Treating the caregivers in your loved one’s assisted living community is a wonderful way to show your appreciation. Ask your loved one to help, and personalize it further by adding a heartfelt thank you card. This can be given alone or added to gift baskets, gift cards, flowers, and more. Be sure to ask your loved one’s community about their gift policy, however. Some caregivers may not be able to accept gifts, or you may need to limit the amount you spend on a gift.
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Heartfelt thank you cards are always appreciated, and you can write one to the entire care team or to select members of the staff. Since some assisted living communities may not allow caregivers to accept gifts, this is a wonderful way to say thanks for everything that they do.
Express gratitude toward the staff, and include specific ways they’ve helped your loved one through their aging journey. 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.
You can build a gift basket for one caregiver or for the team of caregivers at your loved one’s community. To personalize it, use what you know about the caregiver’s or staff’s hobbies and favorite things. You can fill the basket with a selection of items, such as:
You can buy prefilled baskets or choose to make a themed basket yourself. Be sure to accommodate any food allergies the staff may have. 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 community or nursing home 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.
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 for a haircut with shampoo and styling — or even an updo — is a great gift.
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If you want to do something for the whole staff, consider bringing in meals. You may want to team up with other family members to make sure caregivers on every shift will have something to enjoy. You can likely work with a staff-favorite restaurant or nearby grocery store. It would be wise to ask the staff ahead of time if anyone has any dietary restrictions or allergies. Consider the following options:
Items such as an essential oil diffuser, incense, candles, and wax melts provide soothing scents that promote well-being. Miniature lotions or scented hand sanitizer could be a great gift if you’re treating a team of caregivers. However, be sure to check with management about whether items containing scents are allowed.
You can personalize this gift if you’re focusing on one caregiver by giving them some self-care items to enjoy at home. This could include bath bombs, face masks, essential oils, or scented oils that they can enjoy for months to come.
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. Be sure to check with the assisted living community as some may not allow caregivers to accept them or have a limit on the amount they’re allowed to accept.
Consider these options:
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Flowers and chocolate can be enjoyed by one caregiver or the entire team. 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, silk, or even wooden flowers can provide the splash of color you’re looking for. You might also consider a potted plant that thrives indoor for the community to enjoy year round.
Read more:10 Gifts for Mothers in Nursing Homes
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. Many subscriptions offer a variety of durations, so you can choose the best fit.
Explore these subscriptions:
Although giving a gift to your loved one’s assisted living or nursing home 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’s 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).
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.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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