Christmas Gifts for People with Dementia

Christmas is a time for celebration, and for spending time with the people we love most. Yet, many older people, including people living with dementia, may feel left out at Christmas.

One million older people in the UK feel more isolated at Christmas than at any other time of year. On Christmas Day itself, 670,000 won't see or speak to anyone at all, according to Age UK's Christmas 2025 research.

A person with dementia can feel left out even in a house full of family. Noisy rooms, new faces, and changes to their daily routine can make it harder for them to join in the celebrations. A thoughtful present can give them something to enjoy at their own pace, however the rest of the day goes.

This guide shares our favourite Christmas gifts for each stage of dementia. It also has gift ideas under £20, tips on buying for someone in a care home, and gift ideas for carers. You can use this guide if you're living with dementia yourself, to choose your own gift or to show your family what you'd like. You can see all our Christmas favourites in one place in our dementia gifts collection.

Christmas Gifts for People with Dementia at a glance

Christmas gifts for dementia according to stage

Some gifts bring joy at every stage of dementia. They're a safe choice if you're not sure which stage your loved one is at. People with dementia can enjoy music and family photos at every stage. A dementia-friendly radio makes it easy for them to listen to music, and a digital photo frame makes it easy for them to see family photos.

Our Find Your Stage quiz can help you work out which stage your loved one is at. It has nine questions and takes a couple of minutes.

We've listed the full price for each gift. Some gifts also have a lower price with VAT relief. This means people with dementia or a disability don't pay VAT on the gift. 

If you would like your loved one to choose their own gift, click here to buy the Relish E-Gift Card. It arrives by email, starts at £20, and can be used for 12 months.

Relish Radio and Music Player

Best for: Anyone who feels happier with music playing.

Our Relish Radio and Music Player is a radio made for people with dementia. It has three large buttons for their favourite radio stations, and one button for their own songs on a USB stick. You can write the name of each station on the label next to the buttons. The tuning buttons are hidden behind a panel on the back, so nobody can change the stations by mistake. Alzheimer's Society chose the radio for its own Christmas gift guide, and called it "guaranteed to get the feet tapping and hands clapping this Christmas".

Why it works

• Someone with dementia can use the Relish Radio to play songs they know and love. These songs can bring back happy memories.

• The Relish Radio has big, simple buttons, so they can turn on their music by themselves.

• The volume on the Relish Radio never goes down to silent, so they always know when the radio is on.

Stage: All Stages.  Price: £149.99 (£124.99 with VAT relief) · View the Relish Radio and Music Player

Digital Photo Frame

Best for: Families who live far apart, or who can't be together at Christmas.

Our Digital Photo Frame is a photo frame with a 10-inch screen that shows family photos and videos. Family members send photos to the frame from their phones, using the free Frameo app. The frame needs Wi-Fi. Once it's connected, your loved one doesn't have to do anything. On Christmas morning, the family can send photos of the grandchildren opening their presents. Your loved one sees them on the frame the same morning, even from miles away.

Why it works

• The Digital Photo Frame shows photos of family all day. Seeing these photos helps someone with dementia feel close to the people they love.

• New photos appear on the frame by themselves, so someone with dementia doesn't have to learn or remember anything.

• You can look at the photos on the frame together, and talk about the people and places in them.

Stage: All Stages.  Price: £79.99 · View the Digital Photo Frame

Christmas Gifts for early-stage dementia

People in the early stage of dementia often still enjoy a challenge, and like to do things for themselves. A good gift for this stage gives them a real challenge, like a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle. A gift that helps them remember their own daily tasks is a good choice too.

You can find more gift ideas in our early-stage dementia collection.

Day Hub

Best for: Someone who lives in their own home and would like help remembering what to do each day.

The Day Hub reminder clock is a clock that reminds someone what to do during the day. It shows the time, the day, the date, and whether it's morning, afternoon, evening, or night. You can add up to 10 reminders, such as "eat breakfast" or "take medicine". The clock flashes and makes a sound when it's time for each task. This is a big help at Christmas, when late nights and visitors can change the usual routine.

Why it works

• The Day Hub shows the day, the date, and the time in clear writing. This helps someone with dementia know what day and time it is.

• The Day Hub reminds them when it's time to do something, like eating lunch or taking medicine. This helps them do daily tasks without someone else reminding them.

• The Day Hub shows a tick next to each task they've done. Seeing the ticks helps them feel calm and in control of their day.

Stage: Early.  Price: £179.99 (£149.99 with VAT relief) · View the Day Hub Dementia Reminder Clock

Farm Life puzzle

Best for: Someone who enjoys a long, relaxing puzzle after Christmas lunch.

Farm Life is a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle with a colourful picture of a farm. It's the largest size of puzzle we make. Each piece is about 3.5cm wide, and the finished picture is 37.5cm wide and 30cm tall. Your loved one can do the puzzle on their own, or with a grandchild at the kitchen table. The farm picture can also get them talking about their own memories of the countryside.

