Care or no care

MrHappy
MrHappy Online Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering
edited January 13 in Everyday life

I've been without carers for some time now (my choice), but slowly its dawned on me i am making my life much more difficult due to my innate stubbornness. I've now reluctantly decided its time to request Social Services restart my care package. Why change my mind about accepting care? Well i've been trying to shower and get dressed for 2 days without success which worryingly meant i missed a hospital admission yesterday for more stents.

Much of the care i've received over the years has in my opinion been of low quality (it's my honest opinion) but now it looks likely that i'm going to have to accept the fact even poor care probably beats no care.

Comments

  • GalDriver
    GalDriver Online Community Member Posts: 102 Empowering

    Hi MrHappy, I'm stubborn too but, thankfully, realised that allowing assistance enables me to do other things for myself and conserve some energy so less dramatic conk-outs (MS fatigue). Assistance=enabling. You are still in control, just delegating some chores. Good luck.

  • birdwatcher
    birdwatcher Online Community Member Posts: 169 Empowering

    I understand just what you mean Mr Happy. It seems to me that now care work isn't so caring now, it's just a business. Not the fault of the staff, it's about cost cutting. Care work was my background and the main reason I left was because of it. I wasn't prepared to tell someone vulnerable they'd got X amount of time for their call as soon as I walked through their door.

    Low quality care is an issue I understand too. I've worked with some people who should never have been in the job. I haven't got the answers to your concerns, I wish I had instead of sitting here, nodding my head and agreeing with you. It's funny how things turn out. Nowadays I'm disabled and struggle with a lot of stuff. It was suggested I had 'professional ' care staff in. There may be things that are difficult, as you've said ,getting washed and dressed etc , but one thing I can definitely definitely do is flatly refuse!

    Best advice I can give you is to do what's right for you. I know that's a cop out but it's the best I can come up with

  • Littlefatfriend
    Littlefatfriend Online Community Member Posts: 391 Pioneering

    In the 5/6 years I've had carers coming here I've reduced the number of visits to one carer every other morning. That's all I need and they aren't cheap! However, I wouldn't (couldn't?) do without them.

    I've had three different companies involved, one of them stole money from me!

    I empathise with the issue of quality in care. I found some companies (and their employees) to be a great deal better than others.

    However, I've been comfortable with my current provider for a few years now.

    I sometimes find that communicating with my carers can be subtle. I empathise with them that all but one of them are speaking a second language. I appreciate that can be hard work, I've done it in France, Holland, and Liverpool (I was teaching book-keeping and accountancy to groups of migrants in French, in case you're curious). Accents can seriously complicate the whole thing! Also, we live in our houses so where things are and how things work is likely obvious to us, but may not be to other people.

    I'm very grateful for the sacrifices those carers from abroad will have made (and be making) in order to provide a service I need. I try to speak without an accent and on the days when the (delightful!) English lady isn't here I keep things simple.

    GalDriver puts it very well (thanks) that we're just delegating some chores. I think that's a good way to look at it.

    Good luck

  • MrHappy
    MrHappy Online Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    @GalDriver

    @birdwatcher

    @Littlefatfriend

    Thank you for taking the time to post replies i very much appreciate it.

    All of your comments made so much sense so again thank you.

  • Littlefatfriend
    Littlefatfriend Online Community Member Posts: 391 Pioneering

    Unfortunately MrHappy, people and their time are very valuable commodities. We don't (yet) have machines capable of care work.

    The companies won't make a great deal of profit, and the staff are very unlikely to make more than minimum wage, working long hours, often doing things that aren't very pleasant. Working in care is also emotionally demanding. Essentially their job constantly reminds them that some people have challenging lives.

    That's one of the reasons we'll always struggle to find sufficient carers from this country. Very few British schoolchildren aspire to work in care.

    I'm very grateful for their help when I need them.

    😇

  • MrHappy
    MrHappy Online Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    Hi again @Littlefatfriend

    I must agree with you for highlighting @GalDriver's comment

    "You are still in control, just delegating some chores"

    So true and so on point.

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