Carer turning up early

[redwitch5]

Hi, don't know if this is the right forum for this but here we are.
I have carers 4 times a week to help with showering and in the mornings. I do my grocery shop on one of those mornings, and the carer that does that and the next morning always turns up early. I'm usually still having breakfast! I know I get up late most mornings, but still, early is early, and I am trying to get up earlier.
I'm sure she's just trying to be helpful, but you'd think that if she turns up, and I haven't finished breakfast, that would tell her she's coming too early, help! Is there a polite and non-confrontational way to let her know this is getting frustrating? I don't like a scene, and her dog just died over last weekend

I did home care for years and we would have to squeeze in about 7 1 hour calls before 12 when we started our dinner rounds so we would very often have to start early (usually before 7am) to get around everyone and also at the same time deliver a good quality of care to our clients
Sometimes something would happen in a clients house like a fall and that would push us back for time as we would have to wait for ambulance to arrive which is like a domino affect on everyone else
I think your carer is just arriving early to get a head start on her day because as a carer you don't know what your going to walk into on every visit
10-15 mins early isn't too bad considering what most carers have to do in a days work

@BillHadersNewWife
She won't have enough time. My sister worked as a carer for a while and left due to this.

This is exactly why I left too... it was hard work
On one hand we had to squeeze so many clients into a short space many of them palatine care and then on the flip side we had to make sure we delivered the best care we could in that amount of time which more than often enough made us late for the next person... I'd get the "you're late/early" comment thrown at me at least 15 times a day and when it's totally out of your control it starts to wear you down

• palliative care

10 -15 mins early is reasonable. I thought you were going to say an hour or so

OP I get what your saying but change is good.Nothing is ever constant
Prepare yourself that she will come early.
It’s an inconvenience to you but now you’ve begun to get used to the change.
Plan yourself that she might continue to come early and sometimes late.if she turns up early a polite I’ll l finish breakfast soon will suffice.
When your good and ready get up .
Remember that might leave you with less time with the carer.
All in all change is inevitable and it’s mostly good.

My neighbour across the street from me has carers a few times a day.

Because of where my computer is and living on a quiet cul de sac I can tell you the morning carer arrives at 6.45 (I'm not really that nosey, I just notice a car) if they are early they sit in the car and do paperwork.

Does one of your parents answer the door? They need to start saying you are not ready for them and not let them in before 9.000am

Having been a community carer for 30 years I understand the OP wanting the carer turning up on time. But carers are allowed to be 15 mins early or late. More than that could be a real problem for client. I don't think people realise difficulties faced by community carers. Traffic, weather, other clients, etc. The logistics involved in trying to arrive at a clients at the exact time the client expects is frankly a nightmare! The carers do not get paid for traveling and in my experience does not always get enough time to travel between each client.( Unpaid).
Carers also have to take into consideration things like the next client whom they may have been alloted 30 minutes to care for actually takes 45 minutes but has not been reassessed for more time or is a double assist ( needing 2 carers arriving from 2 different points to arrive at exactly same time) and one may be held up at previous job etc. So you can all see that being exactly on time can be difficult. I used to cycle or walk my round as I never got petrol or travelling expenses and there were times when I would be 10 minutes or so early for a visit and the client would make me wait outside till exact time in the rain or even snow.
Though the client's needs are uppermost it is impossible to be exact all the time. Perhaps the OP takes longer to see to than alloted time so carer comes early to cater for that.
Carers are there to care, but they are not servants to be treated badly and abused and vice versa. Being a good carer means being caring and there are carers out there who go out if their way for their clients, unpaid for extra time spent. All this they do for minimum wages and tbh mainly thankless too nowadays.
And with the cuts by the government, European workers going back to their countries the care sector will get short of workers to carry out their vital work.
Surely one day a week being 15 minutes early is not that inconvenient to the OP?

Unfortunately care at home is not and never will be an exact science, whether you pay for it or not. Times given will always be approximate. A home carer never knows what they'll find behind the next door they enter. It's common for carers to find people who have fallen, become very ill or who have died overnight. Is your carer arriving early because you're taking a bit longer than your assessed time, therefore she doesn't need to rush your care but stays "on time" for her next client.

ssash would you keep that carer out in pouring rain and snow if no car for the sake of 10 minutes or so?

seaelf agree!

Carers are there to care, but they are not servants to be treated badly and abused and vice versa

It’s not abuse or bad treatment to ask someone to arrive at the time agreed, it’s possible the OP was given the first slot of the day to avoid issues with previous appointments running late. OP it might be worth seeing if your slot could be swapped with the second person on your carers list. You’d then need to consider that the carer might be a bit late to you at times but it might help you not feeling rushed in your morning routine.

My guess is if she’s 15 minutes early and you’re not ready until 9 you effectively lose 15 minutes of your carers help because she’ll leave after her 30 minute (or whatever time is allocated) slot. 15 mins isn’t a lot of time to get showered and dressed so I can understand why it would throw you off kilter. Another option would be to look at direct payments so you can organise and pay for your own care.

Sostenueto- I always let my girls in as soon as I see their cars on the road, even with a mouthful of breakfast. I'm there with the door open when they come up the drive. And no snow in the North Island of NZ .

Thanks to everyone here, I have talked with DM and we have an idea. I now know when I can pad out the kitchen without getting in the way - 8:15. My alarm is set for 8, but being deaf, no guarantee of hearing it. So if I'm not out at 8:15 on "shower days", someone will poke their head round the door and shout. Not shower days I'm on my own for getting up. Eventually, I should get used to waking up semi on time with no shouting needed. DF often says "we heard your alarm go off for an hour", hopefully no longer.

