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Holiday Gifts


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Does your facility give gifts to the residents during the holidays? We've given, tote bags and lap robes, and things like that. Any suggestions of what to get this year?

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Does your facility give gifts to the residents during the holidays? We've given, tote bags and lap robes, and things like that. Any suggestions of what to get this year?

 

Last year, I bought Christmas stockings for each resident and hung them outside their door.

Staff, Families, visitors and other residents had fun dropping things in these including things like; Christmas cards,

candy, gum, small bottles of shampoo or lotion, pencils, pens, notepaper, oranges, hankies, etc.

 

If anyone has other ideas of things to get I would love to know. I purchased battery operated "pop" on lights

for residents to have on hand in case of power outages and they all loved them! (dollar store purchase!).

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My Home Only buys gifts for those residents that has no family.....We use to buy token gifts for everyone and then we decided some residents have no family...So now we buy nice gifts for a handful of residents.... Mcduck

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My Home Only buys gifts for those residents that has no family.....We use to buy token gifts for everyone and then we decided some residents have no family...So now we buy nice gifts for a handful of residents.... Mcduck

 

 

Does anyone currently offer a Secret Santa or Secret Angel where staff can adopt a resident ? I'd like to start it this year.

Edited by ILoveMyLVN
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I am the Activity Director at my Nursing Home and we have done a "Giving Tree" for about 6 years. It was a nice thing...but last year was the worst. We had staff take names off the tree and never bring in the gift, or brought it in on the morning of the party/gift opening. When you have over 100 residents, its hard to keep track and make things fair for each resident. Whom ever didn't have their name picked, we used donations of new items. Then some residents would get new clothes and the resident next to them the staff person bought them a toothbrush....kinda unfair. I tried to make things as easy as possible, like writing who is diabetic or who shouldn't have food, and it is like people didn't pay attenion to it. So this year, we are changing it up. NO names to pick off a tree, instead people bring in unwrapped gifts, we'll get a group together and wrap and then have the gift opening. I will let you all know how this works for us.

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Yes, we give gifts- The Resident need practical things like Socks, pretty hair brushes or even makeup. But they don’t get the impractical thing like ball caps, cool t-shirts, trinkets, or jewelry. The things the used to have when they live at home. I am working on having each one of my patients adopted by a local church or organization.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have some organizations that come in and sing christmas Carols down the hallways, they also bring gifts for every resident, like socks, toiletries, fuit. There is one organization that does like an angel tree they set up in the mall and people adopt someone to buy a gift for, and they buy nice clothes. :)

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I have had the same program where I work for about ten years and it works great ! It's called "Adopt A Resident" . Staff , Family and Friends can choose a Resident and buy a gift for that Resident. It works really well for those that do not have much family or any at all. I create a folder with Male or Female choices as well , just in case the people choosing the Residents don't know their names or who they are. I have never had a problem with it. I set a deadline for the gifts to be wrapped and in my Sants Sleigh (a basic Activity cart all dressed up) and then myself and my elves pass them out on Christmas morning , we usually work a half day. It means so much to the Residents. And the people that "Adopt" feel pretty darn good too !!!!!!! Good Luck , hope this helps , BartMan in Tally ;o)

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We do a Secret Santa at our facility. I post a list of residents. Staff can pick their resident they wish to buy for. I set a price limit so staff can feel more comfortable buying-this also makes it more fair for our residents (so some don't get very extravagent gifts while others get smaller ones.). Staff brings their wrapped gifts prior to our Brunch with Santa. During our brunch, Santa is seated near our main Christmas tree and passes out the gifts. We take photos of everyone. Santa also has candy canes for any visiting children. Staff generally adopts most of our residents. The activity staff purchases gifts for the remaining few out of the activity budget. Hope this helps. Sandy

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I'm in a bit of a different setting than most; adult day care. However, I am having a yard sale this week. With some of the money raised I am giving each of our residents $5 or $10 (depending on profit) and allowing them to shop for (on a group outing) for their own secret santa. I am doing this because we have about 40 residents and only 7 staff members.

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Does your facility give gifts to the residents during the holidays? We've given, tote bags and lap robes, and things like that. Any suggestions of what to get this year?

