If you’ve been caring for an elderly loved one on your own or with minimal help, you’ve likely encountered significant worry, sleepless nights, and burnout. Once you’ve helped your loved one move to assisted living, it may become hard to picture life without the professional caregivers at your loved one’s community. To show your appreciation, you might consider purchasing gifts for their new caregivers. Gift-giving can be a little more difficult when shopping for a professional contact, so read on for a few things to consider before choosing the perfect gift.
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Showing your appreciation for assisted living staff through gifts is thoughtful, but it’s important to not feel like you have to go overboard and stress yourself out in the process. Remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money — or purchase anything at all — to put a smile on someone’s face.
Chances are, you’ve developed a close relationship with your loved one’s caregiver throughout the assisted living journey. You can use what you know about the caregiver to create a basket that supports their likes and hobbies. You can fill the basket with a selection of items:
You can buy prefilled baskets or choose to make a themed basket yourself. For example, a coffee basket could contain a mug, different kinds of coffee, a selection of creamers, sugar, and maybe even a box of donuts or a fruit tray. If you don’t want to put together your own basket, you can purchase premade gift boxes at a variety of stores and online sites.
Just as familial caregivers can experience burnout, assisted living caregivers can experience fatigue from providing constant care. Caring for another person — although rewarding — can be physically and emotionally difficult. Benefits of massages include relaxation, relieving muscle tension, and easing joint pain. Plus, they just feel great overall.
Being on the move all day can take a toll on a person’s body. Caregivers are mostly on their feet and frequently use their hands to take care of residents. Foot massages can improve circulation, reduce tension and pain, and stimulate muscles. Hand massages can restore strength and reduce local and general stress and help lower anxiety.
For those who might not like the intimacy of a massage, manicures and pedicures can be a good way to go. There are likely a few full-service salons nearby — if not, a gift certificate to a salon that only does hair for a cut with shampoo and styling, or even an updo, is a great gift.
Treat the team
Instead of treating just one caregiver to the spa, you could pamper the whole staff or a care team with on-site chair massages. A quick massage during a shift can help the caregivers reset and feel rejuvenated, and an on-site massage is a unique and relaxing way to feel appreciated at work. Also, more and more nail professionals operate mobile services. If you do treat the team, though, don’t forget about the overnight staff. Perhaps daytime staff receives on-site massages, and overnight workers receive gift cards.
Scents of the spa
If the ideas above don’t fit your budget, opt for aromatherapy. Items such as an essential oil diffuser, incense, candles, and wax melts provide soothing scents that promote well-being. (Be sure to check with management about whether items containing scents are allowed.)
Don’t underestimate the potential of a gift card. If your caregiver has a favorite store, restaurant, streaming service, or movie theater, you can fuel their next indulgence with a gift card. You can also choose a gift card that can be used anywhere, so the caregiver can decide how to use it. Plus, gift cards come in a range of dollar amounts, so you can choose what’s best for you.
Consider these options:
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A sweet-smelling, colorful bouquet of flowers and a box of a caregiver’s favorite chocolates or candy is a simple yet always-appreciated gift. Flowers can brighten up their home while reminding the caregiver that their hard work and compassion are highly valued.
Be mindful of potential allergies to chocolate or flowers — as well as any community restrictions — before deciding on this gift. If flowers aren’t allowed, plastic or even wooden flowers can provide the splash of color that you’re looking for.
Furthermore, take this gift idea up a notch by learning the meaning behind certain colors, as this can help you express the correct message. Consider these color options:
A subscription is the gift that keeps on giving. There are various types of subscription boxes to choose from — barbeque sauces, makeup, or coffee, to name a few — that’ll give a person something to look forward to with each passing month. These don’t have to last all year, either. Many subscriptions offer a variety of durations, so you can choose the best fit.
Explore these subscriptions:
You can never go wrong with a carefully crafted, thoughtful letter of thanks. Here, express gratitude toward the staff, and include specific ways they’ve helped your loved one through their aging journey.
Buy a sentimental card, or write a heartfelt note that tells the caregiver how much they mean to your loved one and your family. You could include special moments of gratitude, personal stories, moments where your loved one felt extra cared for, and more.
Go the extra mile: Print and include a few pictures of the caregiver or caregivers interacting with your loved one. Each visit to your loved one gives you the perfect opportunity to capture several images to choose from.
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Although giving a gift to your loved one’s assisted living staff is a kind and thoughtful gesture, some communities have rules that don’t support this type of sentiment. Does the community or the company that manages it allow employees to receive gifts? Check the community’s website, but also check its corporate website if it is part of a network. And, it’s never a bad idea to talk directly to community management.
A little research may reveal some important surprises. Maybe you can give gifts, but there’s a cap on value. Or, maybe gift cards and cash are prohibited. Perhaps the community has restrictions on what kinds of foods can be brought inside (e.g., no peanuts).
Once you’re approved to give a gift, it’s also important to decide who you want to give to, and whether you want to acknowledge an individual or a group.
Most importantly, don’t forget to ask your loved one for details about their favorite caregivers. Including your loved one in choosing this gift can lead to a memorable experience for both of you.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, January 12). Massage: Get in touch with its many benefits. Mayo Clinic.
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