Why it works

• The Farm Life puzzle has big, sturdy pieces. Someone with dementia can pick them up and fit them together easily.

• The farm picture is bright and clear. This makes it easier for them to see where each piece goes.

• They feel proud of what they've done when they finish the puzzle.

Stage: Early. Price: £17.99 (£14.99 with VAT relief) · View the Farm Life Jigsaw Puzzle

If you want game ideas you can try during the Christmas celebration, our guide to the best dementia games for every stage covers activities you can play with your loved one with dementia, and the entire family as well. 

Christmas Gifts for early-mid stage dementia

Long or difficult activities can become tiring in the early-mid stage of dementia. A good gift for this stage is a shorter activity that someone can finish in one go. A 35-piece jigsaw puzzle, a marble maze, and a painting set that only needs water are all good choices.

You can find more gifts like these in our early-mid stage dementia collection.

Circuit Maze

Best for: People who like to solve puzzles with their hands.

Circuit Maze is a wooden board with a maze inside it, and a marble that rolls along the paths. Your loved one holds the board in both hands and tilts it to move the marble through the maze. There are several paths, so they can try a new one each time. The board is light and easy to pass around the table, so the whole family can take turns on Boxing Day.

Why it works

• Someone with dementia only has to tilt the Circuit Maze to move the marble. There are no rules to learn or remember.

• The marble is a different colour from the board, so it's easy for them to see and follow.

• Moving the marble through the maze keeps their hands and mind busy. They feel they've achieved something each time they finish a path.

Stage: Early-Mid.  Price: £22.99 (£19.16 with VAT relief) · View the Circuit Maze

Seaside Nostalgia puzzle

Best for: Anyone with happy memories of days by the sea.

Seaside Nostalgia is a 35-piece jigsaw puzzle with a picture of an old-fashioned day at the beach. Your loved one can build the puzzle inside its box. This means they can move it from the table to a tray on their lap without losing any pieces. It's short enough to finish before the King's Speech on Christmas afternoon.

Why it works

• The Seaside Nostalgia puzzle has only 35 pieces, so someone with dementia can finish it in one go.

• The pieces are large, so they're easy for them to pick up and put in place.

• The seaside picture can remind them of their own holidays. The puzzle comes with questions you can ask to get them talking about those memories.

Stage: Early-Mid · Price: £17.99 (£14.99 with VAT relief) · View the Seaside Nostalgia Jigsaw Puzzle

Magnificent Birds Aquapaint

Best for: People who enjoy painting and being creative.

Magnificent Birds is a painting set that uses water instead of paint. It has five sheets, and each one has a hidden picture of a bird. Your loved one brushes water over a sheet, and the colourful bird appears. There's no paint, so there's no mess. The set doesn't come with a paintbrush, so you'll need to add one.

Why it works

• Someone with dementia only has to brush water over a Magnificent Birds sheet to make a colourful bird appear.

• They can't get it wrong, because the picture is already there. This helps them feel proud of what they've painted.

• The picture fades when the sheet dries, so they can paint the same sheet again and again.

Stage: Early-Mid · Price: £19.99 (£16.66 with VAT relief) · View the Magnificent Birds Aquapaint

Christmas Gifts for mid-late and late stage dementia

Activities with steps or rules can become too hard in the mid-late and late stages of dementia. A good gift for these stages is something your loved one can simply hold and touch to feel calm. Two of our favourites are a soft toy to turn in the hands, and a cushion that moves like slow, calm breathing.

You can find more calming gifts in our mid-late stage dementia collection.

And our late-stage dementia collection has gifts that bring comfort in the late stage.

Tactile Turn

Best for: People who like to keep their hands busy.

Tactile Turn is a soft toy for the hands, often called a fidget toy. Your loved one holds it and turns it over and over. It's made from three different fabrics in bright yellow and blue. Holding and turning it can help them feel calm when the house is noisy and full of visitors. It can also make it easier for them to stay at the table with the family.

Why it works

• The Tactile Turn gives someone with dementia something soft to hold and turn. Keeping their hands busy can help them feel calm.

• There's no right or wrong way to use the Tactile Turn, so they can't make a mistake.

• Each fabric on the Tactile Turn feels different, and the bright colours are easy for them to see.

Stage: Mid-Late · Price: £24.99 (£20.82 with VAT relief) · View the Tactile Turn

Fufuly Calming Cushion

Best for: Someone who needs help to feel calm when the house is noisy.

The Fufuly Calming Cushion is a soft cushion that moves gently in and out, like slow, calm breathing. Your loved one holds the cushion against their body and feels it move. On Christmas afternoon, they can sit with it in a quiet corner when they need a rest from the noise.

Why it works

• The Fufuly Calming Cushion moves in and out slowly, like calm breathing. Someone with dementia who hugs it can start to breathe slowly too.

• Breathing slowly can help them feel calm when they're worried or upset.

