Caregiver retention is essential to the success of home care agencies and their clients. While the caregiver turnover rate is at an all-time high, jobs in every industry remain unfilled and in high demand.
Even the best caregivers—who are selfless and dedicated to their work—will quickly submit their resignations when they feel undervalued.
Importance of Appreciation for Caregivers
Caregivers are the backbone of the home care industry, working tirelessly to provide compassionate and dedicated care to those in need. During the holiday season, when many families gather to celebrate and spend time together, caregivers may feel the weight of being away from their loved ones while serving the seniors in their community, leading to feelings of loneliness and burnout.
Undervalued Work
Although their role is physically and emotionally strenuous, ensuring your caregivers feel valued, especially during the holidays, is sure to aid in your retention efforts in the new year.
Boosts Morale
Happier caregivers lead to greater client outcomes. By adding a little cheer to their role, office morale is sure to boost and translate over in their visits.
Caregiver-Family Relationship
Clients and their families value consistency when it comes to their loved one’s care, and a familiar face is known to boost client outcomes in the long run.
Feelings of Isolation
The holiday season is busy for everyone, from clients to families and caregivers. Not only does the stress of the holidays and the busy time affect your staff’s life outside of work, but that same feeling can spill into their shifts. Ensuring comradery and fostering relationships with your staff will help with the feeling of loneliness the holidays can bring.
Creative Ways to Provide Holiday Gifts
When we show caregivers that we care, they’re more likely to stick around. And, when uplifted and appreciated, caregivers not only remain loyal—they spread more cheer during their visits.
Clients with routine and familiar caregivers feel better cared for. They value the same friendly faces at their doors. Subsequently, home care agencies that embrace retention challenges keep clients happy and business operations fluid.
Recognition and Awards
Many companies have an employee-of-the-month program or recognize an outstanding performer each quarter. Public acknowledgment and words of affirmation provide pride in employees’ work and encourage further effort.
Wellness Packages
The work of a caregiver is not always easy. It’s a mentally, emotionally, and physically draining job; an easy way to avoid burnout among your caregivers is by rewarding them with the opportunity to relax and recharge. Whether this be a day at the spa or a massage for the employee of the quarter, you’re gifting something they otherwise wouldn’t do for themselves.
Therapy Services
Whether ensuring and training your staff on the benefits included in their employee healthcare packages or bringing in a trained professional, extending a listening ear can go miles regarding your staff feeling recognized and appreciated for their emotionally charged work.
Time-Off
One way to show appreciation and understanding is to gift an extra day off. It allows your caregivers to feel seen for their incredibly hard work. Although it may not seem like much, a little vacation day goes a long way for employee morale.
Surprise Bonuses
Widespread holiday bonuses and pay raises may not be feasible for home care agencies, especially when managing many caregivers; however, consider reserving bonuses for a few exceptional employees or those with outstanding tenure.
Grocery Delivery Gift Cards
After a full day of client visits, gifting someone the ability to have their groceries delivered to them will allow your staff to kick their feet up and relax after work.
Other Holidays Gifts for Caregivers
Meal Prep/Meal Kits
Caregivers often work long, demanding shifts. And, when they get home, they still have themselves and their families to feed. A month of meal prep through a company like Hello Fresh can save your caregiver’s meal-planning time, grocery-shopping effort, and money.
Holiday Party/Gift Exchange
Year-end parties are an excellent way for caregivers to get to know one another and are something to look forward to. When employees build connections and friendships, they gain a community of support.
A gift exchange provides thoughtful, personalized gifts, leaving a meaningful impression and building camaraderie amongst your staff.
Gift Cards and Getaways
Giveaways are also a great way to incentivize caregivers over the holidays. Agencies can mail out gift cards, set up competitions for larger, exciting getaways, host virtual raffles, or include door prizes at holiday parties as options to distribute well-deserved gifts.
While gift card gifting is easy and includes countless, well-loved options, friendly competitions for a bigger grand prize are a fun way to switch things up. A larger grand prize can be given based on high client ratings or other accomplishments that promote hard work and more dedicated client care.
Flexible Scheduling
Aiming to accommodate your caregivers’ Christmas festivities schedule is a great and cost-effective way to show your staff you prioritize their work-life balance while giving them time to celebrate the holidays with family.
Thoughtful Personalized Gifts
Instead of randomly selecting incentives that may or may not resonate with your staff, we recommend polling them for direct feedback on what they’d prefer to receive this holiday season. By listening to your caregivers, you remove any guesswork and allow your staff to truly feel heard and valued.
Encourage Caregiver Retention With AxisCare
Supporting your caregivers is not only vital during the holiday season but should be a focal point in your efforts year-round. Book a demo with one of our home care experts to learn more about AxisCare’s caregiver retention features to help you better support your staff.
