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Management sent out a letter telling everyone that it's against company policy to give caregivers individual gifts at holiday time. I get that, but they recommend instead giving money that will be pooled together anonymously to provide holiday bonuses to all hourly employees. Then they suggested a "donation" amount that's quite a lot of money! And since it will be anonymous and include staff people who don't even know my husband, it seems to kind of defeat the purpose of a personal recognition for those who take best hands-on care of him, to let them know how much our family appreciates their work.

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Like all tipping it is not required, and there is no way in h3ll I would contribute to the staff parties and bonuses that should rightfully come from the facility purse. If you do want to acknowledge certain caregivers who you feel deserve special consideration keep it small and discreet, a $5 or $10 gift card in a sealed holiday card.
PS - if you hand out cards to everyone and only include the tip for your chosen few it will be even more discreet.
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BurntCaregiver Nov 21, 2023
Amen to that, cwillie. These places get a fortune for every resident. They certainly don't need residents' family paying for their holiday parties.
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Same at my MIL's LTC facility. Our plan is to purchase a GC at a nearby good/popular restaurant that delivers that will cover lunch meals for all the people on my MIL's floor. Then we will give it to the trusted person on that floor with instrux to buy everyone a lunch. We have found out who the integral staff is that works directly with my MIL and will thank/reward them each discretely in some way. FYI my MIL is in a small-ish facility...
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My brother's ALF did the same. It was universally ignored, I would say. I will also contribute that many are behind the scenes, cooks and etc. who do great work and never get a thank you. I do think employees can "get in trouble" and perhaps even lose their jobs for accepting gifts, but as you can imagine, their not being well paid makes it a temptation to accept gifts, can cause problems if observed, would cause problems if allowed.

I would give what you can afford to the general fund.
And I don't know that a card with a Starbucks card for a few cups of coffee would be caught for an individual.
My daughter, a teacher, drinks free coffee a good portion of the year from Christmas cards!
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BurntCaregiver Nov 21, 2023
@Alva

I always accepting gifts on the down-low when I was agency and facility employed.

No one ever really gets in trouble unless some employee brags to another then they get snitched on to the boss.
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I agree about the people working behind the scenes Alva, there are many people who are going the extra mile or simply performing with competence that we never see or notice. Those making sure there's no missing laundry, the facility looks and smells clean, repairs are taken care of promptly, and even office staff who put in unpaid overtime to ensure all shifts are covered often never get anything. Pooling tips can be a good thing for those workers, it really depends on how it is handled. My sis works at a not for profit facility with all donations going through the foundation, for profit places that don't handle this at arms length always make me skeptical.
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BurntCaregiver Nov 21, 2023
@cwillie

No one owes anyone a tip or anything else. If a person wants to give a gift or a tip to an individual who they like or who takes care of their LO directly they should. They do not owe everyone else.

As for pooling tips. That is total BS. I did restaurant as my second job for a long time. I refused to work in a place that pooled tips. If I'm busting my backside hustling on a busy night, it's me earning that money not everyone else. It's the diners I was taking care of leaving ME that money, not all the other waitstaff.

I let my employees accept gifts from clients and their family this time of year. Nothing over $100 though.
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Gift cards for a dinner .
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I think it's ridiculous for workers in a care facility to expect a "tip" for the holidays.

It cost a fortune to live in managed care. It's not a hotel. You don't have to grease the porter who carries the luggage or the maid who cleans your room and brings the clean towels.

I often ask people of they think they tip their doctor? Or their auto mechanic. Or the cashier who checks them out at the grocery store.

I was a supervisor at a high-end AL. The supervisors and administrator had a meeting to decide your actual question. They took my suggestion that small gifts (not over $20) could be given to staff members of choice by residents and their families.
There were a lot of boxes of chocolates and wine.

The facility your husband is in is going to pool the money collected and give a percentage of it to the hourly employees after they take their cut. I wouldn't give to that if I were you.

