How should I go about tipping home health aides for the holidays and judging the amount?

I would check with the agency about gift giving policy. The facilities I worked for we were not allowed to accept gifts of any kind.

The agency says its fine and often done around the holidays. I'm just trying to figure out the amount.

If the agency policy accepts tipping, as you say, why not consult with them as to what is suggested or appropriate?

xinabess, I also ran into that problem on what to give the caregivers who were there 24 hours a day, the weekday group was different from the weekend workers who usually just worked one day. My plan was to give out Target gift cards.

It was a head scratcher trying to figure out who got what amount. I bought everyone Target gift cards. I had cards $100, $50, and $25. What I found interesting, the male caregiver was the only one who sent me a handwritten thank you note.

Up to $100 is my thought...$35 or $50 seems fine as I see it..Target gift card would be fine..

Grace + Peace,

Bob in North Carolina

We have had a 24/7 caregiver plus the weekend caregiver who does 2 12-hour shifts. The full time had been with us since July and the part time only since December 1st. The full time woman goes above and beyond and she fits in like family. We are giving her $200.00. She is also choosing to have dinner with us on Christmas and see he family earlier in day. She won't be "working" that day as I'll take care of my mother. The part time woman just does the very bare necessities, but is good with my mom and friendly and my mom looked her. We are thinking of $50.00. The part time woman is invited to dinner also but she is engaged and has a family she will be with on both Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Don't know if that helps. Merry Christmas!

*24/5 caregiver!

What's with the gift cards? Make it easy for the caregiver and give the cash!

shesmom

She's choosing to have dinner with your family on Christmas? Smart of her, gets to eat and time and a half pay as well.

Some of you are unintentionally funny. What to give? $25 max. If they're working holidays they're already getting time and a half.

xinabess, you even mentioned that giving a weeks pay would cost a fortune, so...

Given that this is NYC, 100- 200$ seems like the right range. I also agree th at cash is better.

This is a tough one. I don't allow any Caregivers to take gifts from the patient because, many times, the patient forgets they gave the gift and accuses them of theft.
My personal opinion, cash is the best. Depending on how how long the caregiver has been with you, and how well they take care of the patient and don't forget you will have to give more next year.
I would give as much as I could, they deserve it.

Or, instead of Christmas, since they don't celebrate it, give a birthday cash.

Zythrr, no, the caregiver has the day off. I and my husband will take care of my mother Christmas including waking, showering, meals, companionship and even her exercising. Our caregiver is like family, she and my mom are very close. She works for an agency but is a friend of my in-laws. We are blessed to have her.

I don't celebrate Christmas either,however, I do have customers who like to give an appreciation gift anyway. Sometimes it's a nice box of chocolate,one actually gave me a thankyou card with $100.00 in it! If they like chocolates do that or if they like wine or something,how about that or a simple piece of jewelry,,,it does not need to be money

shesmom

I see now. Thanks for the clarification. It's nice there are some decent medical people; too bad there are so few of the same in the Cleveland area.

As an RN I never expected a tip.
Knowing how much the family spends on health care it does not compute.
However I would give cash not a gift card.

I still really question if it is legal for a health care provider to accept money tips. I am a nurse, and it is my understanding it is a big NO NO. I would get them each a big tray of cookies or some banana bread or something like that. NOT cash. A gift card might be pushing it, but better than cash.

The "weeks's pay" guideline is based upon net to the home caregiver, usually $10-$13/hour, and not what you pay the agency.

Cash is the best as they may need it to pay bills or buy food or winter clothing. An analysis of gift card purchases shows that recipients pay an additional $17-$43 when the card is redeemed. That could be a burden for low wage care givers.

If one knows the caregiver's home address, Google it to see what stores are close by.

One of my Dad's caregivers use to cook from scratch, and she would bring him extras she had cooked. He loved her cooking. Her sisters would give her deserts for "Mr. Bob". So in her case, a grocery store coupon would work :)

I give the full time caregiver $200.00. And the part time caregiver $100.00. I don't check with the agency. They deserve it! My mother has dementia and it's. It always easy!

Be in your heart and be clear on this being a Thank You tip and keep within your financial means. I wouldn't tip more than I would a wait person for good service for a nice meal in a restaurant. I think it best to give $25 cash with a nice note of appreciation - perhaps highlighting some specific care and thoughtfulness of theirs throughout the year. Cash isn't taxed and checks may be; many gift cards are not used. I believe billions or perhaps millions of dollars in 'gift cards' are not redeemed. Just my thought.

A tip is different than a gift.
A tip to a health care professional seems demeaning, imo.
Presentation is everything, wrap it up nice, or put the gift in a pretty card.
Gifts during the year are nice too.

Celebrate a Happy New Year! Celebrating a different faith or culture's new year is fun too, if you know how to get it right.

My client's family routinely gifted me $100 at Christmas and for my birthday. They always said they couldn't have managed mom w/o me. It was OK with my agency. They also "tipped me" each month, by adding to my base salary through the company's payroll, so I was making about $15 an hour, not the $9 an hour the co paid. It was all above board and no coercion. I still would have worked as hard, but the extra money really was appreciated and needed!

I used to give the 2-hours-just-checking-in part-timers a gift card, they changed all the time on weekends. I would routinely buy a little extra groceries (some nice bread or donuts or fruit) and insist the regular caregivers take it with them on the way home (I would bag it up and put it out in their cars before leaving). Caregivers don't really want crumbs from your table, cookies or candy (unless they have families, and kids) - cash is best. I don't care WHO says WHAT, they deserve a nice tip, under the table or not, they have a filthy hard job. ... My mother's former caregiver is getting a gift card to the local grocery store every single Christmas till one of us dies. I could not possibly have lived through my mother's dementia without this wonderful woman's help. She went above and beyond for years.

Forgot to clarify, I left the checking-in part-timers a gift card for gas, or Starbucks, or Walmart (or wherever it is they said they shopped, when we had conversations). Some of them drove in from the next county, in blizzards, just to make sure mom was up, dressed, diaper changed, and fed.

I see nothing at all wrong with cash. If it seems cold to you, include a tiny present, like a candle, along with the money.

I see nothing demeaning about tipping a caregiver who is only getting $10 to $13 an hour. Maybe it's different for an RN or LPN. My thinking is that if the caregiver is good, they are saving your life and sanity, and keeping your loved one happier. Don't they deserve a nice gift of money more than your lazy, know-it-all sister-in-law?

If you can't afford much, then when you give it to him/her, say, "I wish it could be a million dollars!"

Or, you can call it a bonus.