That sounds like a good plan, Op. Hope it works well.

Can you get a vibrating alarm? My nephew has one at Uni, also connects to the fire alarm system

Idk what your idea is but good luck. You can get under the pillow alarms, which vibrate btw if that helps - alarms for deaf people. Thinking of getting one for DH. He just ignores his.

Does your care take longer than the allocated time? Sometimes you can have clients who are given half hour slot but take 45min because of things out of the carer or clients control which is another reason she may arrive early, making sure she has time to reach the next person afterwards.

Sorry Sostenueto,I just saw your comment about the snow was directed at someone else "pulls big hat over my head'.
I love the vibrating alarm thing, I'll be nosey on the Hearing Association website and see if it"s an option.

redwitch5 I'm glad to see you have understood a bit more now of the context of care delivery logistics. . And have a plan to make it less stressful for you.

The carer is early to what you'd expected but majority of standard care contracts with care agencies have 30mins leeway either side of a booked care call to take account of traffic, rush hour, illnesses previous client, sudden day off unplanned by staff member, etc... To do care rotas for hundreds of clients, especially for a client who doesn't have daily care, it is likely that depending on holiday and sick leave,you may not have a 10am slot each time but sometimes a 8:45 , 9:20am, a 8:30am slot in different days for any specific week.

So please take comfort that given your carers only arrive 10-15 mins early on some days and are extremely regular in times, as it sounds to me that your carers and agency are going extra effort to keep your slot as near to 9am as logistically possible, in the understanding you don't react to change well. The carer still only gets paid the time, allocated which starts when they arrive at your door. A 10-15 mins early is practically on time in any statutory agencies viewpoint. (90 mins early they'd have an issue with, not 10 mins).

It is definitely worth asking your caseworker, from funding agency, To arrange a deaf services assessment. There is plenty of telecare alternative equipment, such as flashing or vibrating alarms, that could assist you if you can't hear your Audible alarm.

OP, get a vibrating alarm, possibly a smart watch, get your parent to give you a call/shake rather than letting your alarm go off for an hour, get a travel mug so you can enjoy all of your coffee when you're out shopping with you your carer.
I'm sure you already know this, but when Inteach ASD children who can't cope with changes in routine, we do lots of planned sabotage situations followed by social stories in order to expose them to those changes in a safe way. Thatbway, what changes do happen, they have a plan to follow and are better able to manage.
You have self identified the issues, you know which days cause most anxiety when the carer comes early, so have a look at how you can manage that. You're never going to get a situation where the carers come at the exact specified time-that's just not realistic. Working out what to do when they are early or late will be better for your long term.

Not only is she ignoring her schedule for her own convenience

You’ve never worked as a carer have you?
I’m working as one now but will be leaving as soon as I find another job.

We get given far too many calls to do and never know how long each call will take. Always rushing, rushing, rushing. Management bitching at us about not being quick enough (even though they know it’s physically impossible to complete the calls in such a short space of time) and clients moaning about us being ‘late’.
Trust me, we are trying our best.

Agree with PP about some clients regularly taking longer than their allocated time, which is why the carer might arrive slightly earlier.

We are under a LOT of pressure and cannot guarantee to arrive at each call at the exact time. Surely that is understandable?

I love the work itself, but the time pressures are unbelievably stressful. Many nights I have laid awake worrying about how I’m going to cope the next day.
Unless you are paying a lot of money for private carers, then you need to be willing to be slightly flexible.

Sostenueto
and there were times when I would be 10 minutes or so early for a visit and the client would make me wait outside till exact time in the rain or even snow. 😲

You need to report that to your agency who will contact funding /assessing authority, if its deliberate (rather than 'client wasn't near door to let me in and are slow to walk to the door'). We wouldn't expect a GP or nurse to be deliberately left outside as they were slightly earlier than expected, anymore than a professional carer to be, and is an unpleasant way to treat their carer. It would lead to SW having a chat with the client or family and politely pointing out it wasn't ok.

Unless you are paying a lot of money for private carers, then you need to be willing to be slightly flexible
Even if you pay an agency privately , they have same clauses in contracts & pressures. It's different if you employ the person direct as a Personal Assistant (not through an agency with bank of staff) as they may have less clients and generally charge more. Although then, you get the headache of having to arrange alternative cover yourself or whatever contingency you've set up, if they are sick, on holiday or their car breaks down.

It's good that OP asked on here as many posters have been able to gently explain, so that she didn't feel or get upset with her carers or care agency unnecessarily, and has explored how to cope differently in such an understanding way now she has more facts about how domicilary care works.

Carers have one of the hardest jobs trying to fit everything in .Alot of the time they don't get travel time between calls so guessing she's turned you early to make sure you get your full entiltement and take a bit of pressure off her day
With the great respect being disable isn't a pass to be entitled, get up earlier or have your breakfast after she's gone be grateful of help.

If they are agency carers, whilst they will take into account timing preferences, they can never guarantee an exact slot, an early call is anything between 6.30&8.30 here, breakfast was 7.30&9.30, morning was 8.30-11, lunch was 11.15-2pm etc 30 mins within that time period. If you aren't wanting care them or won't cooperate (the case here) after 30 mins they leave and write they couldn't do their tasks. Using residential now here.

You need to call the care company and explain you want them carers to come at their specified time, or ask your dad to call them.
It happens a fair bit but if someone does have an issue with it then the company will try to work with you when they can.