I’m sorry to trouble you all again but would-be grateful for your advice.
My father receives care from an Agency (a ‘spot provider’) paid for by his local authority. Unfortunately they have proven to be unreliable on a number of occasions : carers have not turned up; been hours late; refused to do things on the care plan ('I don’t clean, wash up , hoover ’ etc) ; have forgotten to prompt my father to take his medication; haven’t fed him; have left much earlier than they are meant to ( on one occasion, for example, my father fell when carers were meant to be with him - I phoned the Agency who said they were with another client and refused to send the carer back despite there still being 45 minutes left of my fathers allocated time : the care record claimed they were still with my father ) etc…
I have tried to speak to the manager at the care agency but got nowhere - they have refused to call me back, were dismissive- said I don’t pay for the hours, my father is still alive so what is the problem etc… .
I can’t keep on covering for them ( I have to keep taking time off work. and am in trouble - I simply have no leave left ) to ensure my father is ready for hospital and is safe. I am exhausted and am concerned for my fathers safety. I also don’t think its right that they are being paid for a service they don’t provide.
I have now finally complained to the social worker - in the hope that as they pay the bill they might be listened to. This was probably a huge mistake. He is now asking for a meeting and wants to discuss, amongst other things, whether my fathers hours can be cut. They really can’t. I am exhausted already from having to provide care that the carers should be doing and from working full time. I haven’t been able to attend my own hospital and doctors appointments. I would walk away to make a point but as my father is terminally ill this seems cruel and could have devastating consequences. I am now on medication for anxiety and stress, my diabetes is out of control. I am simply exhausted - I haven’t had a day off since 15 December. I really couldn’t cope with a further cut in his hours/even less support.
If the social worker tries to cut the hours would I be within my rights to say okay I am no longer going to provide any of the care that I currently do? As I would then have to get him washed/ dressed etc I simply wouldn’t have the time.
Would this mean the care plan would have to be updated to cover all the things that I currently do such as : shopping; cooking; paying bills; sorting out medication; taking him to medical appointments ( such as GP, audiologist, ophthalmologist- appointments for which there is no patient transport ) as well as coordinating transport to and from his thrice weekly hospital dialysis visits? If so this would l far exceed the hours they are proposing to cut …
I can’t continue to work, do night care and everything else that I do as well as the carers job. My father loves being at home and I love him being here. It seems unfair that an agency is being paid for a service they do not provide and the answer , rather than challenging the Agency , is to cut our hours? Am I being unreasonable? is there anything else I can say or do?
I am sorry to ask so many questions I just have no one to discuss it with and you have all been so helpful in the past. Thank you.