If there are particular aides that take good care of your husband take care of them on the down-low.
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I think tipping in a facility is absurd. If people want a tip, I suggest becoming a waiter/waitress. If a family member truly feels the need, ask execs if pizza delivery is acceptable. Tipping leads to theft in ways of worming money out of residents on the down-low. I've seen it happen. It can also put other residents at risk due to muddied boundaries. It's better to keep no tipping as a strict rule.
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I always brought in one of those super huge boxes of chocolates you can get at holiday time and handed them out to the caregivers that were especially kind to mom in her AL and MC, on the down low. I also wrote a check for $100 to the pool, and I didn't care how it was distributed. The caregivers worked hard for little wage and I hoped a portion of it DID get to them. Even the garbage collectors get a tip at Christmas time.
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The problem I see with bringing in little treats (bribes) at any time is they almost always go the the day shift, those who work overnights or morning shifts won't see any of that.
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Oh my gosh, I despise pooling tips of any kind. When I was a young student in college I worked my share of waitressing jobs for income. I made good money because I worked hard for my money!

All of us have worked in places where some of us hustled while others didn’t work nearly as hard. I would have hated sharing my tips.

I made tons more money than some of my coworkers because regular customers would request to sit in my section.

I welcomed large groups, birthday parties and the like. Some of the other waitresses were lazy and didn’t want to serve large groups so they didn’t make as much money.

When my daughters waited tables in college they hated sharing their tips. My youngest daughter switched from waiting tables to bartending in college to avoid dealing with shared tips. She made a lot more tips tending bar with less work!

I wouldn’t give money to be pooled if I were you. I would give an individual gift to those that I chose to. That is what I did when my dad was in rehab during Christmas after his stroke.

I did make a donation to the hospice care home that my mom was in. They had to cancel their major fundraiser due to Covid.
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No tipping, but I take occasional goodies to the staff--clearly labeled for the different shifts
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I'm planning on a Christmas cookie tray delivery that can be shared by all the floor staff.

At Easter I took a very large box of pick-a-mix from the Russell Stover candy store. All individually wrapped pieces and a huge variety for all tastes.

Best way I've found to try to give something back to the staff at my mom's place. They also have a no tipping rule and request that those who want, donate towards their staff party, all funds to be used for raffle prizes (gift cards).
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Tipping is not mandatory in America. When you tip someone it’s a way of showing appreciation for the service rendered.

It’s very unethical for this MC to ask clients to provide money that they are going to use as “bonuses” for their employees which I’m sure the MC will present to the employees as though they are the ones giving their employees these bonuses and they are not going to tell the employees the truth that the money came from the clients. Meanwhile, the MC is making a profit and instead of passing some of those profits as bonuses onto its employees, it’s just going to pocket their profits. This is a rip off.

I would secretly go against their policy and give gifts to employees that helped your LO. If you are going to give money, just place it in an envelope and secretly give it to your LO’s caregiver.
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Davenport Nov 28, 2023
Yep, good point. The facility may well and likely present the bonus as though from their employer, the corporation, and not the families of those they care for on a daily basis. That's an important question I'd ask the facility BEFORE writing any such check!!
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My mom's facility used to do a lump sum sharing. Every employee is a value to the building. Management or salaried should be separate. You might not think of the staff members who do the laundry or cleaning up.
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Davenport Nov 28, 2023
I agree, BUT, I think it's awful that the corporate suits have the audacity to 'suggest' an amount! I guess that most residents' families are stretched to the absolute max of their loved ones' finances just to pay the monthly expenses to have them stay there.

