My mom is in assisted living and everyone is kind and helpful, but one caregiver is especially good. She seems to have a little more involvement with my mother and she has tipped me off more than once when she felt something needed my attention. I've expressed my appreciation to both her and her supervisor, and I try to do something special for the entire staff every so often. But I feel like this person is just a little more concerned about my mother's well being. I'd like to do something for her, but I guess I worry about excluding the others. Any suggestions?
When my dad was in the nursing home nearly an hour away from our house, my mom drove to him every other day and stay the entire day. She fed him as he would not eat without her coaxing. One male CNA took a liking to my dad and took note of the problem n even though its not only was it not his assignment, rather he was encouraged not to do this, but he took it upon himself to see that my dad got something to eat on the days my mom wasn't there. Now, this guy's wife also work in the kitchen at the nursing home and they took the bus to and from work because they didn't have a car.At least once a week my mom drove them home, feeling it was a small gesture and it was won the nursing home did not object to. We also took in muffins with cream cheese and jam, brownies, cookies or donuts (ALL SO HEALTHY, AAARRRGGGHHH!), something for everyone at least once a week. My dad was there 16 months before he died. Afterward, we had to go down to handle some business and we hung around until the end of the couples shift and offered to take them home as usual. We gave them a check for $1000 I figure my mom and I had come to because she said what he did for my dad was priceless. The guy was speechless, started crying and and the check to his wife whose mouth dropped open. They said no one had ever done anything like that for them before. They were so appreciative but we told them it was our pleasure because they had been so giving on behalf of my dad.
These folks are overworked and underpaid and any way you can show gratitude when they go out of their way, well, it's just the right thing to do.