The care company that tends to my Gran’s needs throughout the day have been rocky to say the least; from a carer squatting in the back garden, to a carer taking the key from the key safe off premises, to leaving brakes off the commode when leaving the property. All of this has been pretty bad, but today takes the biscuit.
My Gran phoned at half 1 to say that the lunchtime carer had not been (bearing in mind, my Gran is bedbound and cannot move to eat/drink without someone else being present to help her). So, I phoned up the care company and they said a carer was on their way and would be there between 5-10 minutes. Fine. I informed my Gran of this.
She phoned me again at 3:55 to say the lunchtime call still hadn’t been. So, I phone the company again and they say ‘X definitely went round’. X happened to be sat opposite the manager I was on the phone to and apparently it turns out X went a ‘funny colour’ because she realised she went to the WRONG HOUSE to do the lunchtime call.
So, my Gran has had nobody to help her eat/drink/toilet since early this morning because the care company is so unorganised. I find it disgraceful. They asked if I want to lodge a formal complaint, but I don’t see the point- something happens every few days to cause distress and/or worry so something else is bound to happen.
The sad fact is that there are two/three semi-regular carers who come in and they are brilliant- they can’t do enough and the house looks spotless when they leave from each call.
It’s the management that are letting the side down and I have no idea where to go with this, if I’m honest.
If CHC funded , point of contact is the NHS area CHC unit.
( Your previous thread … 25 February 2019 … no mention of CHC … I mentioned it as a possible option. Three / four
months … pretty quick for CHC / NHS Continuing Healthcare to be in place … even fast track on occasions ? )
The care workers and all other aspects of the day to day caring are THEIR responsibility … and their’s alone
to sort out with the others in the chain !
Contact details should be with all the CHC paperwork … usually several inches thick ! ( And , like the old fashioned deeds to one’s property , safe and secure in case of future need ? )
If those details cannot be located , I’ll try an Internet search … may take a few dead ends but it must be out there somewhere.
( Please don’t tell me any top up fees are paid ? )
We weren’t given any paperwork- just one letter in the post to say CHC had been granted.
No top up fees are paid (I think we’re the only ones on this forum for whom money isn’t a problem- it’s just everything else seems to be a problem and no amount of money can fix it, seemingly!)
Interesting … only a letter of confirmation ? … in which case , that NHS area CHC Unit is your immediate point of contact.
If the contact details are not on that letter , read on.
None of the mountain size pile of papers that accompany any application for CHC / NHS Continuing Healthcare
not available ?
Assuming not your grandmother , the person acting on her behalf when making said application … under whatever
authority … able to assist with a contact number … to save you searching ?
You must complain to the Care Quality Commission about this. You cannot know how many times it’s happened to someone else. What would have happened if mum didn’t have you?
It’s a common problem from my experience (three different care companies) that it is always the management, rather than the carers that let the side down.
I am starting to trust Mums current agency, but only today the two carers at tea were discussing how one carer had one call the next day while the other had more than she could manage. They phoned the office and switched several calls to the carer who only had one call.
How the highly paid management team couldn’t work this out themselves is beyond me…
It might be worth considering raising a safeguarding complaint.? I know that when you have so much on it can seem like a waste of time and as you don’t see an immediate response fruitless - however I understand that if enough concerns are raised the agencies’ contracts can be reconsidered which might make management pay more attention?
It is so very hard when people you love are vulnerable and just don’t get the support they need and are meant to get. My father has been home from hospital for less than a week and we’ve already had two missed care visits. I don’t think people realise the impact until they experience it. I really do feel that so many of our old and disabled are without a voice, and carers are just too exhausted. It’s so very sad. Your family are very lucky to have you.
Thanks, guys- you’ve all been incredibly helpful and I will definitely be getting in touch with Adult Safeguarding.
I do believe we’re not far off the time where it’ll be appropriate for my Gran to move into a nursing home (obviously, it’s not something anyone really wants, but at least she’ll have round-the-clock care and she’ll have more to do than simply stare at the telly or wait for carers to show up (*or not!) for each call).
It is extremely frustrating when the care company add to the stress levels when people are already stressed out enough by the medical condition itself! As has already been said, I really do feel for those people who don’t have any friends/family to stand up for them when the care company treats them like numbers on a spreadsheet!
