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3 great gifts to buy seniors this holiday season

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There are multiple practical gifts you can buy the senior in your life this holiday season. Getty Images

With the first day of Hanukkah here and Christmas right around the corner, millions of Americans find themselves on the hunt for the perfect holiday gift for their loved ones. While this can be a challenging ordeal, it doesn't necessarily have to be. Some outside-of-the-box thinking, particularly for seniors and the older adults in your life, can help. 

With this approach, you may forego some of the more glamorous gift ideas for the more practical and useful ones. But that doesn't mean that they're still not thoughtful and helpful. In fact, there are multiple great gift ideas for seniors this holiday season, some of which you may not have thought of until now.

Start by reviewing some gold investing ideas here to learn more.

3 great gifts to buy seniors this holiday season

Gold

Sure, you may have already thought about buying a gold bracelet or necklace, or even gold bars and coins, but there are multiple other ways to get started with gold, too. This ranges from gold IRAs and ETFs with an eye toward retirement to gold stocks and futures. You can buy as little or as much gold as you think the senior in your life would like and you can do so from the comfort of your own home by using an online gold dealer now. 

There are multiple reasons why gold investing has increased this year, from the hedge it can provide against inflation to its larger liquidity and ability to diversify one's portfolio. Why not pass those benefits on to a family member or friend? For all these reasons and more, the shiny, precious metal could be just what the senior in your life needs this holiday season.

Learn more about your gold options now.

Medical alerts

Medical alerts are a great way to protect older adults. By purchasing a plan, the senior in your life will get an easy-to-use wearable device that they can keep handy in case of a slip, fall or accident while at home. There are even devices that they can take with them on the go, allowing them to maintain an independent lifestyle while still having the professional backup service they may require at any moment. 

And they're not especially expensive, with monthly monitoring services around $20 to $30 per month (not including the one-time installation fee). Just be sure to do your research and shop around to find the best price and coverage.

Get started with a medical alert system here today.

Life insurance

Did you know that you could gift a life insurance policy? It could be worth exploring for the senior in your life. After all, life insurance doesn't have to be something you just set and forget. It has multiple benefits for seniors, from functioning as a nest egg for their beneficiaries to being able to cover end-of-life expenses to even serving as another income source to use while alive, depending on the policy type. You can even buy a no-exam life insurance policy for the senior in your life who doesn't want to be bothered going to the doctor first. And it doesn't need to be expensive (depending on the insured's profile it could cost less than $100 a month).

Start by getting a free life insurance price quote to learn more.

The bottom line

The days of pondering prospective gift ideas for family members and friends are over now that the holidays are in full swing. It's time to get moving. For the seniors and older adults in your life, some unconventional thinking could be just what they need. By investing in gold, setting up a medical alert system or purchasing a life insurance policy, you'll be able to give a gift to the senior in your life now that could provide benefits for months and years to come. 

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