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nsjmk77 Asked May 2014

Are agency caregivers supposed to be tipped after giving care?

I have been having a regular caregiver give Mom a bath once a week. We also have an alternate. She spends two hours or less and is done and gone, no issues. For the first time we had one of the caregivers spend five hours just "babysitting" Mom so my sister could get out of the house (she was relieving me while I was on a much needed vacation). The caregiver seemed to "hang around" before leaving and my sister wasn't sure if she expected a tip. I have never tipped the bathers so I am not sure if this is expected or not. We pay the agency to pay the caregivers. Thanks.

sweetmary52 May 2014
Welcome. It depends. First of all on the hours that she is there, and if she is preparing a meal for your loved one. One lady, the one that loved to walk, her daughter left sandwiches, and cold drinks, and fruit, or a pizza, and we ate together. Another lady, I cooked dinner for she and I and did dishes, every evening, or warmed up meals her family prepaired, and sometimes I took treats for all the ladies, ice cream, candy, donuts. Then one lady prepared her own meals, and I went for evening hours and we usually had a treat, or tea, or I brought a pizza. It depends , really on what you care to do. It should not be stressful or pressure for you, or expected by the caregiver. Maybe you could say, you would like to have a few snacks on hand or lunch or dinner on occasion, and each make a list of light ideas, hopefully, she will help and bring some fun things, also, I wrote a very brief report of what we did each day in a spiral notebook, and initialed it. Like, got here, cooked chicken, rice, brussel sprouts, rest in fridge, read, watched tv, stayed half hour extra to watch Insider, but dont want pay, we had fun. Then I would say be back tomorrow, thanks. Hope this helps, you really can keep the food part the way you like, she can even bring a lunch, hopefully, she wants to be creative and share.If not, even finger food id good, I know it can be awkward, apples, and peanut butter, easy, and healthy, or share what your Mom and she has if she cooks, but have her clean up kitchen, keep in touch mary

nsjmk77 May 2014
Thanks again for the answers. Another question...Am I responsible for having a meal for the caregiver?

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sweetmary52 May 2014
I have been a caregiver and I know when family came to be with their loved one, I would just sort of step back a bit , sometimes even see if they would like me to make coffee, or if they wanted privacy, and I think she may be just doing her job, and wanting to please, as I was. I would not have ever wanted a tip, but I can see how it could be awkward til communication gets established.

nsjmk77 May 2014
Thanks for the responses. She has been here since with me and no feeling she is waiting. I don't think there is the expectation but nice to know if there should be.

Eyerishlass May 2014
No tipping.

If she was hired to do a 4 hour shift (for example) and your sister came home before the 4 hours were up the caregiver might have been uncomfortable leaving before her shift was officially over.

sweetmary52 May 2014
No tipping, but maybe she was thinking she wasn't excused to leave. Everyone is different, but that is one opinion, humble as it is.

BarbBrooklyn May 2014
no. And if they hang around more than once, tell the agency.

pamstegma May 2014
Tipping no, but if she is there all year, a gift on the holidays.

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