<p>I am going to with friends to Cape Cod. we are staying 2 nights at one of my friend grandfather’s house. I think we should bring some kind of gift but I don’t know what. we get there late on Saturday night and leave early Monday morning. I think we won’t be there for meals except maybe breakfast so we will bring breakfast foods and snacks. We will wash the sheets and towels before we go and we will be really quiet when we are there. Her grandfather is elderly and she says there isn’t anything he needs. Help parents :-)</p>
<p>Does he like sweets? Maybe a pie, cake, or cookies from a bakery?
Or, if he drinks wine, a bottle of wine?</p>
<p>Those are usually my go to host gifts. </p>
<p>Have fun in Cape Cod!</p>
<p>Can you perhaps take him out to eat breakfast instead of eating in?</p>
<p>Are there local food products you could bring? I like to bring VT maple syrup, pancake mix, VT chocolates, cheeses, etc.</p>
<p>A potted plant for folks with dietary issues might work; I often give potted orchids.</p>
<p>Sorry HImom. I do not agree. A potted plant takes work. I am not sure that would be good for an elderly person unless it was something they loved. </p>
<p>Something that can be consumed quickly or will have to be thrown away is a better idea IMO. Food, flowers, lottery tickets, haha.</p>
<p>I think its easiest and best to ask the person who got the invitation for you to be there what the preferences of the host might be. I have given a gift card to a nearby supermarket, food, flowers. It depends a LOT on the individual you’re visiting, that presumably SOMEONE knows pretty well for you to have gotten this invitation. Ask about likes, dislikes, any allergies or food restrictions, etc. That should give you a better basis for purchasing something thoughtful that can be enjoyed by your host.</p>
<p>Agree that consumables are the best gift for older person. Check with your friend to See what he likes. Bringing something homemade is always thoughtful. If he doesn’t have a sweet tooth, maybe make some dinners that he can put in the freezer and pop in ,icrowave.</p>
<p>Check his refrigerator or pantry (discreetly) the first time you eat there. Notice the type of milk, juice, cereal, coffee or tea he has in place already. On Sunday evening, stop in to a grocery store and resupply some of it. If it’s refrigerated, put it in place and leave him a thank you note Monday morning that makes reference to it. This might save him a trip to the store later, which is sometimes hard for elderly folks.</p>
<p>Or ask him where in town he likes to go out to breakfast or lunch if he’s by himself. If it’s a Friendly’s, Denny’s or something you can afford, stop in and buy him a gift certificate equal to a meal out. He can use that someday on his own time.</p>
<p>If you’d rather buy something in advance, think of something related to the outdoors for an older gentleman to stay comfortable: umbrella, sunglasses, binoculars (bird-watching), sunscreen, very good quality socks from a hiking/sporting shop. </p>
<p>Above all, on Cape Cod, remember to hose the beach sand off your feet and sandals before you come back into his apartment! Usually there’s an outdoor hose for just that purpose.</p>
<p>If you think he’s got all he needs, you might try a one-time donation in his honor to a uniquely Cape Cod environmental cause, such as [Provincetown</a> Center for Coastal Studies](<a href=“http://www.coastalstudies.org%5DProvincetown”>http://www.coastalstudies.org) which documents whale activity to improve their protection. Make the donation and let him know (in the thank-you note you leave on Monday morning) that you sent them a donation “in his name.” That’s classy.</p>
<p>Do you live somewhere with a regional food specialty? If you can bring that, I think that would be a nice touch. Where are you traveling from?</p>
<p>Get him a gift card to a local restaurant (stop in on Saturday before heading to his place; have everyone chip in). It’s a nice treat for someone on a fixed income, and it can allow him to take a guest.</p>