2023 Holiday Gift Guide for Family Caregivers: 7 Gift Ideas for the Caregiver in Your Life

If you’re shopping for a family caregiver in your life, this holiday season, you may feel unsure about what they really would appreciate receiving. You know they have a lot going on, and want to give them something thoughtful and useful. Each year, we put out a gift guide for the family caregivers in your life. In the 2023 edition, will offer some new ideas to help you as you shop this season. So let’s dive into the 2023 holiday gift guide for caregivers.

Gift 1: A Personalized Decorative Plate

There’s something so special about receiving a gift customized with you in mind. A beautiful gift to give this holiday season is a custom decorative plate they can enjoy year after year. On Etsy, you can find a lot of sellers offering hand-painted decorative plates that you can customize with:

Their loved one’s handwriting through a note or signature
A handwritten family recipe (like a secret family cookie recipe on a cookie platter)
Recreating a favorite picture of their wedding day (perfect for caregivers caring for a spouse)
Or anything else you can think of that would feel special to them, and remind them of happy memories with a loved one in their care

Gift 2: A Sassy Self-care Basket

For the spunky caregiver in your life, a sassy self-care basket may be just the ticket. You can add candles with funny sayings on them, like this “last nerve” candle, silly T-shirts, or anything else you can think of that would make them smile. It’s a creative way to send an age-old gift with a 2023 twist.

Gift 3: A Set of Noise-Canceling Headphones

Family caregivers often spend a good amount of time in and around doctors offices and hospitals. Some noise-canceling headphones that connect to their smart phone can give them a moment of peace and relaxation amidst what can otherwise feel like a stressful environment.

To make it even more special, you could gift it with a subscription to audible, a single audiobook, or iTunes gift card.

Gift 4: Time

If there’s one thing no caregiver has enough of, it’s time. They are usually under a lot of pressure to accomplish their tasks on behalf of the loved one(s) in their care while maintaining their personal responsibilities outside of their role as caregiver.

Something every caregiver would appreciate is the gift of time. But how do you give that?

Whether you volunteer to care on their behalf for a few hours, or give them a few hours of professional respite care, the gift of time is invaluable.

Gift 5: Quality Time

Along that same token, a lot of caregivers start to feel isolated over time. Many tend to feel that their friends and other family can’t relate to their situation or are tired of hearing about it, causing them to cut themselves off from those who care most.

If the caregiver in your life has seemed quiet or like they’re pulling away, the gift of quality time could make all the difference. Plan a day together to go do something fun, like heading to a movie, going out to lunch, or just a simple walk together with coffee from a local cafe. Just make sure you plan it for them (and if possible, have an idea/plan for the care recipient) so this gift doesn’t end up feeling at all like a burden.

Gift 6: Meals

Another task caregivers often shoulder is meals. Not only are family caregivers often the primary caregiver at home (outside of care), they also often take on the burden of cooking, cleaning up after, and feeding the loved one in their care.

A pre-cooked meal you’ve made for them with a thrifted dish they don’t have to return, or a subscription to a meal delivery service can be a thoughtful gift to help to ease the burden.

Gift 7: Cozy Night in a Box

Another gift idea for the caregiver in your life is a cozy night in a box. You can include things like fuzzy slippers, cozy socks, a blanket, a mug, a candle, a book you recommend, your favorite tea, or anything else that will make them feel cozy for a night of self-care.

Closing Thoughts: Caregiver Holiday Gift Guide 2023

Caring for the caregiver in your life is incredibly thoughtful and your gift should reflect that. We hope this list has given you some ideas for what you can give the caregiver in your life this holiday season to make them feel special.

We also recommend letting the caregiver in your life know about us, the California Caregiver Resource Centers. We are a non-profit network of 11 Centers that support caregivers across the state of California. Every county in the state is covered.