• The cushion is soft to hug and makes very little noise, so it can also help them settle at bedtime.

Stage: Mid-Late and Late · Price: £199.99 (£166.66 with VAT relief) · View the Fufuly Calming Cushion

Christmas Gifts under £20

You can buy a thoughtful gift for someone with dementia for under £20. Three gifts in this guide cost less than £20 at full price, and one more costs less than £20 with VAT relief. Your loved one can use each of these gifts again and again.

Here are the four gifts and their prices:

• Farm Life puzzle: £17.99 (£14.99 with VAT relief)

• Seaside Nostalgia puzzle: £17.99 (£14.99 with VAT relief)

• Magnificent Birds Aquapaint: £19.99 (£16.66 with VAT relief)

• Circuit Maze: £19.16 with VAT relief (£22.99 full price)

Would you like to give a bigger gift? The Independence at Home Pack includes both the Day Hub and the Relish Radio and Music Player. The pack costs £279.99 (£233.33 with VAT relief). This is 15% less than buying the two gifts separately.

Christmas gift ideas for someone in a care home

A good gift for someone in a care home is small, sturdy and ready to use. Keep these pointers in mind:

• Consider the space: Care home rooms are often compact, and some are shared, so there isn't much space to store things.

• Choose something ready to use: Your loved one can enjoy it straight away, with nothing to set up.

• Check before buying anything that plugs in: Ask the staff first, as the care home may need to check electrical items.

• Label every gift: Write your loved one's name on each one so it doesn't get lost or mixed up with other people's things.

Three gifts from this guide work especially well in a care home:

• Digital Photo Frame: family can send photos from anywhere, as long as the care home has Wi-Fi.

• Relish Radio and Music Player: set it to your loved one's favourite stations before you give it to them.

• Seaside Nostalgia puzzle: it's built inside its box, so it's easy to put away and take out again.

Christmas gift ideas for dementia carers

The best Christmas gift for someone who cares for a person with dementia is often your time or your help. Carers are very busy at Christmas! They plan the meals, look after visitors, and keep their loved one's routine steady. An afternoon off, or a meal cooked by someone else, can mean more to a carer than a wrapped present.

You could offer to stay with the person with dementia for a few hours, so the carer can rest. You could also give the carer a voucher for something they enjoy, like a massage, a trip to the cinema, or lunch out. A gift like this shows the carer that you see how much they do.

You can also help the carer on Christmas Day itself. Our tips for planning a Christmas Day for people with dementia explain how to set up a quiet room, put up decorations a little at a time, and keep the day simple.

How to choose a Christmas gift for people with dementia

The best way to choose a Christmas gift for someone with dementia is to think about the person first. Choose a gift that matches what they can do and enjoy today, and that links to something they've always loved. Make sure the gift is easy to use and easy to open.

About 982,000 people live with dementia in the UK, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Dementia affects each of them differently, so the right gift is different for each person.

These questions can help you choose:

• What can they do and enjoy today? Choose a gift that matches this. Our Find Your Stage quiz can help if you're not sure.

• What have they always loved? Someone who has always loved gardening, birds, or music will enjoy a gift that links to that hobby.

• Do they already have everything? Choose something you can do together. You could finish a puzzle over a cup of tea, or listen to songs from when they were young.

• Is it simple to use? Avoid gifts that break easily, have small parts, or need many steps to use.

• Is it easy to open? Put the gift in a gift bag, or wrap it loosely, so they can open it quickly and easily.

Christmas gifts for people with dementia frequently asked questions 

What is the best Christmas gift for someone with dementia?

The best gifts are ones your loved one can use as soon as they open them. Set the gift up before Christmas Day. You could add family photos to a photo frame, set a radio to their favourite station, or sort the puzzle pieces into the box lid. Then your loved one can enjoy the gift straight away, with no waiting while someone sets it up.

What do people with dementia need most?

They most need to feel connected to the people around them. They also need to feel useful, comfortable, and included. You can help at Christmas by giving them a quiet place to rest and keeping to their usual routine. You can also ask for their opinion and give them a job to do, such as stirring the gravy or choosing the music.

What are good gifts for someone in a care home with dementia?

Small, personal gifts are best, because they make a care home room feel more like home. Good examples are their favourite hand cream, a soft cardigan in a colour they love, or family photos in a frame. Gifts that get used up, like hand cream, are a good choice because they don't take up space for long. A regular visit from you can be the best gift of all. Agree on a day, and write it on their calendar so they can look forward to it.

Find the gift that fits their stage

The best Christmas gifts for people with dementia are ones they can enjoy long after Christmas is over. Your loved one can still use a radio, a puzzle, or a photo frame in January, when the visitors have gone home, and the house is quiet again.

You can see all our gifts in our dementia gifts collection.

Not sure where to start? Take our Find Your Stage quiz. It shows you gifts that match what your loved one can do and enjoy today.