Perfect Gifts for Your Tech Challenged Loved Ones

It’s never easy trying to pick the perfect gift. In our modern society, more and more gifts are centered around technological devices. While many users enjoy these additions to their lives, for others, the learning curve connected to a new device can make the gift extremely intimidating. This is especially true for aging parents and grandparents who aren’t particularly tech savvy.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy tech gifts for those loved ones. However, it is important that you try and find products that are simple to set up and to use. To help you in your selection, here are some of our favorite gifts for parents and grandparents.

iPads: This all-in-one device is in many ways tailored for seniors. Not only are iPads more portable than a laptop and easier to view than a smartphone, but the touch screen tends to be easier to use than a mouse or keyboard. iPads also come ready to use. All you have to do is sign in and answer the setup questions. iPads allow your parent or grandparent to take pictures of their kids, video conference with their family, connect to their social media accounts, and catch up with their favorite books, movies, and television. They can even get apps to help them manage their medication!

iRobot Roomba: For a parent who hates to clean, the iRobot Roomba is the perfect gift. The Roomba quietly travels around your house sucking up dirt, crumbs, and pet hair off your carpet, hardwood, tile, and laminate floors. All they have to do is charge the Roomba up, turn it on, and then let it loose in their home. It will do all the cleaning while your parents are off enjoying themselves.

WeMo Crock Pot: The Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo is a great gift idea. It functions similar to a traditional crock pot with one major difference: it is controlled by a mobile device. The crockpot connects to your parents' home Wi-Fi, which allows them to control the settings. Out longer than they thought? They can use their phone to turn the temperature to low or even turn it off! This way your parents never have to worry about overcooking their favorite recipes.

StickNfind: Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of aging is that it can become harder to remember where you have placed things. If you have a loved one who is suffering from memory lapses, the StickNfind is the perfect gift. The StickNfind is a little Bluetooth device that can be attached to anything. Once they attach the StickNfind to an item (such as a keys or glasses), they then sync the finder with the (free) app on their phone or tablet. The next time your loved one can’t remember where he has placed the item, simply pull up the app and the on screen radar map will direct him to the lost item. They can even have the app page the StickNFind, which will then beep and glow. This item is a must-have for anyone who is tired of wasting time looking for the same items over and over again.

Whenever you give a tech item to someones who is less tech-savvy, make sure you supplement the gift with the time needed to get them set up as well as the time to teach them how to use it. They will not only appreciate the ways that the gift enriches their lives, they will love the feeling of confidence that comes when they know how to use them.