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We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

There’s no care in the carer community!

Sophie911

Hello,
you all gave me such lovely and comforting advice last time and I could really do with all your wisdom again.

I’ve been receiving care for three years now, I’ve been with two different companies and have suffered the same mistreatment from both of them.

I’m lucky to have anyone turn up at all yet turn up on time. Since joining this company about two/three months back, I have not received a full single week of care. Whether they cancel, end up arriving to late or just don’t turn up, i end up not having all my care and my Nanna who’s in her 60’s ends up being my emergency carer once again. The whole reason for having care was so she didn’t have to worry about looking after me and hurting herself and her many conditions in the process.

I can’t make them understand that my disability doesn’t stop just because they can’t turn up and when I try to explain, I get a bit of lip in return about how I don’t understand what’s going on “behind the scenes.”

They wish to leave me 13 hours without going to the loo and would make it 14 if they had their way. I can’t get them to understand that I have these human needs just as much as a Able person.

It’s got to the point where they’re literally being payed to cancel and my Nan had to move in as a result, to do my care.

my mum doesn’t have the best of health and all this stress is making her worse. I feel angry, inhuman and unworthy of the basic human rights everyone is supposed to have.

I don’t want to live the rest of my life feeling like a burden to everyone just because I’m simply in a chair.

please, all help support and advice is extremely appreciated as we’re all struggling big time.

thank you so much. X

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Comments

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community

I am sorry to hear that your care isn't working our for you

It's not anything I have any experience with so can't really advise but hope others can

Just wanted to say hi and welcome

MarkM88

Do you pay for the care or do adult social care team?

Sophie911

MarkN88 said:

Do you pay for the care or do adult social care team?

The council pay for my care

Sandy_123

Hi @Sophie911 sorry to read about your difficulties, it seems to be across the board with this issue and been happening for about 10 years I know of. If not longer. I know what goes on behind the scenes and 90% of the time it's a case of care agencies taking on too many customers and not having enough staff to deal with it. They should be working along side your care plan. The whole situation has needed a good shake up for several years now. I'm not disputing there are good carers out there but they can't provide a good service if back logged by greedy care agency owners.
I'm presuming you have a social worker and if not can you ring them, also get In touch with your local council who fund your care. In my local area they have put clocking cards in place and pay care from that data.
CQC have complaints forms to fill out on line too.

https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us

Sophie911

Sandy_123 said:

Hi @Sophie911 sorry to read about your difficulties, it seems to be across the board with this issue and been happening for about 10 years I know of. If not longer. I know what goes on behind the scenes and 90% of the time it's a case of care agencies taking on too many customers and not having enough staff to deal with it. They should be working along side your care plan. The whole situation has needed a good shake up for several years now. I'm not disputing there are good carers out there but they can't provide a good service if back logged by greedy care agency owners.
I'm presuming you have a social worker and if not can you ring them, also get In touch with your local council who fund your care. In my local area they have put clocking cards in place and pay care from that data.
CQC have complaints forms to fill out on line too.

https://www.cqc.org.uk/contact-us

Thanks for the advice. Shared with my family.

Sandy_123

A social worker may offer a different care agency if you tell them your not happy with 1s you have also have you been assessed by an occupational therapist who may provide aids to help you? For inbetween calls.

Oxonlady

Hi @Sophie911, sorry to hear of your troubles. I have the same problems if I ever have to use Care Agencies. Once I booked a three-hour slot, the carer turned up for half an hour and expected to be paid for three hours!

Please consider switching to a different system for funding your care. You can ask to receive Direct Payments. Social Services decide how many hours of care you need per week and then pay the money for your care into an account for you. You can ask to have a Managed Account. This means that if you decided to employ one or two Carers or PAs, the Council would be responsible for dealing with their wages, pension, sick pay etc. You can then employ a Carer of your choice, rather than rely on Care Agencies.
I have been extremely fortunate in finding a very special lady to be my Carer. The Council recommended her after my previous lovely Carer died suddenly.
I have the security of knowing that she will turn up on time, she knows how I like things done, is very helpful, caring and adaptable. Employing your own Carer in this way is far preferable to using Care Agencies.
Good luck going forward.

Sophie911

Sandy_123 said:

A social worker may offer a different care agency if you tell them your not happy with 1s you have also have you been assessed by an occupational therapist who may provide aids to help you? For inbetween calls.

We’re on the second agency they’ve offered now. Social worker never picks up her phone. We keep trying to get in contact but no success so far. I’m waiting to get a occupational therapist.

Oxonlady

MarkM88

Sophie911 said:

MarkN88 said:

Do you pay for the care or do adult social care team?

The council pay for my care

Than I would be raising the issue with the adult social care team and the names social worker and case manager if you have one. They will more than likely not be happy that they are paying for care that you are not receiving and therefore hopefully would step in and help you resolve the issues.

Sophie911

MarkN88 said:

Sophie911 said:

MarkN88 said:

Do you pay for the care or do adult social care team?

The council pay for my care

Than I would be raising the issue with the adult social care team and the names social worker and case manager if you have one. They will more than likely not be happy that they are paying for care that you are not receiving and therefore hopefully would step in and help you resolve the issues.

As I said in another reply, struggling to get in contact with my social worker as she won’t pick up the phone. ?

RoxyC

Hey, I work in the healthcare sector but at a care home, we receive a lot of new residents that have suffered the same experiences of neglect. The first thing we do is raise a safe guarding against the community care company. Keep a diary of the failings and neglect you are receiving and forward to CQC. I do believe you can talk to your GP who should be able to raise a safe guarding on your behalf. If you can try to take pictures of the neglect you are suffering.

pollyanna1052

Sophie911 said:

Hello,
you all gave me such lovely and comforting advice last time and I could really do with all your wisdom again.

I’ve been receiving care for three years now, I’ve been with two different companies and have suffered the same mistreatment from both of them.

I’m lucky to have anyone turn up at all yet turn up on time. Since joining this company about two/three months back, I have not received a full single week of care. Whether they cancel, end up arriving to late or just don’t turn up, i end up not having all my care and my Nanna who’s in her 60’s ends up being my emergency carer once again. The whole reason for having care was so she didn’t have to worry about looking after me and hurting herself and her many conditions in the process.

I can’t make them understand that my disability doesn’t stop just because they can’t turn up and when I try to explain, I get a bit of lip in return about how I don’t understand what’s going on “behind the scenes.”

They wish to leave me 13 hours without going to the loo and would make it 14 if they had their way. I can’t get them to understand that I have these human needs just as much as a Able person.

It’s got to the point where they’re literally being payed to cancel and my Nan had to move in as a result, to do my care.

my mum doesn’t have the best of health and all this stress is making her worse. I feel angry, inhuman and unworthy of the basic human rights everyone is supposed to have.

I don’t want to live the rest of my life feeling like a burden to everyone just because I’m simply in a chair.

please, all help support and advice is extremely appreciated as we’re all struggling big time.

thank you so much. X

Hi Sophie, I really understand your issues with carers. I have used 4 different agencies and have had to sack them all....it is usually poor management but with the last one, 1 carer was lazy and uncaring.

I struggled to find good PAs , but am ok now. I have 3 good ladies who look after me 27 hours plus 2 nights a week.

Advertising on places like INDEED is so expensive. I tried facebook, but didn't get anywhere. I got my carers who were old friends or ex agency workers.

If you can get PAs direct to you as their employer, you'll do better. Social Services keep lists of carers. Ask them for a copy.

Best wishes to you and your family.
xxxPOlly