Christmas gratuities

I like giving gifts. Mostly I think I like the "shopping"…finding something that will be enjoyed or a donation to something important to that person.

If you live some place cold a pair of mitten and a sweet card might be nice.

I love giving something small a tin of biscuits maybe or if it’s appropriate I give one of my commercially handmade by me headwraps or purses. I was supposed to have domestic cleaning this morning only her third visit but she has rung in sick so my purse that I had for her will sadly not given.

I always gave small gifts to my caregivers at this time of year. Usually it was a few different kinds of Christmas cookies in a pretty tin. For the caregiver who was with us all the way through, I gave her a bonus. She was just the best, and I wanted to make sure she knew how much I appreciated everything she did for me and my sister.

When I placed my sister in memory care, I always gave the caregivers there a big box of See's candies (it's a California thing).

I agree that acknowledging your appreciation is a good thing. I think a card with thanks plus either a small gift or a gratuity is always welcome. It is really wonderful to have people, helpers, who are dependable and competent. I like to give at the holidays. The holidays come around regularly so I don't have to try and remember when I last gave something in thanks. Sometimes I get gifts from my housekeeper. I always think that her work in my home is a gift besides me paying for it.

There is often a little cheat sheet put out in Facebook this time of year. It suggests gratuity amounts for service people - doorman, hair dresser, house cleaner, garbage collector etc. Sometimes it recommends one weeks pay - so for example, the same amount you pay your hairdresser, cleaning lady for one visit. I don’t follow that for people who actually are employed by a company. I also didn’t tip my hairdresser more than my usual tip each visit.

However - a caregiver would be a different story in my opinion. This person is coming into your home and taking care of a person who can’t take care of themselves. Someone you feel comfortable leaving them with. I would suggest a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. Or to a craft store if you know she likes crafts. When my parents were in an AL, the suggested amount was $150 per apartment to be put in a central fund then divided among the employees. But that was for a facility staffed 24/7.

We also gave a holiday gift to caregivers who cared for family members.