Caregiving any time of the year is a difficult job, and when the holidays come around, you can find yourself wondering what kind of a present could repay a caregiver’s constant attention to your loved one. It can seem like there is nothing that would make up for the time caregivers spend making sure they do everything in their power to keep your loved ones happy. Check out these tips to help your favorite caregiver relax and rejuvenate this holiday season!
Relaxing and Rejuvenating
“Relax” is not usually a word that most caregivers know the meaning of. They spend all their time caring for others, and this usually takes up most of their lives. Even when they go home, they have to care for themselves and potentially their family! It seems as if their job never ends, so whenever you are looking into showing them how much they are appreciated for their work, try giving them something that could help them relax.
Meal-delivery services are always a fantastic idea, allowing caregivers a week or so without the constant need to create a healthy meal idea for the family. There are many to choose from, including Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and others. These options can be relatively inexpensive and will allow you to help take care of them for once! You could also consider an adult onesie for your caregiver. You could even get them and the care receiver matching onesies so they can laze around together every once in awhile.
Caregivers might also like a gift of a spa day, either out at a fantastic resort or a nice spa kit to take home. Finding time to go out can be potentially difficult, so unless you can give a day off as well, you might want to stick to the take-home version. You could also take the time to write out a fantastic letter of recognition for them and for the company that they work for. People like to be told how much they are valued!
Things to Consider With Gifts
There are a lot of ways you can show caregivers how much you and your loved one care about them and the work that they do. You can give gift cards to their favorite places or for some of their favorite things to do in their off time. Knowing what your caregiver enjoys is step one for making sure whatever gift you give them is going to be a hit. There are also a few rules of thumb you should follow to allow yourself to give the best gift possible and avoid any kind of embarrassment about what you choose to give.
The rule for holiday bonuses or other gifts for caregivers is one week’s salary, so try to meet that same kind of requirement with whatever gift you give them. Some private or personal caregivers do rely on the cash around the holidays, but whatever you choose to give will be well appreciated! You should also check to make sure that if they are working through a company, tips and gifts are allowed. Otherwise, you can look into making donations to a charity in their name.
Overall, if you are giving a tip, large gift, or just some time off, making sure your caregiver feels appreciated will go a long way toward making their holiday the best it can be!
Written and Contributed by Beverly Nelson
Photo Credits: Pixabay
