Gifts for Caregiver

Protecting your loved one from the person with whom a very close relationship has been established might seem unnecessary, but it just may be an important issue. A certain trust develops between the patient and the caregiver, as the caregiver continues to take really great care of your loved one. But then you feel uncomfortable when you hear about the caregiver needing extra money for personal use. Your loved one wants to help the caregiver and may have lost the ability to sense when being taken advantage of. Even though the caregiver may have been a good friend to the patient for a long time, the caregiver is still an employee and the family needs to protect their loved one from potential financial abuse. To prevent this situation, use an agency that makes certain that they address the issue of gifts with their employees. Even if offered money or valuable items, the caregiver should politely decline the gift. If hiring a home companion directly, it’s important to make this “rule” clear upon hiring; get three work references and call them as this is a business transaction. Bottom line, the family needs to monitor the finances of their loved one to protect against potential fraud. Being included on the bank account will help with online monitoring.