I have a Canon DSLR for serious photographic stuff, but just bought a Nikon P500 as an everyday point and shoot compact. Uses cheap as chips SD cards as well.
If your parents are still using disposables they may be more included to a point and shoot, DSLR though great are a bit bulky and can be rather unfriendly to thos not technically or especially photographically minded.
I did seriously consider the Panasonic Lumix tz20... a very neat little buddle, and cheaper than either a DSLR or the P500, but i found the P500 on offer whilst away in Abu Dhabi, and the 36x optical zoom sold me :-)
P500
tz20