'Tis
the season to show your appreciation
by Beth Braverman | December 5, 2018
You probably have a
rough idea of what to tip the mailman, your hairdresser, and the handyman. But
how are you going to show appreciation for the folks who take care of your
elderly loved ones?
Home health aides and
senior companions perform valuable, often under-appreciated work. The average
home health aide makes just $10.40 per hour,
according to PayScale, and companions make only the tiniest bit more.
That means any form
of a holiday bonus will be hugely appreciated by these folks, who are utterly
critical to your life. Here’s how to show them the love.
If the caregiver
works for an agency
Most agencies have
official policies around tipping and gifts. “It’s usually discouraged to accept
any gifts or financial reimbursements on the side,” says Jennifer Voorlas,
M.S.G., C.M.C., a former caregiver and president of Geriatric Care Consultants.
Nursing homes and
assisted living facilities typically don’t allow individual workers to accept
monetary gifts either.
That said, it’s
almost always acceptable to give a small present—especially food.
If you’ve hired on
your own
If you have hired the
caregiver directly, it’s common to give a gift, or a gift card.
In some areas of the
country, it’s also common to give a tip or bonus in the form of cash—anywhere
from $100 to up to a week’s pay, depending on how many hours the caregiver
works, and how long they’ve been with your family.
But since these
positions tend to turnover frequently, it’s okay to reserve tips for those
who’ve been working with your family for at least 60 days, says Joy Loverde, author
of Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m
Old?
Decide who gives the
gift
If your siblings are
closely involved in the day-to-day decisions around your parent’s care, make
sure they’re on the same page about the size of the gift and who will provide
it to the caregiver.
It’s
okay to reserve tips for those who’ve been working with your family for at
least 60 days.
And while you should
let your parent know that you’re planning to give her aide a gift, you should
be the one to hand it out.
That way, any
potential misunderstandings or altered expectations will be between the
caregiver and the tipper, not the caregiver and the recipient.
Make it personal
Whether you’re giving
a monetary gift or not, writing a ‘thank you’ card to let the caregiver know
that you value their work is always welcome this time of year.
“Hand-written notes
are so rare that they really stand out when you get them,” says Loverde. “You
really want to let these folks know how much you appreciate them.”
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