautiful shower seat for her to sit down will keep her safe.
Did I mention that Granny hates the cold? The wood retains heat better compared to sitting on hard, cold, ugly plastic shower seats.
Folding shower seats are very convenient for saving space in the shower. When Granny’s not using the shower, you can fold the seat up for extra space to move around in the shower. When Granny’s ready to shower, fold the seat down and she can just sit on down.
Relax, Granny!
Pro tip: Mount the shower seat close to the water controls. Granny will be able to sit down and easily turn the water off and on by herself.
Vinyl Coated Grab Bars
Ponte Giulio did it again! They created another product that I would’ve installed in Granny’s bathroom during my caregiver days.
First of all, grab bars are always a great idea to have in the bathroom. They keep you sturdy on your feet when you get in and out of the shower or on and off the toilet.
Vinyl coated grab bars are warm to the touch and give you a good, firm grip, like sneakers on a gym floor. Your hand won’t freeze or slide around even if the grab bar’s wet!
Ponte Giulio offers a whole collection of vinyl coated grab bars in various shapes and colors. You could install the vinyl coated grab bars in the shower or next to the toilet. Take a look at them here!
I installed stainless steel grab bars in my grandparent’s bathrooms, which did make them feel more secure when moving around. But I know the vinyl coating would’ve given them additional comfort and kept them feeling more warm and toasty.
Give your Granny that warmth of a vinyl coated grab bar!
Magnetic Shower System
Now I'm going to tell you, the magnetic shower system is the most unique shower system I've ever seen! That's because the handheld shower head on the shower system is magnetized.
The metal magnetized strip can be installed at any height on your shower wall with 3M stickers. Then you place the shower head up high or low on any part of the magnet strip.
The magnet is very strong, but it doesn’t stop you from easily putting down and picking up the shower head. The flexible hose makes it simple to spray and aim water wherever you want!
If you have a pacemaker, the manufacturer recommends checking in with your cardiologist to make sure that you’re okay to use this shower system. Most people should be okay to use this with no problem.
Overall, I love how customizable this shower system is with placement and ease of use. The shower head has an ergonomic bend that helps thoroughly rinse all your curves and crevices. My clients who have this system really enjoy it!
Pro tip: Consider installing the magnetic strip at a height you can easily reach when sitting down in the shower.
“Hard Time Wiping? Let’s Talk A-booty It!” Course
Oh, yes, indeed! Your family is going to love the “Hard Time Wiping? Let’s Talk A-booty It!” course!
This is a one hour online course that I created. It teaches you toilet techniques and four options to clean your booty easier!
My dear old Granny was one of the inspiration to making this course. When she and Grandpa were starting to have difficulty with wiping, I didn’t have resources available to help them! I didn’t know how to help!
This is a course that I wished was out there that could’ve given them options to clean up easier after using the toilet. I also wanted my grandparents to know that struggling to wipe is not just an “old person thing”! Injuries and illnesses can cause difficulty with wiping. Having a hard time wiping affects us all at some point in time, even yours truly!
My grandmother didn't really want to talk about any bathroom issues because that was just her generation. They kept those things to themselves because of feelings of shame or embarrassment. So having an online course that you can just go ahead and turn on for your family to watch at their convenience is such an easy way to go ahead and break that barrier.
I know for me, this this would have been a really awesome tool and I made it in the hopes that it will help you as well! Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Conclusion
Tell me in the comment section down below, what are you getting Granny for this holiday season? Did you find this list helpful? If so, please share it with a friend or family member!
I want to thank you so much for reading this blog post! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year!