Another ethical consideration: I'd respond to such a 'suggested' amount to 'donate' with a few written questions before writing a check: How precisely, in detail, are the residents' families' donations going to be divided among the paid hourly employees who actually interact with our loved ones? I don't want it going to the facility manager or anyone at the corporate level at the facility [who, in our case, never knew our names or even made eye contact with us when we came to visit our mom]! And I wouldn't write a check until I received exact answers to those questions.
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We gave (and still give though MIL is gone) a 18 - 22 pound turkey for Thanksgiving to the MC. EVERYONE gets to share in our "tip". :-)
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I give Christmas cards to each of my mothers caregivers with $100 in each. I don’t think of it as a tip, it’s a gift to show how much we appreciate them. I feel it’s money well spent. They don’t have to tell their employer.
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Davenport Nov 28, 2023
I'm concerned that the employee may be required as part of their employment to refuse any gifts or tips (in any form) from residents or their families. If that's the case (as it was at my mom's facility), it could place the employee in an ethical/practical bind of accepting (the doubtless much-needed 'bonus'/tip) and NOT divulging to their employer, &/or feeling guilty about breaking the rules &/or fearing getting 'caught' and fired. This is the inherent problem with the corporatization of elder care : (
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I would write a personal heart felt thank you note to the caregivers that you wish to recognize. This is not a restaurant. Most caregiving facilities require pooled tips because they don't want caregivers paying more attention to clients who can afford to tip the most, and giving less time to those that don't tip. This happens, it's just human nature. Management can't afford to have even the appearance of this going on. It's to protect the residents and families as much as it is to equalize across all employees who must work together to make the whole program run smoothly.

Also some residents who "appear competent" and are technically legally still competent will give things away that they shouldn't. My dad was giving his favorite caregiver some of my things. My In-Laws were giving away cash that they couldn't afford to gift when they were in AL. Best to have rules to protect everyone. Also then employees can't be accused of stealing or taking things inappropriately.
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My so’s ccrc does a voluntary donation at Christmas, exactly as op’s facility does, for the people working hourly only.

That is the only fair way to do it. Not just cnas, but every receptionist, cook, waitstaff, maintenance, janitorial, driver is involved in providing customer service. The better they collectively do, the bigger their bonus check.
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This is what an established senior multi-level residential community does - they pool money. This allows for an equal amount to go to everyone. If you want to give something more / other, I was encouraged to give a gift card (or gift certificate for a dinner) instead of cash to those specific caregivers to my friend. However, if it is against the facility's rules and regulations, it is possible a person / care provider could be fired so consider carefully how to proceed. Gena / Touch Matters
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A memory care facility is essentially a health care facility like a hospital.
I spent many years working in hospitals. Tips were not and are not allowed, period! Patients/residents pay the institution for their care and are all entitled to the best the institution can give. Deficiencies, if present, are to be brought to the Facility Administration for attention.
This is as it should be.

I lived for awhile in one of the biggest, most highly rated (independent, dependent and memory care) facilities in the country. It is, in fact, on the US Stock Exchange!
They begin in June to "collect" funds from residents for the annual Employee Christmas Party. A minimum amount is suggested per resident, but everyone is urged to pay more if possible. Certain residents are put in charge of collections and keep track of every donation and who it is from. "Why all the record keeping?", I asked. I was told that donors would need a record for their INCOME TAX! Hey, I'm no accountant, but I know that only government registered bonifide charities qualify for this deduction.

I had no complaint about the living conditions, but eventually left because I was uncomfortable with the repeated requests for donations.
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elisny Nov 29, 2023
Excellent post. Good decision. Obviously - they are greedy crooks.
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Ethically, they should accept no tips or gifts of any kind, pooled or otherwise.

Give a tip or gift when your husband's days with them come to an end.
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ckds52: Merry Christmas coming up to the staff.
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Polecat Dec 3, 2023
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A few $25 Starbucks gift cards handed out to those specific people in your husband's care is thoughtful and in line with what professional ethics boards typically allow, according to my ethics learning in school.

Maybe this is naive thinking. I don't know what's happening in the real world around holiday gift-giving.

I'd say just hand them a holiday card. You don't have to tell them there's a gift card inside. It's a token of appreciation, which is what is meant... from you, to them.

A for-profit business suggesting contributions to a pooled anonymous distribution is a new one by me. I have to agree it defeats the purpose of wanting to give to those people one interacts with and very much appreciates during the holidays.

