Ways to Celebrate Your Caregiver this Holiday Season

November 27, 2018

November is National Family Caregivers Month and, although we give thanks to our amazing caregivers all year long, it’s a time of year when we especially let our caregivers know that we simply couldn’t do it without them. Caregivers are defined as a family member or paid helper who regularly cares for the needs of a child or sick, elderly or disabled person. Whether your caregiver is a fellow family member or a hired professional, caregivers develop intimate bonds with their loved ones and patients. This holiday season, take some stress off your caregiver with these top 5 ways to celebrate caregivers:

1. Help your caregiver decorate their home for the holidays

If you have an in-home caregiver who comes to your home to assist you with activities of daily living (ADL), it can be easy to forget that your in-home caregiver has a personal life of his or her own. It’s probably at the top of their list to help you decorate your home for the holidays so, if you’re able, return the favor and help your in-home caregiver decorate his or her home! It can be a great bonding experience to share with your in-home caregiver, and it will also save them hours of time in their hectic schedules! If you have a live-in caregiver who actually resides inside your home to help with assisted living, make your caregiver feel a part of the family by inviting them to join in on the holiday decorating, play a special holiday CD or movie, and get everyone in the holiday spirit!

2. Stay positive and show appreciation for your caregiver

We’ve all been there before. It is often hardest to stay optimistic and appreciative while fighting the symptoms, pain and depression associated with illness and aging, especially around the holidays. However, it’s very important to maintain positivity and show thanks to your caregiver for sacrificing his or her own time and energy to ensure that you have the best home care.  Remember, it always goes a long way when you remember to be polite — even a simple “please” and “thank you” can be monumental to a caregiver during their long hours of care.

3. Prepare a delicious meal for your caregiver

If your in-home caregiver or live-in caregiver usually does the cooking around the house, surprise them with a special homecooked dinner! After all, the fastest way to a caregiver’s heart is through his or her stomach, right? Humor aside, home care assistance usually leaves little time for caregivers to actually sit down and eat, so a homecooked meal will leave quite the impression on your caregiver’s holiday season.

4. Give your caregiver a small present

After all, it is the season for giving, right? Caregivers are devoted to supporting their loved ones and patients’ health all year long, so the holidays are a great time to show your appreciation! Don’t feel like you have to get a large, expensive gift — a small, thoughtful present or simply a day off from their assisted living duties would be the perfect holiday present!

5. Remind your caregiver that self-care is important

It’s easy for caregivers to get caught up in thinking only about the loved one for whom they are caring, completely forgetting about the importance of maintaining their own mental and physical health. With that in mind, caregiver burnout is unfortunately very popular among hardworking caretakers who work long, demanding hours while ignoring the importance of self-care. To help your caretaker avoid caregiver burnout, suggest that he or she reserve an hour or two to personally revitalize their own physical and mental health each day.

Now that you know how to celebrate your caregiver this holiday season, we want to give you a chance to nominate your caregiver for the chance to receive a $100 VISA gift card as a “thank you” for being such a great in-home or live-in caregiver. With this gift card, the winning caregiver may use the card for some much deserved, relaxing self-care, or anything else he or she likes.

If you’ve made it to our blog, perhaps you deal with incontinence issues, or you know or care for someone who does. So although only one lucky caregiver will win the $100 VISA gift card, every family member or patient who nominates their caregiver, and each nominated caregiver, will receive a special 15 percent off discount code, applicable to all Wearever incontinence underwear, panties and briefs products!  Stay tuned for more details to come on our Facebook page and get ready to nominate your special caregiver!