We do a Secret Santa for our residents and the staff are the Santas. We put all the resident's names on gift tags and post them in the staff lounge. The staff members pick as many tags as they feel comfortable with and buy gifts for those residents. When the staff member take a name tag they write their name next to the resident's name on a list that has been provided. The Activity Department buys gifts for those whose names have not been picked. On Christmas Eve the gifts are given out to all of the residents.

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Does your facility give gifts to the residents during the holidays? We've given, tote bags and lap robes, and things like that. Any suggestions of what to get this year?

 

 

Here is what we do at our Home.... We put up a giving tree usually around the time of thanksgiving... Post a flyer or several letting our staff, families and volunteers know... that it is time to choose a name from the tree and to purchase a gift for them. It's pretty amazing idea... That way we don't have to focus all our time purchasing gifts... We do have a few gifts that we purchase due to new residents who may move in closer to the holiday. We have a big party for residents and their families with music and refreshments... During this party a few people who have volunteer will see that each resident gets their gift in their room on their bed. So it adds to the fun evening!

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In October I put up a current Resident list and have staff to sign up to adopt. They bring back a wrapped (usually gift bags are best) gift, sometimes they put their name on them, most don't. The Residents don't usually pay attention unless they're really with it. Then, the local Pamida store has an angel tree and we give them about 20 names that are left. They usually buy gifts for those that aren't taken, very nice hometown store. I get them back and sort them out a day or two before the party, like the office isn't a disaster already! But, the night of the party, most residents come out and enjoy the evening, Santa comes and several families use this night as their Christmas exchange with them. For Christmas morning, I purchase a $1 gift for each and give them to dietary; they put one on every tray so they can wake up with a gift then.

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Does your facility give gifts to the residents during the holidays? We've given, tote bags and lap robes, and things like that. Any suggestions of what to get this year?

 

 

We give our residents things that they can use like socks, sweaters, house robes, pj's, and radios.

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We do a Secret Santa for our residents and the staff are the Santas. We put all the resident's names on gift tags and post them in the staff lounge. The staff members pick as many tags as they feel comfortable with and buy gifts for those residents. When the staff member take a name tag they write their name next to the resident's name on a list that has been provided. The Activity Department buys gifts for those whose names have not been picked. On Christmas Eve the gifts are given out to all of the residents.

 

 

That's what we do as well, and all the gifts are from "Santa" not from the staff. I also don't have the staff wrap it, that way I can see what was bought for who and make it "even"

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This is my first Christmas as an AD, and I've put together a Secret Santa for the residents. I made a list of residents that includes gift ideas for each (some of them I asked directly what they would like for Christmas as part of a reminiscence activity, but I work in the Alzheimer's unit so some residents are unable to communicate their desires). For some of them I listed items that I know they need, such as toiletries or a new set of towels. Residents receive gifts from only one staff member so that nobody receives more presents than the others, and for those who are not chosen by a staff member I will be using the budget to acquire items for them.

 

We are having our annual Christmas party on the 17th and loved ones bring in gifts for their relatives on that date, but I thought it would be really special to have wrapped boxes beneath the tree on Christmas morning.

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Last year, I bought Christmas stockings for each resident and hung them outside their door.

Staff, Families, visitors and other residents had fun dropping things in these including things like; Christmas cards,

candy, gum, small bottles of shampoo or lotion, pencils, pens, notepaper, oranges, hankies, etc.

 

If anyone has other ideas of things to get I would love to know. I purchased battery operated "pop" on lights

for residents to have on hand in case of power outages and they all loved them! (dollar store purchase!).

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I have a volunteer lady who knits only one thing hand warmers, a long tube that is big enough to put your hands in even inside. They use them to go on bus rides also. Some men have even worn them if there blue of brown. This part of Maine is very cold, zero in the winter and it comes in handy instead of gloves that are hard to put on if they have arthritis.

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This is my first Christmas as an AD, and I've put together a Secret Santa for the residents. I made a list of residents that includes gift ideas for each (some of them I asked directly what they would like for Christmas as part of a reminiscence activity, but I work in the Alzheimer's unit so some residents are unable to communicate their desires). For some of them I listed items that I know they need, such as toiletries or a new set of towels. Residents receive gifts from only one staff member so that nobody receives more presents than the others, and for those who are not chosen by a staff member I will be using the budget to acquire items for them.

 

We are having our annual Christmas party on the 17th and loved ones bring in gifts for their relatives on that date, but I thought it would be really special to have wrapped boxes beneath the tree on Christmas morning.

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  • 2 weeks later...
 

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