It's not that those folks behind the scenes are lesser; only they aren't the ones you interact with. Can't it be more personal..?
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At momma's assisted living they do this every year by asking for a donation to the christmas gift fund. There is no specific amount. I give every year. Those ladies that give momma her pills, check on her throughout the day, clean her apartment and talk with her deserve it in my opinion. The staff people on the other hand is a different story.
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Even the people that do not know your husband directly do play an important role in the operation of a facility.
From the guy that is up at 3am shoveling, salting the walkways, the receptionist that answers the phone, the dishwasher in the kitchen, and on and on.
If you can not afford to give the amount that is suggested, give what you can. And if you are able to bring in a basket of fruit one morning, bring in something else in the afternoon so that both AM and PM shifts can share what you bring. (I mention fruits, something other than candy, cookies and the like because simply because it is nice to take a break from all the sweets. (That said I would select a cookie over an orange!)
If there are staff members that you feel do an exceptional job PLEASE write them a note telling them how much you appreciate what they do and the care that they take. Make a copy and send it to their supervisor or HR so that they have a copy. It might help if this person wants a raise, better hours or the choice of a day off.
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IMO: It's a management scam of sorts. I refused to participate. If you can't tip individually, then I say let management pay the workers.
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IMO: It's a management scam of sorts. Basically, they are asking you to pay the workers, rather than say "thank you" to those who helped and provided stellar service. I refused to participate. If you can't tip individually, then I say let management pay the workers. ** Once your loved one passes on, or leave the facility, you can do as you please and thank the caregivers and staff you choose to.
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Polecat Dec 3, 2023
Guess what we give our caregivers a bonus every Christmas in addition they receive money or gifts from Family. Bad attitude on your part Ba humbug.
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I live in an Independent Living Facility where I receive 2 meals a day, weekly apartment cleaning, lawn and patio care, and apartment maintenace; transportation to stores, doctors' appts, banks, outings. They do not allow tips of any sort. We residents finally got management to allow independent residents to provide Christmas "gifts". This is how we did it. Consider $1 a day tip for the year for ALL OF THESE STAFF MEMBERS. Imagine, all of these staff members who help us every day, only would get $1 for every day they help me for 365 days a year. They clean my apartment, prepare my 2 meals a day, clean the hallways, paint my building, wash the windows, clean my patio, cut the grass, keep the weeds out, fix my leaky toilet, change my light burned out light bulbs. But, there are at least 10 or more people helping us every day. That would be $10 a day for each of the workers who do these chores for me. But, we're talking $1 a day for ALL OF THE HELPERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
This happens at Christmas. Well, yes, it amounts to 365 days and $365 for a gift at year end to our 1) housekeeper (1x a week); cooks, servers, cleaners of dining room staff-daily; janitors, maintenance workers, and office staff. If I had to pay a housekeeper weekly, I would be paying her more than $365 per year. That said, $1.00 per day for ALL staff people who provide our care is worth it financially, and get to be fair to all employees. Figure this, an employee who cleans all corners of my apartment, another doing my laundry, another cleaning my carpet 1 x a year, cutting the grass outside my apartment, all that would be more than $365 a year, or $1.00 a day for 365 days. And it wouldn't be kind to a great worker whose "customers" cannot afford to give her/him a better gift of money, but for the next worker who does little, like maybe fix a broken window one time a year, gets a tip too. So the $1.00 a day works well for us here--that's for ALL STAFF who help us, not just for 1 person who helps us. My donation this year amounted to $365 plus I included more for a total of $500. Great service.
This is all spread evenly over all employees, so all get the same amount, including maintenance, painters, housekeepers, but not caregivers. They are paid separately, as if they were a nurse or doctor. If you say "I can't afford $365 for Christmas". Figure could you put a $1.00 in a hat every day at the end of a 3 meal day? Most of us could do that. Doesn't that add up to $365? Most of us CAN AFFORD $1.00 a day. Especially if you smoke, or stop in the little shop on campus for a candy bar or two several days a week. Be kind to them, and they will be kind to you. And I know myself and several others, contributed a lot more than $365.00 to the Christmas employee gift fund, because we got good service from great staff.
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Unfortunately this is typical. Give what you can. IMO the administration should be giving holiday bonuses to their employees and people who want to give gifts to those they choose. Like in the real world...
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Not here at our place. The caregivers deserve getting a Holiday gift in money for all the hard work the they do for the year
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