Best Gifts for Rheumatoid Arthritis 2019 Edition

If you have a loved one with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), you have probably noticed that it comes with its own set of challenges.  Aching joints, exhaustion, and physical limitations are likely to rule their lives.  Give them the gift of relief this year!  We polled 100’s of RA patients to find out what they wish for this year.  Here’s what they asked for!  At the top of the list, by a landslide were gifts for staying warm and toasty, with electric blankets being the number one top requested item!  Read on to find out what else your arthritic loved one would be overjoyed to unwrap this year!

Gifts for Staying Warm and Toasty

Whether the goal is to warm up aching arthritic joints or to keep them warm and toasty, these gifts are sure to give the arthritis sufferers on your Christmas list some cozy relief. The top choice, by a landslide is an electric blanket or wrap, it seems everyone finds relief from aching joints in a toasty blanket.  Not surprising, they also had a load of other ideas for gifts to keep those joints warm and happy, including heating pads, heated seat covers, heated writs wraps, hand warmers…if it provides warmth, they want it!  Also on the list of things they want to stay warm and toasty this year are cozy bathrobes and fuzzy pajama pants, warm socks, and finger-less gloves like these beauties from LoveMeKnotLAM.  RA patients additionally asked for warm shawls and wraps to eliminate the struggle to get into a coat, as well as lightweight warm blankets for sleeping and lounging.  Looking for toasty stocking stuffers?  How about a pair of heated gloves or a few packages of Hot hands– used by hunters and outdoors-men for decades to keep hands warm in freezing outdoor temps, hot hands are wonderful for keeping hands and feet toasty, they are also excellent for relieving aching hands and feet.  Portable and inexpensive, these are great to toss in stockings.

Gifts for Getting Things Done

The next, and by far largest category of gifts RA patients asked for were gifts for getting things done!  There is no doubt about it, RA makes everyday things like cleaning, cooking, and even personal grooming a challenge.  Help your arthritic friend or loved one out with some of these great gifts that make getting things done a little easier. 

Gifts for Getting things Done In the kitchen

If your loved one enjoys baking and cooking, a kitchen aid stand mixer is a must have!  This mighty stand mixer will make creating the baked goods they love to make so much easier.  It also has a wide array of attachments for doing all the other prep jobs in the kitchen.  Slicing veggies, grating cheese, grinding burger or sausage, you name it, there is a kitchen aid attachment to make it easier!  It is also the kitchen item most requested by RA patients polled. Another item that made the list many times is a quality blender for making smoothies, such as the Ninja.   Other items that made the list of gifts for getting things done in the kitchen are many little electric gadgets that do the work for you, such as electric can openers, wine openers, kettles, jar openers, knives, and pepper mills.  Low tech requests included jar openers, bottle openers, kitchen shears, and scissors, because getting into things is the number one struggle arthritis sufferers face in the kitchen!  Other items on the wish list include fat handled utensils, chunky or offset handled knives, and easy grip silverware to make meal prep and eating less of a challenge. Last but not least, grab them an oven stick, this handy little tool makes getting things in and out of the oven much safer and simpler and fits quite nicely in a stocking.

Gift for Getting Things Done Around the House

When it comes to getting things done around the house, RA warriors have a few ideas as well.  Things that made the list of items that would make cleaning less of a chore include standing dustpans, grabbers, step stools, and long handled brushes.  When it comes to cleaning floors, they ask for a lightweight vacuum or better yet one that will do it for them, a Roomba is one of the most requested items on the list.  Other helpful items for the house include doorknob helpers, remote control light switches, and grab bars.  Think your loved one needs to spend more time not doing things around the house?  Grab them a footrest, a book stand and a great book, don’t forget the chocolate!

Gifts for Grooming and Dressing

Some of the biggest challenges folks with RA face involve grooming and dressing.  Between hard to reach body parts and impossible to do up buttons and zippers, putting on clothes for the day can be the biggest challenge they face.  Make dressing less challenging for them with a dressing stick, a sock aid, or a long-handled shoehorn.  Ease grooming tasks with an electric toothbrush, fat handled hairbrush, or a lotion applicator and an adjustable back scratcher for those hard to reach body parts.  For easier bathing how about a shower chair, long handled shower brush, or really wow them with a walk-in tub!  Don’t forget to throw a few bath bombs and some Epsom salt in their stocking for those long soaks.

Want to let them know you think they are really special?  Give them the gift of pampering with a gift certificate for a mani-pedi , a  wash and style at their favorite salon, or a spa day! 

Gifts for Getting Out and About

Great Tech gifts

Living in a technology obsessed world with grouchy hands, aching necks, and other cranky body parts can be a challenge.  RA warriors had many ideas for items that make using tech more enjoyable.  On their wish list are easy grip device cases, a fat stylus, wireless chargers, hands free devices, and this handy tablet couch.  Other items that made the list are this pen mouse, an adjustable standing desk, and speech to text software. 

Give the Gift of Pain Relief

There is no doubt about it, the thing your loved one with RA deals with the most is pain!  Not the sort of pain you can pop a couple of Advil for, rheumatoid arthritis patients must turn to an arsenal of pain relief remedies to take the edges off their daily struggle.  No surprise, the RA patients we polled had a LOT of ideas for gifts that can help ease the pain!  They want wearable pain relief like these handy therapy mittens, copper bracelets, memory foam insoles, braces, and compression wear.  They asked for pain relief they can slather on or swallow. Requests included cbd oil, turmeric supplements, biofreeze, deep blue rub, essential oils, hemp cream, golden milk electuary,  and peppermint rub.  They also asked for gifts to soothe the pain with heat and massage such as hot/cold packs, heating pads, a hand spa, hot water bottle, rice pack, foot spa, foot massager, heated neck massager, massage chair, or a tens unit, Also on the list were items to relieve pain through movement like these therapy balls and therapy putty.  Want to really wow them?  How about a gift certificate for a spa day or a few massage sessions?  RA patients polled said either would be a heavenly gift.

Gifts that will Truly Wow them!

When asked what they would want if money was not a limit, RA patients had some really great suggestions for gifts that would change their lives!  Looking to really spoil them with something over the top this year?  Spring for a hot tub or a therapy pool!  The #1 and #2 requested big-ticket items among those polled.  Other big-ticket items on the wish list were a spa weekend, weekly maid service, and a personal chef. 

The Gift Every Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Needs

Last but not least, there was one gift that received even more votes than the coveted electric blanket!  What does your loved one with RA want most of all?  Hands down the number one thing RA patients asked for was the love and understanding of their loved ones.  Life with chronic illness is hard, having people who understand that you are struggling and offer their support makes it so much easier to live with.  Listen to their complaints, offer to help them with everyday stuff like cleaning and cooking, treat them to a meal in, prepared by you.  Offer to join them for a meal prep day once a week.  Sit on the couch and hang out with them on a rough day.  They will be so very grateful for the gift of your presence and your love. 

What’s on your wish list this year? Let us know in the comments, maybe it will be on next year’s list!