Tips on Holiday Gift for a Paid Homecare Caregiver

With the upcoming holidays ' season, we are contacted by some of our clients asking if they can give their caregivers a small gift for the holidays in addition to their usual pay. It is an understandable sentiment as most of clients consider these Caregivers as "part of the family" and would like show their appreciation for the hard work they provide to their loved ones.

On one hand, we do consider this as a sign that we did a good job when selecting our caregivers. However, giving a gift does raise the expectations for next year and as such, we are recommending on the following guidelines:-

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Low Value-Limit the gift at no more than $ 40. Even in a large corporation, there is a limit to the amount of a gift an employee can receive from a service provider to avoid aconflict of interest.
No Cash-in gift cards or vouchers for entertainment (movies, books) or stores are preferable than money-they show that the person actually went and bought the gift. This will also allow the caregiver to enjoy some personal "me" time while cash may be used for other needs.
No Food (e.g. chocolates)-As with the rest of the population, the caregiver may have specific dietary needs (e.g. Halal, Kosher) or are allergic to certain food (e.g. peanuts).
Not Religion Related-The caregiver may have different beliefs (and may even celebrate different holidays-Charismas, Hanukkah, etc.). Religious related gift may be left unused and some caregiver may even find that offending.
Schedule-when presenting the caregiver with the gift, make sure it is done atthe client site (usually home) and towards the end of the shift-but not after. Some caregivers have a tight timetable (pick up kids, traveling to another client) and may not be able to stay AFTER their shift is over. In addition, taking few minutes from the end of the shift will let them leave that day with a good feeling.
Communicate-It is important to communicate to the caregiver that the gift is a small token to show your appreciation for the good work they have done. Make sure to clarify that this is not as a result of a specific event and that there are no expectations going forward (e.g. work extra).

We believe that following these guidelines will show your appreciation to the caregiver without breaking the client-employee working relationships.

Tips on Holiday Gift for a Paid Homecare Caregiver