mlktwins Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 Help! Since July, my dad has 6 caregivers working 12 hour shifts (24/7). I want to give them a little something for Christmas/end of year. Any ideas? I know I am getting Trader Joe's chocolate covered peppermint jo-jo's, probably some Lindt's truffles (white chocolate), and I might make them a little cross-stitch Christmas type ornament, but with winter scenes. Should I put in an Amazon gift card too? If so, for how much (I was thinking $25)? Or something else? I don't want to insult anyone with too little or create expectations for future gifts/thank you's. My dad is paying a fortune for his care (I mean a fortune), but it is keeping him out of a nursing home for now. They have all been very good to him and very helpful to me (I am super involved with him and all the caregivers so they know me well). Any other ideas welcome! I don't want to be stressing out about this in late December :-)! This is what the ornaments will look like (hopefully). I know I can stitch them. Hoping my finishing looks as nice. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballmom Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 You are so talented to be able to try and produce those ornaments. Honestly, I used to create gifts for others and the last few years i’ve become much more selective about who I am willing to do that for. Many times, people don’t appreciate the time and energy that went into a hand creation. Now, if creating these ornaments would give you a sense of peace and accomplishment and enjoyment, or you know they would appreciate them for the treasures they are, then please make them!!! Having worked with caregivers for elderly relatives, I’ve seen the full range of quality/caring/engagement. Usually the caregiving agency makes the biggest cut with the workers not making that much. YMMV. But, for gifts for caregivers that were taking care of a loved one I would do a mix of treat and $ gift like you suggested. Love your TJ or chocolate idea - I would probably pick one treat and go with a nice gift card. Could you add a pocket to the back of the ornament if you went the gift card route? 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 That all sounds lovely and adding a gift certificate would doubtless be appreciated, too. One thought ~ do they work for a company that has a gift giving rule? Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 1 minute ago, footballmom said: You are so talented to be able to try and produce those ornaments. Honestly, I used to create gifts for others and the last few years i’ve become much more selective about who I am willing to do that for. Many times, people don’t appreciate the time and energy that went into a hand creation. Now, if creating these ornaments would give you a sense of peace and accomplishment and enjoyment, or you know they would appreciate them for the treasures they are, then please make them!!! Having worked with caregivers for elderly relatives, I’ve seen the full range of quality/caring/engagement. Usually the caregiving agency makes the biggest cut with the workers not making that much. YMMV. But, for gifts for caregivers that were taking care of a loved one I would do a mix of treat and $ gift like you suggested. Love your TJ or chocolate idea - I would probably pick one treat and go with a nice gift card. Could you add a pocket to the back of the ornament if you went the gift card route? Yes, I know the agency gets the biggest cut. This is a smaller, more personal company. The owner lives in my neighborhood and she and I are now friends. They all know I cross-stitch and have commented and talked about what I am making - I always have on in the car for when I'm waiting for my boys. I think they would appreciate them. Hopefully, if they don't want them, they will think of re-gifting. A pocket on the back would be great. I think they would fit. Thank you for the feedback! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted November 12, 2021 Author Share Posted November 12, 2021 2 minutes ago, Kareni said: That all sounds lovely and adding a gift certificate would doubtless be appreciated, too. One thought ~ do they work for a company that has a gift giving rule? Regards, Kareni I have discussed it with the owner before, but will clarify the rules this weekend. It's a smaller company run out of my friend's home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 I've been in this type of situation. I have learned that companies do take the lion's share of the earnings and also have blanket policies against accepting gifts. It's terribly unfair to the workers who are caring and vastly underpaid. So I give gifts anyway. Don't ask about or mention any such policy. Definitely include a gift card--it's what's wanted and needed the most by far. Find a way to give the gift privately at the end of a shift. Press it on them in a smiley, gushy rush as they are leaving and never mention it to any supervisors. It's also a good idea to occasionally find a way to slip a particularly amazing worker a "note of thanks" with some cash tucked into it. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 I would do cash. Seriously! $25 is great, but cash means they can spend it how ever they want. I love Amazon gift cards for kids, but giving cash means they can do whatever they want with it! (Including paying a bill, if that is what they need). Part of why I love Amazon cards for kids, is that they parents aren't as likely to make them save it for college. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Another vote for cash, with a nice note expressing your thanks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 (edited) Cash and a note. The caregivers aren't the ones seeing the fortune. Edited November 13, 2021 by regentrude 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 I agree with Harriet Vane. (No surprise there.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 I like the idea of the ornament, tj chocolate, and cash. Thoughtful, delicious, beautiful, useful—it checks all the boxes!