As relatives get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to find them original gifts that they will actually use and enjoy. Grandparents are a particular problem, especially those who have health problems and find themselves stuck in the house most of the time; unable to enjoy their old hobbies, there are gifts out there that can give them something interesting and fun to do while they are at home resting.

Grandmas probably get very tired of receiving bath sets and scarves, while most Grandads probably have enough socks and ties to last them the rest of their life, so they are sure to appreciate when a younger relative puts a bit of thought into their birthday or Christmas gift and goes to the trouble of buying them something either useful, entertaining or even both.

Spend some time talking to your grandparents to see if they have taken up any new hobbies or interests, or if there is a particular author or TV show that they enjoy. Many older people, and younger ones too, have become fascinated by genealogy in recent years, thanks to the increasing number of TV programmes that trace the family trees of various celebrities.

Give them a helping hand to start tracing your own family background by buying them a book or a kit on how to use various resources to find out about their ancestors. There is even a special starter package which, once registered, provides them with a fancy certificate which tells the history of their surname.

Sticking with the historical theme, grandparents who have lived in the same area for many years or even all their lives will undoubtedly appreciate map of their town or village from some time in the past. Buy them a gift box and they can choose the era; perhaps when they were born, married or bought their first home in the region covered by the map.

If you would prefer to buy your grandparents a more useful gift, there are dozens of gadgets available from online stores that aim to make life easier for older people. Gifts such as a hand-held mini hoover can help with household chores, especially in hard-to-reach places, while the novel “Lav Nav” helps night-time toilet users to see their way safely to the loo in the middle of the night.

Attached to the toilet lid by a secure sticky strip, the light glows red if Grandad has forgotten to put the seat back down and green if Grandma can sit down in safety. Midnight trips to the lavatory can now be carried out while grandparents are still half-asleep, but without anyone getting any nasty surprises.

Finally, scientific evidence has shown that it is important for older people to keep their minds active as this can actually help to fight conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Give your grandparents the cheeky Mind Trainer Toilet Roll and they can do Sudoku puzzles and word games while sitting on the loo. If your grandparents have a good sense of humour, then this could be the perfect gift.

Finding the perfect gift for that special someone can often feel like wading through a quagmire blindfolded. It also seems that  the longer you have known a person it gets harder as you have given them numerous birthday and Christmas presents over the years and the pressure to keep coming up with innovative gift ideas is immense.

The last thing you want to do to is go down the repetition route, giving the same gifts on a rota system where you repeat the same gift every couple of years as you can’t think of anything else. There are some ways that you can always choose the perfect gift however, and by following these few tips you will find it a lot easier in the future.

Looking for a gift that suits the personality traits of the recipient will be much appreciated. If they are an ultra-competitive person this is even easier, as there are so many adventure days you can get gift vouchers for, like paintballing. For the fitness freak, a day on an assault course where they have to conquer the obstacles and the mud as well as their competitors will appeal.

We all know someone who constantly puts others first and are selfless in their quest to help everyone else and put their own needs on the back burner. These people’s champions would never dream of going out and spending money to treat themselves so why not do it for them?  A day at a spa or an aromatherapy massage will make them take time out and relax for a while, something they would never do themselves.

If you think this would overwhelm them, go down the indulgence route. We all have our favourite indulgences, be it chocolate, fine wines or the like. Put together a hamper to create a full evening’s pleasure, with luxury bath products so they can first pamper themselves then a selection of their favourite things which they can relax and enjoy and not feel guilty for spending money on themselves.

Some people are kind enough to drop hints as to what they would like, inadvertently or otherwise, and this makes life a whole lot easier. If this is a woman whose favourite bottle of perfume is down to the dregs, don’t just rush out and replace it, why not treat her to the opportunity to create her own personal fragrance?

Linking a gift to a favourite past time is always well received. If they love grabbing the mike at a karaoke and are always singing, there are some great packages available where you go into a recording studio and be like a pop star for a day.

If the recipient is a practical joker or just loves a good laugh, get a spoof front page of a newspaper produced with pictures of them and stories about them, this will really appeal to those with a sense of humour.