Carers didnt turn up for morning call till 12.55pm.

[patsy999]

Is it worth complaining to social services about this? I have a 30 min care call in the morning and today I couldn't even have a shower as they were so late and i had an appointment at home at 1pm.
Not a single one of the carers can drive which is hopeless, as they use public transport to get to each call.
Plus, they only speak very basic English, so it's hard to communicate with them.
I'm only 55 and disabled. so goodness knows how the elderly are left.

Of course you've every right to complain but if there weren't the carers available to come then they cant do much to rectify the situation. As you have seen, they're struggling to recruit.

I would complain yes.

That is absolutely appalling service for you to receive. 100% complain. How can a get you up and out of bed and showered etc.... happen at 1pm.

Yes I’d complain. Would it be better to employ people yourself? I’ve been pondering this for my parents but I dunno if that’s just a world an extra stress.

Yes, do raise it. It is not acceptable to be leaving people until the afternoon for get up calls.

Yes I would complain. I would imagine trying to do a carer role on public transport would be a disaster, unless they plan routes with calls very close together. I suppose its a sign of the sad state of affairs for carers. Typically those doing the role cant drive or afford to run a car. Either way OP thats not your problem, you are paying for a service.

Yes it's appalling but so is the absolute pittance that carers are paid for the work they do. This isn't meant as a criticism of you OP, just the system.

Who are you complaining about?

The carers who are underpaid and told who to visit in what order?
The managers who assign the rotas with too few resources to deliver what is needed?
The council who commission the services at impossible prices?
The government who are responsible?

This Not a single one of the carers can drive which is hopeless, as they use public transport to get to each call.
Plus, they only speak very basic English, so it's hard to communicate with them. is not the carers' fault and is by the by.

Caring is a grossly underpaid job.

It is shit for you, I understand that, but both you AND the carers are in this position because the government won't find it properly.

I agree

are you complaining about an individual or in the hopes of raising it to improve future service?

Is this a pattern of behaviour? As a one-off, not having a shower for one day doesn’t seem like a huge deal.

Will you be seen tomorrow? Is the service usually good?

It is very poor. Who arranges / pays for the care? Can you change agencies? It is incredibly difficult to recruit carers these days but it’s not really an excuse not to provide contracted for care.

What does your agreement state will happen when they are late. Are they late regularly?

Do you have a plan B if they give back your care contract?

It is shit for you, I understand that, but both you AND the carers are in this position because the government won't find it properly.

This. It's the same all over the care sector. They're desperate for staff in my area, both domiciliary and residential.

A friend works in a care home in a different part of the country, they can't get staff, and existing staff are constantly under pressure to take on extra shifts.

They're so short of people, they' ve had to close down a whole wing of the home, reducing the number of places available, because they can't maintain safe staffing levels. Staff can get more money working in Macdonalds, and they don't have deal with piss, shit and attacks from residents who get violent.

Yes complain if it regularly happens but as a one off I would simply inform them rather than moan. whilst how the carers travel is irrelevant, you have a right to morning call, your contract should specify how this is defined but typically it's 7-10.30am, with those able to get out of bed towards the end of that window . Lunch calls are then 11-3, tea time 3-7, evening 7-11. I see a lot of care contracts.

As a one off there can be hiccups but frequent late calls need addressing. The lack of English is concerning due to the possibility of miscommunication and drug mistakes rather than language per se

I feel for you - and if this is a regular occurrence, I would definitely complain. But as others have said, it's the lack of funding available which is the real issue. Carers pay is rubbish and they don't get paid while they are travelling. Only for the actual calls at peoples houses

What time should they have been with you @patsy999? There will be an allocated time in your paperwork. Can you actually get out of bed yourself, or do you just need help with washing and dressing? It's still appalling whatever the answers are to those questions, but I suspect if you can actually get out of bed yourself, if there is a problem you may be deemed to be of less priority than those who can't do so. My late Mother had carers in the morning - but occasionally if someone was off sick, or whatever, they could be quite late getting to her - but she could get out of bed herself.

You need to speak to the office that arranges the care calls if this is a regular occurrence, I would also be highlighting the communication difficulties. As a basic level you should be able to communicate your care needs and for this to be understood.
Although PP have suggested that this is your and the carers issue, you need to remember that the care plan should work for you and the carers are doing this as their job and not as an act of kindness.

This. Please remember it when you put a cross in the box at the next general election.

with the pay, unsocial hours, bloody hard work and pretty much minimum wage there aren’t many people who want to go into the profession (and yes it should be a profession).

I'm only 55 and disabled. so goodness knows how the elderly are left.

Honestly most won't get a bath or a shower at home more than once in a blue moon, if ever. Those in residential settings might fare slightly better being allocated a bath or a shower at least once a week if staffing allows. Those with a live in carer might get one every day, but the cost of that sort of care isn't within most peoples reach.

Did they let you know it was going to be so late? That would at least forewarn you that the shower wasn't going to happen. And of course if it was "your carer has been held up because they arrived to find their previous client had fallen" then you would at least understand the reason (although obviously it's still very frustrating).

Even if caters are paid poorly, they should do the job they have accepted with the pay in mind.

If they can't deliver the service they should take it up with their manager. If they can't speak good enough English to do this they can ask for an interpreter etc etc . I know in reality it doesn't work like this but @patsy999 absolutely you should complain to the service provider

Good luck complaining about the language.

That'll come across well.

There's just so many people queuing up for care jobs.

It is incredibly difficult to recruit carers these days but it’s not really an excuse not to provide contracted for care.

It's not an excuse, it's a reason.

The breakdown of social care is just the reality.

Complain away. But those individual carers who are travelling by bus are not the cause of the problem, they're a symptom.

McDonald's can't give everyone jobs and not everyone wants to work in there either.
Usually you go into care out of choice because you want to care for people.

Is your care being funded by the local authority? If so I would have a conversation with them about changing providers.Id keep a log of the late visits and ask the current company if the caters can call you if they are going to be late.It’s unprofessional for them not to let you know.

You know I really think we need to rethink care. One problem is, we just don't have the people to do it and this is only going to get worse as the baby boomers get older. Importing people can only work so far as birth rates are falling around the world, we'll be living in an elderly world. What to do? I just don't know. I don't know how much care work and healthcare can be automated and done my machines.

Social worker here. If it is a one off I’d let it go, although I completely understand your frustration. It is happens again please let the social worker/duty team know. Sometimes it only takes a call from us to ensure the mistakes are rectified. If it still isnt working you can ask for a change of care agency provider.

Complain to government who don’t supply enough funding for the care industry. Recruitment is awful, especially since brexit. I work as a carer and I enjoy the job but I certainly wouldn’t do multiple home visits going to various houses and not even getting paid in between visits (which is what I’m assuming you have).
The pay is appalling for what can be such an intense and sometimes even very dangerous job.
Sadly, lots needs to change. So yes, do complain to management and government, but please don’t complain to the actual carer who is probably run off their feet from job to job wishing they had more time to focus on each client but not being able to do so.