This is mom’s first Christmas in an assisted living facility. Not sure what and if to gift the staff. I see her 2-3 times a week, but there is a team of workers that I don’t know. Is the staff inundated with cookies and sweets or would something else be appreciated?
Yes, they are no doubt inundated with cookies and sweets. I have never worked assisted living but I have worked inpatient hospital units. One of THE best gifts we ever received was from a family member. She brought a huge crock pot to the break room and loaded it up with ingredients for tortilla soup that she brought with her (soup mix; cooked shredded chicken, cans of tomatoes, beans and corn. She put it all together for us and also left us paper goods (bowls, plastic spoons, etc.) and a little note that said “lunch is on me today.” Oh, and she also brought two huge bags of tortilla chips.
Don’t feel pressure to feed the entire staff. There is no way you can do that. Just the little area or unit that cares for your mom is enough. Assisted living centers are usually broken down into wings so this might be possible?
I would be interested to know how much $ gift people give hired caregivers in the home as well
I would try cash or gift cards if this is acceptable, but only to the people your relative has a relationship with. Not admin/owners etc, but the people who wash and toilet the clients are often very poorly rewarded
I moonlight as a home care provider. At our quarterly meeting this week we will be strictly reminded that we are not to accept any gifts from clients or their families.
Inpatient RN here. Yes, sometimes there are a lot of sweets, etc. Other times, none. But bring it on! Some of us work hungry, as there is not enough time for breaks and the food items are much appreciated and gobbled up. Gifts to the entire staff are more appropriate than to individuals.
Someone attempting to give a gift individually to a care worker is very awkward, both ethically and personally. If you feel particularly impressed by one person, a letter to management is very kind, to go into the employee record. To avoid the excess sweets, one of the more appreciated gifts is a big box of bagels and cream cheese. Or nuts, crackers and cheese, sausage, etc. Personally I like fruit, but it is awkward at work, as I don’t want to use break time to peel an orange or cut up an apple.
On occasion someone has bought pizza for staff, but that seems a lot of expense and bother.
Following up on KKmama’s comments. My mother is an an assisted living facility that strictly prohibits the staff from accepting any gifts. This policy is in place to prevent residents from feeling obligated to make gifts and to eliminate the risk that the staff will become more attentive to the the residents that have given them gifts.
The facility my mother is in runs a fund that allows you to designate a monetary gift to a group/department within the facility. A committee of residents makes the ultimate decision on how the money is designated each year.
I work in an ALF and I echo gifts are not allowed with the exception of food in moderation i.e cookies., fruit , etc
The assisted living place the ILs are in and the independent living apartment mom used to be in (part of CC community) collects funds (any amount is accepted) and it is combined and distributed to the staff according to a pre-determined formula. This way, everyone gets a year-end tip. No other tips are accepted during the year. That said, some people are not included if they are outside contractors like the hair salon staff. In that case, a separate tip should be offered.
My mom gave $50 each to the two aides who are away for the next month from the adult family home where she now lives. There are only 6 residents and 3-4 on staff besides the owner. I will be sending in a cookie/candy plate before the holiday.
I ordered a Harry and David gift basket for the staff at my son’s group home. They are on duty 24/7 and are SO caring and thoughtful. I don’t think they get much thanks.
Actually brought a thank you gift food basket, but had it delivered in January…when there were no goodies around. The staff appreciated the gift at a different time than when lots of others were already there.
We were told we could not give individual gofts to the caregivers. But we did give them nice cards.
My mom’s place has a families association group… so every year families contribute to a party and gift cards for the staff so that it’s equal and fair.
The staff is absolutely not allowed to take gifts directly from a resident or family member.
My mom’s assisted and independent living facility also has a strict no gift or tipping policy. Your specific policy is probably contained in a welcome folder somewhere. We developed an “appreciation fund” a couple of years ago where residents or their families (trustee) can contribute to a general fund once per year. We take the total money collected (our deadline date is this Wednesday) and divide it into the total hours worked of all hourly employees, and then multiply it times the total hours of each employee. Each employee receives their check before Christmas. It’s a simple, straightforward approach and is administrated by residents and a family member (me).
We contribute to the holiday fund which is divided equally among staff. For my mom’s unit I bring a large basket with home baked treats and fruit packaged into individual ‘goodie’ bags. Caregivers are always very busy, so it’s nice if they can have something to take home or share with their family.
We also contribute to a fund that is distributed to the staff.
I used to visit a LOT of nursing homes/assisted living centers/independent living centers when I was working and echo what everyone else says about having restrictions on gifts. I had restrictions on gifts, as well; even when I conducted a memorial service after one of our patient’s deaths, any honorarium given by the family had to be turned over to the agency I worked for. I always felt so awkward telling people that, but seriously, I could lose my job if I did not and someone found out. What is absolutely most appreciated is a kind note or gesture… more so than any gift. I’ve seen staff members get tears in their eyes when they read a heart-felt note from a resident’s family member who notices how much their loved one is treated and expresses gratitude.