Why do agency staff...

[NanaNana]

This is cra*, Annie, you need the help. Someday in the future, hubby is going to need 2 people to look after him and move him about. As he becomes 'more useless' (as he puts it), his body either gets stiffer or more floppy, which means more dead weights to move and lift about. I dread to think that our SS here won't pay for 2 helpers in the future, although it is already written in the social worker's care report, that he will need 2 as time goes on and as his body gets older.

I wish I could help you. Just shows how much the professional bodies actually DON'T GIVE A DAMN, as long as it's not THEM having to cope with things. It's all the same, who REEEEALLY CARES?

ONLY WE DO AND ALL OUR FRIENDS ON HERE, but it's only mental help we give each other, brilliant though it is.

Love and loads of hugs don't get your hubby in or out of bed or wash the sheets for you, but I send you them anyway, we all need them.

[Eun]

I know it is ridiculuous to even think of this - but how about bursting into tears on the phone and telling them you just can't cope anymore and you need this help in place asap?

You shouldn't have to do that, I know, but sometimes you have to play the gits at their own game. I really hope you will get refunded all this money that you have paid out - its disgusting.

Eun

[Guest]

I got it at last, three days of fighting for what my husband needs but it is now in place and the additional carer is funded by social services not us, of course we still have to pay for the physio and that is not right but I cannot get steamed up about that, we have been paying for well over a year now. I think that is simply unbelievable that people like us who give everything we have to care for the people we love and to try to keep them at home saving the State vast quantities of money have to fight like this when they need a few weeks help with the care and it is only 1 3/4 hours a day, the other 22 1/4 are down to me.

Eun, I just am not the sort of person who cries but I do know what you mean, sometimes reminding them that we are people who have emotions just like them pays off where everything else has failed, it just is not something which I can do but there have been times over the past few days when if I had been the type of person who cries I would have just sat down and wept with despair.

[Lazydaisy]

Eun I have done that,when I hit rockbottom, and I was told that they could not understand me talking, and to phone back when I had stopped crying!
All I got was humiliation. I think Management at Social Services are trained in having no feelings.I have to say that the agency we use for Ben is sompletely different, and several of the staff cried with us when Rhys died, and in the months since.They have called at our house, brought us flowers, and offered over and above the usual care for Ben.
Best of luck, Annie x

[RachelH]

You have described my previous care agency to a tee Parsifal.....it might even be the same agency!!! lol

These so called 'carers' told my mother what was best for her and what their goal was!!! They caused so much stress we could only tolerate them a few weeks. I politely (but firmly) pointed out my mother would decide what is best for her and that I employed them to help with the current situation and not come in and change my mother's lifestyle and preferences but they would barely acknowledge me after that.....it was all very childish and not something one would expect from a care agency. It's like certain domiciliary care agencies (not all) follow their own care plan which they apply to every single client and it's wrong. The whole point of receiving care in the home is to be able to live independently, how you want to live so when complete strangers come in to our homes bombarding us with their rules and procedures you might as well be living in a residential home. I have also had the care owner trying to bring creams, lotions and equipment into the home which were unsuitable for my mother (the District Nurse's words not mine) just because they thought they knew best! Rachel x

[chrisn]

Hi

You should not have to put up with an attitude by any carer like that. You should contact the care manager at the agency and put in an official complaint and also ask for that carer to not be sent again.

Regarding training, new carers should have a 2 to 4 day induction (depending on the agency) followed by a few weeks shadowing with a current experienced carer. Also during this time they should undergo several other training courses.

Once the go into the community on their own the office staff should brief that carer on all the clients they are going to visit.

Missed Calls should be treated as a serious matter by the agenc - under the inspectorate regulations they must record and deal with ALL missed calls.

[Eun]

My son has people coming in who are basically straight off the street and into our house - some of whom are worse than useless.

He has asked the agency 3 times not to send a particular worker (not carer - we are carers) in and they keep doing it.

Every time son gets this worker son has heart palpitations because the person is so useless and puts my sons safety at risk because of his incompetence.#

My son has also e-mailed the social worker to say he is not happy. As long as the care provided is cheap I don't think the social work dept particularly gives a monkeys if it is any good or not.

Eun

[NanaNana]

Do you HAVE to let that particular care worker into the house? They don't have the right to come in after all.
Don't give up, keep on at them about her/him, make yourselves adamant that you don't want her/him near your son and tell them why.
As everyone says to me:-

IT'S YOUR HOUSE!