The iSavta Team | 02.07.2019

Perhaps you have a caregiver who provides you with care, or you know a caregiver who works giving care to a friend or family member. Maybe you want to say thank you to them, but you are finding it tough to find the right words.

Here we will give you some ideas of things you can write to your caregiver to thank them for everything they do and have done for you. Express these ideas in your own words, and let your thanks come from the heart.

This article won’t tell you exactly what to write, because the words should be genuine and your own, but I will give you a few ideas that will help you to write a great thank you letter to your caregiver.

 

How to start:

 

It might be difficult to know where to start when wanting to thank a caregiver. Thinking and reflecting can help you to find the right way to express those thanks.

TIPS:

1. Try meditating or focussing on your feelings of gratitude towards that person for ten or fifteen minutes. The feelings that arise can be what you base your letter on.
2. Reflect on the memories you have where the caregiver has helped to make your life better. Using specific examples of experiences can help you to articulate your thanks.
3. Brainstorm and make notes of some ideas of things you might want to say to the caregiver before you start to write. This can help you structure your letter.  

 

Things that you can cover in your letter

When you are writing your letter to your caregiver to say thank you to them for caring for you personally, you could cover the following:

 

• Give some examples of times where they have made a difficult day better.
• Point out some of the small things they do, like if they help you to pick out your favorite clothes or put on music that you like to listen to.
• Point out their personal characteristics or qualities, for example, tell them if they are a great listener, or patient.
• Explain what they have done to make you feel less embarrassed if they have helped you with personal things such as bathing and getting dressed.
• You could even write a poem. Here are some examples of things that poems that other people have written to thank their caregivers.

Point out how they have made the day or you or your loved one brighter.

If you are writing to thank a caregiver to thank them for looking after a friend or member of your family, you could say:

• Explain how they have made particular days better for your loved one.
• Tell the caregiver how they have helped to reduce your stress levels, or given you time to look after yourself.
• Point out times where you have been able to do things that you wouldn’t have been otherwise able to do.
• In your letter, write about times where you have been able to stop worrying about your loved one because you know they are in safe hands.
• You could also explain how the caregiver is suited to their job, by highlighting some of their personal qualities and characteristics, such as how they provide dignity to the person that they are caring for.

 

Other ways to thank a caregiver:

You may even want to thank your caregiver with more than a letter. Some of the things that you could do for your caregiver involve the following:

• Give them a gift or a voucher. As we have mentioned, caregiving can be a stressful job, as well as physically demanding. You may even wish to give them a voucher for something relaxing, such as a massage, from somewhere such as Groupon.
• You could make a charitable donation on their behalf, for instance, to a local dementia charity.
• You can ask the caregiver how you can help them to make their lives a little easier. They may have some ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of.

You could also give your caregiver a small gift with a thank you letter.

Dear Caregiver…

 

The following is an example of the type of letter you could write to a caregiver.

Remember to make sure that your letter is personal and comes from your own feelings and experiences.

 

Dear Susan,

I wanted to write to you to explain to you how much I appreciate the care that you have been providing to my Aunty Joyce. Before you came along, I was under a huge amount of pressure to work full-time as well as look after my son.

I was worried that I would have to put Aunty Joyce into a nursing home, which I know she did not want.

You have allowed her to stay in her home and live a happier life.

I am thankful that you have taken the time and patience to get to know Aunty Joyce. You listen to her carefully, even when she tells you things that she’s told you before. You always take an interest in what she has to say, and the stories about her and my Uncle Arthur.

Thanks to your care, I have been able to take some time to relax and enjoy with my son. For example, I was able to take him on an overnight trip for his birthday. I would not have been able to do that without you.

You are so important to our family! We are so grateful to the wonderful care you give to Aunty Joyce, and how you have helped to make her days brighter and take the pressure off us to provide her with constant care.

 

Thank you so much.

Warm wishes,

Linda

 

Summary

 

Remember – the most important thing is that the words come from your heart.

Also, try to point out specific examples of what your caregiver is done so that your words are heartfelt.