Really awkward situation for me because I’m too soft.
One of our carers didn’t turn up for a double up tea time call, so the single carer dealt with Mum alone. Later that day the “no show” carer came for the bed time call but also signed to say they had been here at the tea time call.
I realise this is completely out of order, Mum gets an itemised bill and is charged just shy of £10 for each single carer that attends meaning Mum was going to be charged £10 for care she didn’t receive and the carer would be paid despite not attending.
I was really angry to start with but Mum didn’t want me to say anything. Later that night I mellowed thinking of all the good things the carer had done for us and I am very friendly with her, so I let it go. This was a couple of weeks ago.
Today exactly the same thing has happened again with the same carer, if its going to be a regular occurrence the amount Mum is being overcharged is going to keep creeping up.
I don’t have the nerve to confront the carer direct, if I report her will she be disciplined meaning future calls are going to be extremely frosty, if she’s sacked will all the other carers hate me. I can’t let it keep happening, but at the same time don’t know how to deal with it best? Anyone else experienced this or know a discreet way to deal with it???
Do you think the carer is using your good nature. She may think as you haven’t mentioned it or spoke to anyone. That’s Ok!
You have three options confront her or report her or leave it.
I would not leave it. It sounds like she is taking advantage. It’s possible it happening elsewhere. If your report it to the manager. They will have their own way tom deal with such matters. The are policies in place.
If two carers are necessary then two should be there. It’s a safeguarding(health & safety) issue. Regardless of what it costs.
Unfortunately we have experienced this quite a few times. It’s really hard as you want to maintain good relationships/ goodwill with carers and know they aren’t paid a huge amount but equally don’t want to be ripped off and ultimately the care is needed!
If you have a good relationship with the carer perhaps you could say that you had noticed that she had signed in when she obviously wasn’t here, that you assume it was simply a mistake and she will want to correct it. If she does it again then you could tell the Agency? The problem with not addressing it/ letting it go, as I have found, is that it just keeps happening and more corners get cut until the relationship does breakdown/something big happens. Better to nip it in the bud before it becomes a much bigger issue?
When a carer didn’t do the job she was suppose to do at my Mum’s I was so cross I wrote on their notes myself, contradicting theirs. However it was a carer I didn’t know well and she was never assigned again. Perhaps it was ‘not on’ to make my own comments and the other carers noticed and made apologetic comments but the management didn’t object. I found that Mum’s carers took good notice of what their colleagues had written and were very critical if, when they arrived, they thought the previous ‘team’ hadn’t done their job properly.
Seeing as you have a good relationship with this carer perhaps you should gently let her know that you have noticed the false entry. However be wary of being too ‘soft’. One wants and needs to trust and rely on the carers who are attending but some seemingly very nice people take advantage.
KR
I once wrote in the “Memory Book” out of anger after a carer accused Mum of hitting them. I told the carers it was there fault after trying to force Mum into bed without commode time.
The next week was a big conspiracy, who wrote that, the carers were scrutinising the handwriting trying to work out who was responsible. Apparently, I’m not supposed to write in the book.
It’s fraud, theft and a safeguarding issue. It’s wrong and the carer knows it.
When that started happening to me, I started photographing the entries in the care records so I had clear proof: one signature in morning, then the regular ones at lunch and tea, and after evening visit there were two signatures for the morning. I’ve had one carer forge the other’s signature and morning entry made in book after the lunchtime note.
Similar stuff happened with the medication administration records - back filling and forgery. I made a big stink and went the safeguarding route. The agency was switched by the LA and I got about £1400 back! I did have hard evidence.
Stephen
You CAN write in the book. Even in the nursing home I wrote in hubby’s daily records if I felt the need. Always put my initials at the side, as staff did. Obviously was always polite, as in please and thank you. CQC never queried it.
Also my daughter took photographs of anything written she was concerned about.
Thanks all for the invaluable advice, there is no way I will let it continue. As Mum is self funding it’s costing her nearly a tenner everytime it happens.
I think tomorrow may be the straw that broke the camels back as said carer is here at tea and bedtime. Lets see what happens and I have a plan of action if it does happen again.
I know I come across as soft, but there is really only two, maybe three carers whom I would have let things get this far with, which shows maybe that I am being taken advantage of.
I’ve sorted this today, when only one carer turned up at tea time I questioned her about whether I’d be charged for two carers.
She gave the only valid response possible, keep an eye on your invoice and speak to the office if you are charged for two carers.
I’m assuming this conversation was passed onto the other carer at bed time, she didn’t sign to say she attended in the afternoon and was her usual pleasant self.
Phew - Problem solved without any confrontation or hostilities.
Oh well done, That was a subtle and non-confrontational method, I’m with you -hate any kind of confrontation, which means I don’t complain when I should. Trouble is, when I ‘lose my rag’, I really lose it. It’s very rare that I start throwing things though!
Keep an eye on things -just in case.
KR
Sometimes the subtle touch is better than going in all guns blazing…One of our favourite carers got £20 which she deserved. But now knows she can’t do it again.
Another subtle way could be a photo copy of the fraud page unsigned and then signed also a copy of the invoice.
Left on top the original with a little scribbles, " I’m having trouble matching up my invoices attendance costs today, hopefully it will be much easier from tomorrow. "