Holidays in MC

My experience is that the administration will have a mechanism for you to contribute to an employee appreciation fund that is distributed to all staff, proportioned by seniority. Gifts to individuals are discouraged.

I did a number of things over the years. A bunch of small gift bags with treats and goodies for everyone to take home, a large fruit basket for each shift to take what they want, one year I paid for pizza to be delivered for each shift (worked with the administrator to arrange that.) A bunch of fancy chocolates, really any little thing to show your appreciation goes a long way. If you have an exemplary aide who works with your LO most often a $10 gift card may be appropriate.

You can also ask a supervisor what the staff appreciates. It may not be sweets, maybe fruit or lunch for everyone some day. Maybe it's good coffee for the staff area.

One evening when I was visiting my mom I heard some aids raving about energy drinks someone had left if the frig for the aids. They sounded mighty grateful. In that particular memory care the aids could only get beverages from a for-pay vending machine in the aids' break room. So I bought a variety of energy, fruit juice and pop drinks for the aids and left it in their frig with a note saying that it was from my mom. I also left a basket of cookies.

I sent foods; candy, cookies, etc. at intervals. The facility had an annual Christmas party on sight each year. Every staff member got a ticket for a drawing of multiple different items even if they were on duty during the party.

So; what I did was to get a box of candy; wrapped it and put it into a gift bag BUT also put a card in an envelope on top of the candy . . . I put $100 in the card . . . you should have heard the gasping and laughing and rollicking when the staff member won that drawing. Did it each year; the staff does not earn much and this way it was not breaking any rules re giving gifts; and it was a lot of fun to do and the staff member sure could use the "prize.".

J.