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Elderly parents

Carers charging for 30 minutes but only working 15-20 minutes - is this normal for care?

112 replies

ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:25

I am not sure if this is a normal thing to expect from care or not.

Mum lives with my dad, she has dementia and is incontinent. Last year we employed a team of carers to help mum.

They are all self employed but work together as a team, so not an actual care company. In retrospect we absolutely should have gone with a company because things can often become a bit too fragmented for my liking, for example I have to pay everyone individually, they insist on being paid weekly, I would have preferred monthly but they don't want that. Tbh, we had to rush about finding these carers a year ago after mum had come out of a long hospital stay and the NHS discharge carers let us down. It was all frantic at the time and very stressful. Looking back at it all a care company would have been a much better fit.

Anyhow, the carers come three times a day, around 9.30am to get mum up, put on the loo and showered/dressed, then again after lunch for a toilet break and again at 7pm to put mum to bed. They come in pairs and charge £26 per hour and £20 per half hour. This is 7 days a week.

However, they will often only do 15-20 minutes during the afternoon and evening visit and will round their charge to the nearest half hour. I am usually at my parents for the afternoon visit and I have never known them to ever do a full half hour.

I have no idea if this is normal practice for carers? I asked on a Subreddit and was piled upon by some people saying that it's poor enough money as it is and the carers have to consider travel expenses etc. I am a self employed cleaner and when I tell my clients that I am doing an hour, I will do the full hour, I have also incorporated the cost of my travel into my fee as this isn't my clients concern (and my fee is a lot less than the carers).

Does anyone else have private carers for a parent and do they do this? Maybe it is normal, I honestly don't know?

OP posts:
ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:46

onesinglepringle · 07/08/2026 09:41

I mean if you don't want to ever challenge them in any way for fear of upsetting them then there's nothing you can do, you just have to accept the situation and keep paying, or find a different company.

My sister and I want to change to a care company or better still get a live in carer but dad is very hesitant to rock the boat as such.

I have contacted SS yesterday and they have agreed to come and do a care needs assessment on mum so we need to go from there.

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rwalker · 07/08/2026 09:46

Yeah it’s the norm as they’ll be setting off for next visit
the firms that guarantee the full vist charge always charge more as the factor in the dead/travel time between visits in there costing
the key thing is when my dad had this they would always over run if need be it worked both ways
but if it’s a personal care visit once she’s changed there isn’t a lot for them to do there not there to clean or tidy up

ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:44

PrettyLittleRose · 07/08/2026 09:39

That would piss me right off. Do they work for an agency? They need reporting to someone. This should not be 'the norm.' Most people would be up on a warning if, for example, they worked 9 to 5, and they just turned up at 9.45 and left at 4!

No, they are a team of 6 carers who all used to work for a care company but are now all self employed, there is no manager or 'boss'. I realise now, a year on that we really should have gone with a proper company.

You live and learn I suppose!

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AverageDoe · 07/08/2026 09:42

It is stressful and worrying for you but sadly the norm.

We had similar with my mother. I timed them once and they were there for 4 minutes of the half hour being paid for. When questioned the agency said it's normal.

SweatySpider321 · 07/08/2026 09:41

onesinglepringle · 07/08/2026 09:34

Have you asked them why they aren't staying the full half hour that you're paying for?

This. I would propose they either stay the 30 minutes or if they stay for 15 minutes then that’s what they are paid for. They are committing fraud

onesinglepringle · 07/08/2026 09:41

ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:38

Dad doesn't want us to. We had such a problem with the NHS discharge carers and we ended up left without any care for a week which meant my sister and I had to do it all and it was very stressful, my dad is worried about upsetting them and losing them.

I mean if you don't want to ever challenge them in any way for fear of upsetting them then there's nothing you can do, you just have to accept the situation and keep paying, or find a different company.

Spiffingdarling88 · 07/08/2026 09:40

Its incredibly frustrating, isn't it? This was about 10 years ago though, I'm hoping there is an equivalent website now like checkatrade were you can get carers to do a job and ratings! Now off to search if that exists.

I hope someone comes along with more helpful advice but wanted to say you aren't alone in your experience.

PrettyLittleRose · 07/08/2026 09:39

That would piss me right off. Do they work for an agency? They need reporting to someone. This should not be 'the norm.' Most people would be up on a warning if, for example, they worked 9 to 5, and they just turned up at 9.45 and left at 4!

ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:38

onesinglepringle · 07/08/2026 09:34

Have you asked them why they aren't staying the full half hour that you're paying for?

Dad doesn't want us to. We had such a problem with the NHS discharge carers and we ended up left without any care for a week which meant my sister and I had to do it all and it was very stressful, my dad is worried about upsetting them and losing them.

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ImissSpangles · 07/08/2026 09:36

Spiffingdarling88 · 07/08/2026 09:31

Unfortunately it does seem like the norm. My dad had carers via an agency and they literally there 5 minutes, they were incompetent and used to phone me to say there was no food in - even though I had a food shop delivered and I was over 300 miles away.

I was a carer at one point, so I know its not an easy job but all they had to do was make a sandwich, check his taken his medication and the odd shower as well as give him company.

It wasnt hoisting or anything taxing, they literally pop in and didnt spend 30 minutes there. The most annoying thing is they even done it when I'm there.

Edited

That's the issue we had with the NHS discharge care company, sometimes they would even 'forget' to turn up.

I was hoping it would have been different with self employed carers. They are kind to mum but I often feel as though it's all a bit rushed and impersonal, -rush in, get mum up off the chair, stick her on the loo, back in chair ......bye!

OP posts:
onesinglepringle · 07/08/2026 09:34

Have you asked them why they aren't staying the full half hour that you're paying for?

Spiffingdarling88 · 07/08/2026 09:31

Unfortunately it does seem like the norm. My dad had carers via an agency and they literally there 5 minutes, they were incompetent and used to phone me to say there was no food in - even though I had a food shop delivered and I was over 300 miles away.

I was a carer at one point, so I know its not an easy job but all they had to do was make a sandwich, check his taken his medication and the odd shower as well as give him company.

It wasnt hoisting or anything taxing, they literally pop in and didnt spend 30 minutes there. The most annoying thing is they even done it when I'm there.