5 Best Ways to Thank Your Caregivers This Caregiver Appreciation Day

There are a lot of unsung heroes in the world. From soldiers, police officers, and firefighters to underpaid nurses, charitable private citizens, and just good people with what seems to be a heart that never runs out of space for other people. These are all heroes to those they helped, and they should be recognized for it.

One of those professions that greatly need appreciation are our dear caregivers. These are the people who make sure our dear grandparents or disabled relatives have someone to be beside them when they need help or even just someone to talk to. They are also the same people who are willing to give love and tenderness to the abandoned elderly or disabled, becoming these people’s closest relative in the process.

Caregiving is not an easy job. In fact, it calls for someone to have quite a tolerance and really just good patience when dealing with people who are, at times, difficult to handle. They get paid, but what they do is often beyond the line of duty and when they lose a patient, they grieve just as hard as the patient’s relatives.

Today is Caregiver Appreciation Day, and here are some of the best ways to show our appreciation to those in this often-underappreciated industry.

The Best Ways To Appreciate Caregivers on Caregiver Appreciation Day

1. Thank You Cards

Saying thank you should be a minimum, but a thank you written in the kindest way possible? That would mean so much. Not only do these caregivers feel appreciated, but they can see that they are being appreciated. Some facilities would post these thank you notes all over to inspire caregivers to never stop showing kindness to their patients.

Who knows? Maybe when a caregiver is pressured or stressed out, all they need to do is look at your thank you card and they would feel slightly better.

2. Cook for them

Caregivers rarely have time to cook for themselves, so why not take this opportunity to cook meals for them? Ask them about their favorite dishes or foods they would love to try but have no time (or money) to do so.

When you cook for them, might as well join in. Caregivers relieve a substantial burden off of the family of their patients, and it would show that they’re not just being paid to do that by inviting them to lunch or dinner at your home or a place known to have good food and atmosphere.

3. Gift more vacation time

Everyone likes to take a break from the work they do, especially those in the healthcare industry. Caregivers especially rarely have time for their own families as they are all too busy caring for someone else’s relative. They do deserve a vacation, so why not hand them an extra week on top of what they already have? That one week they can spend with their family or just for themselves will mean a lot, especially as they are involved in a profession where self-care and private time are almost non-existent.

4. A good massage is always welcome

Who can say no to a massage? Right, no one! Everyone likes to be pampered and one of the best ways to get pampered is to be massaged by experts! A massage is especially helpful since caregivers sometimes carry heavy loads, and sometimes they also carry their patients. You can just imagine the body aches they feel every day.

A good gift check for a popular massage parlor or spa should do the trick. It’s not so expensive that it will appear too elaborate, yet it’s also not really cheap.

5. Sponsor “Caregiver Day” parties

It’s always nice to have a gathering with people in the office, especially when the gathering is around food and just having a good time. If you truly appreciate what the staff did at the nursing home, you can always sponsor their next Friday Night party or something. It will go a long way and they will remember you for it.

Takeaway…

Caregivers give all the care they have to their patients and none to themselves. So this Caregiver Appreciation Day, be the caregiver and shower them with all the love and gifts they deserve.