If you’re here, I bet a caregiver has positively impacted your life and you’re wondering …

“What are the best gifts for caregivers?”

Caregivers are often overworked and underappreciated. Many times, caregivers are so busy caring for others that they don’t spend much time thinking about how to best care for themselves.

If you are a caregiver, I understand how hard it can be to focus on yourself for a little bit instead of focusing on others. As a social worker, I’m often taking care of other people as well as hearing stories from caregivers who are feeling stressed. Some common themes that caregivers share are:

• Feelings of loneliness
• Decision fatigue
• Being pulled in multiple directions at once
• Wanting a break but not being able to take one
• Guilt from not being able to “do it all”

Our caregivers need our love and support. If you’re looking for caregiver gifts that will show them how much you care, you’ve come to the right place!

These suggestions are primarily gifts for family caregivers, but no matter what type of caregiver you’re choosing a gift for, this list has something for all.

 

Thoughtful Gifts for Caregivers

These gifts range from actual physical gifts to things that you can do to provide your caregiver with some support.

 

Give Them A Call

With the invention of texting, emailing, and instant messaging, picking up the phone and calling someone isn’t something that most people do anymore. Caregivers often suffer from loneliness because being a caregiver is a full-time job where there is rarely a day off.

One of the simplest and most thoughtful gifts is your time and attention. Give your loved one who is a caregiver a call and let them vent to you if they need it. Here are some helpful phrases:

• It makes sense that you would feel…
• I understand how that….
• I can sense how….

 

A Gift Card or Certificate for a Massage

Massages are one of the most indulgent ways that people take care of themselves. As a person with chronic pain, I personally love getting massages whenever I can. If your loved one who is a caregiver is on their feet a lot or doing a lot of labor-intensive activities, a massage would be a wonderful gift. For this gift, I like the SpaFinder gift cards because they can be used at many different places, but you can also get a gift certificate from a local massage center.

 

Deliver a Meal

Meal planning and preparation can take a lot of time. The caregiver in your family is probably tired, stressed, and has enough on their plate. They probably feel that some days they are neglecting the needs of their spouse and/or children, even as they are doing so much for their dad with Alzheimer’s or mom with dementia.

Why not lighten their load by cooking them a meal and delivering it? These meals don’t have to be extravagant. A pot of spaghetti or a pan of chicken and vegetables would be thoroughly appreciated.  If you’re not much of a cook, a gift card to their favorite restaurant or delivery app also works.

 

Aromatherapy Diffuser with Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is a simple way to just feel a bit better. Aromatherapy can be done in multiple ways such as candles and room sprays, but my favorite way is using an essential oil diffuser. After a long day of caring for their mom, dad, or grandparents, your caregiver can turn this on and instantly get in the mood for relaxation.

 

Help Them Out/Give Them a Break

Your caregiver has a lot that they have to do on top of being a caregiver. They have to take care of their children, take care of their spouse, remember doctor’s appointments, and more. Taking one or two things off of their plate would be a huge help.

Here are just a few ways to help out your caregiver:

• Do some of their household chairs
• Do their grocery shopping and deliver it to them
• Take their children for the day (or weekend!)

If you want to do a bit more, you can give them a whole day off. If you (and they) feel comfortable, you can take care of their loved one while they rest. You could also hire someone to help alleviate some of their stress.

 

Bath Bombs or Shower Steamers

In the same spirit of aromatherapy and massages, bath bombs or shower steamers can be a great way for caregivers to practice self-care. They are going to be taking a bath or shower anyway, so make it a little more exciting and fun with a bath bomb or shower steamer. While both smell great, bath bombs usually also provide additional moisturizing properties.

 

Practical Gifts For Caregivers

Now let’s focus on some caregiver gifts that are still super thoughtful (because it’s the thought that counts!), but also practical so that your caregiver can be their most productive self. Any caregiver would be delighted with these gifts.

 

A Crossbody Bag

A quality crossbody bag would be a perfect caregiver gift. Caregivers often need both hands when they’re pushing a wheelchair or generally caring for their loved one. A hands-free bag will allow them to do just that. There are many different styles, but I like this Waterfly crossbody sling because it can be worn as a backpack or on the chest for easy accessibility.

If you’re looking for purses in the crossbody style to give, check out this Baggallini bag with RFID blocking to keep credit cards and phone safe. Or, there is this Vera Bradley crossbody bag, which comes in 15 different colors. But if you really want to splurge on the caregiver in your life, consider this leather saddle bag by Fossil. It comes in five different colors.

 

Lotion or other Moisturizer

Most people would appreciate the gift of lotion, especially if it smells good. A lot of caregivers have to wash their hands more than the average person because they provide hands on care and need to lessen the risk of spreading germs to their loved one. Washing your hands that often can lead to dry, cracked skin. This lanolin moisturizer is the perfect solution to that. It is easily absorbed into the skin and provides a deep moisturization. This would also be a perfect gift for nursing home caregivers!

 

A Planner

Your loved one who is a caregiver probably has a lot that they have to think about and schedule for. A planner would be the perfect tool to help them keep up with everything that they need to do. This planner is especially great because it is non-dated and gives them hour-by-hour scheduling. 

 

An Insulated Water Bottle

Caregivers are often running around all day long doing different things to make sure that everyone is taken care of. One thing that we can do for them is to make sure that they are staying hydrated. This S’well tumbler/water bottle keeps drinks cold (or hot!) for at least 24 hours.

 

Wireless Headphones

There are a few reasons that I think wireless headphones (or earbuds) are a great gift for caregivers. One, they will allow your caregiver to continue to listen to their favorite music or TV shows while they’re caring for their loved one. Second, there are no wires that will get in the way of their caregiving duties. Third, they won’t disturb their mom with dementia or father with Alzheimer’s with what they’re listening to while they care for them.

 

A Robot Vacuum

This one (and the previous one) are admittedly a bit of a splurge. BUT I fully believe that your caregivers would be over the moon with these gifts. A robot vacuum gives them a break on the one household chore that seems never ending: sweeping the floor. This little vacuum works on many floor types including hardwood and carpet. Help your caregiver spend less time cleaning and more time caring for their parents.

 

Your Turn

So what did you think about these caregiver appreciation gifts? You can even grab a couple of these gifts and make them into a caregiver gift basket! I hope that these suggestions help you when figuring out what to give your caregiver for the holidays, a birthday, or just to show them how much you love them. If you’re a caregiver, is there anything else that you would add to the list? Please share in the comments below.

Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Briana Hollis for writing this guest blog post. You can read more helpful posts by Briana at Learning to Be Free.