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 If you don't have the cash. I had a student's family prepare me a homemade meal with a kind note saying she knew it was the busiest time of the year. She included paper plates and everything. It was very thoughtful. But you have so many to prepare for, but just throwing it out there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 I think that your gift sounds lovely. Another option is a local store with lots of variety (e.g. Target, Walmart) especially if you're in a community where there is an obvious option. I work with a lot of special education paras, who probably get similar pay (and lack of respect). Many of them are parents and are working hard at this point in the year to make a good holiday for their kids on a very limited budget. A card they can use the same day is well appreciated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 On 11/12/2021 at 6:04 PM, Harriet Vane said: Don't ask about or mention any such policy. Definitely include a gift card--it's what's wanted and needed the most by far. Find a way to give the gift privately at the end of a shift. Press it on them in a smiley, gushy rush as they are leaving and never mention it to any supervisors. 100% this. Do not ask, give it privately. Caregivers make pretty paltry wages. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 Have to add: the ornament is beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 (edited) One treat and cash. Alternatively, just cash. You can put it in a Christmas card with a nice appreciation note. If you want to include cookies you could make some spritz cookies and put the money you would have spend on the premade cookies toward the cash. Edited November 14, 2021 by TechWife 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 14, 2021 Share Posted November 14, 2021 (edited) I also want to add that service schedules can get wonky at this time of year. People take part or whole days off to see their kids in school plays, do their own Christmas prep, take care of their kids while they are on break from school or to spend time with extended family. You might want to have everything ready to go a couple of weeks before Christmas. This way you can ask ahead of times what their Christmas plans are & be ready for whenever their last day before Christmas is. If he has caregivers Christmas Eve & Christmas Day, I’d give them a little extra on the holiday that they work. Edited November 14, 2021 by TechWife 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted December 18, 2021 Author Share Posted December 18, 2021 OP here! I had read all the responses, but didn't get back to liking and commenting! So sorry... I am making my final decisions regarding caregiver gifts this weekend! I know I am doing cash. I am making cookies this weekend and next week so may include some of those. I'm not doing the ornaments this year as it will stress me out -- LOL, but may work on them during 2022 to have ready for gifts for various people next year. My question is how to handle the amount of cash for each caregiver. I mean, I probably should just give the same amount across the board. But...I have 3 that work 3 - 12 hours shifts per week, one that works 2 - 12 hour shifts per week., and the other 2 each work 1 - 12 hour shift per week and then trade every other Saturday (12 hour shifts). Also, I feel the daytime people do a lot more than the nighttime people. I also have one person (3 days a week daytime) and another person (1 night shift and 1 day shift) that does more than the others - gets me grocery lists, keeps me informed if anything is going on with dad (i.e. his foot is swollen, etc.), and goes the extra mile with picking up and doing light housekeeping and keeping up with laundry when dad is just sitting and watching tv. But...they have all totally pitched in and did what was needed to get dad prepped and ready for 2 cataract surgeries (lots of eye treatments for dry eyes before the doctor would even do the surgery), caring for him when he had a bad cold, one ended up coming with me to both of dad's eye surgeries, which getting him anywhere is quite the ordeal really. I am totally blessed that we now have 6 good people on a regular rotation. The one person that is 3 days during the week is so incredibly awesome though that I feel she deserves more. I also don't want to insult anyone with too little money, but $ x 6 people adds up and dad is running through money like crazy now with caregiving in the picture. Anyway, any thoughts? I am super involved with all of them. We text throughout their shifts - they are chatty with me :-). I take dad to all doctor's appointments, but the caregiver on duty goes with us. I do all the grocery shopping and get any supplies they need. I have good relationships with all of them, but am in more contact with the day shift than the night shift for obvious reasons. Dad is not an easy person and he is now doing some inappropriate things (they keep me in the loop and I witnessed one instance in person) and isn't the nicest/easiest person all the time (calls them names). So sad because this isn't the dad I grew up with 😞 !!! He isn't super nice to me either, which they have witnessed, but I keep on going as there is no one else to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballmom Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 (edited) No super specific advice, but I would just say to be as generous as you can afford to be and assume that the caregivers who overlap / know each other might talk (not in an intentionally rude way, but some people surprise me with how openly they discuss $). If you feel like you want to give $ based on scale/how much they work, that’s okay! Edited December 18, 2021 by footballmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 That is a beautiful ornament. Truly, said as a mom of a nursing student who is working as a CNA - it isn't the gift that matters as much as the recognition that they work hard and are appreciated and noticed. Truly - any amount or token is wonderful. They just appreciate being loved on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 You could use hourly wage as a starting point. Something like an hour's pay times how many shifts they work a week for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted December 18, 2021 Author Share Posted December 18, 2021 2 minutes ago, happi duck said: You could use hourly wage as a starting point. Something like an hour's pay times how many shifts they work a week for example. I don’t know how much they make per hour 😬. I know what dad pays per hour. It seems around $12/hour is the average in my state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 I would decide the total I wanted to give. Then I would figure out how many total hours are worked per month and make a percentage for each person from their hours worked/divided by the total number of all hours worked. I would give that percentage (rounded off to the nearest $5) to each worker. Or if that didn't seem quite fair since the daytime folks have more work, I'd multiply their hours by 1.5 and the nighttime folks by 1 and get my percentages that way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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