Another thread about shoes off

[LittleMissDaydreams]

Hi everyone, just after some experiences and advice.

We currently have carers in several times each day.

They are very nice and helpful, except they don't take off their shoes.

The house was clean and hygienic, shoes have never been worn inside, only slippers, and the slippers washed regularly.

The entire house, save the kitchen is carpeted.

I tried doing some googling about this and found some discussions about a "shoes-off house" and that people in general would respect that.

However, our carers don't. We have perhaps ten different people who rotate through depending on their rotas, and they all come in with shoes on, rain or shine, mostly not even wiping feet.

Prior to them coming, we were asked to remove the carpet in one room, I'm not sure why, it was a normal, clean, short-pile, quite new carpet, but we went ahead and put a hard floor down. I don't really mind but it doesn't really make the shoes situation much better, it is still getting dirty, and I am now mopping another floor, just when I don't need extra work.

We provided blue disposable shoe covers, and they wore them for a bit, but now some have said they aren't allowed to wear them, whilst others continue to do so.

We have a baby in the house who needs to be able to play on the floor that they have walked on, and I have a health problem that has left me with a weakened immune system.

It does make me rather sad that we have spend all these years being clean and tidy, and now due to a bit of (hopefully temporary) illness, our carpets are being dirtied.

I know that there are people who don't mind shoes on in their home, and I respect that, but I hope those people understand that some people would prefer or even need shoes off.

I would have thought that shoes off (presuming you put clean socks on) or shoe covers on would promote health and healing.

The carers all seem to have similar shoes so I presume they are standard issue, and they haven't used them to go for a hike up snowdon via a mudslide, buy they nevertheless wear the shoes outside.

I expect someone will come along to cite health and safety, but it seems that that is a catch-all excuse rather like the old "because of covid". Yes they might be going into homes with dirt on the floor or whatever, but that isn't the case in our home, and if that indeed is the reason, why is it acceptable then to track the residue of that into our home.

Thank you for reading.

@Whenisitwineoclocktime thank you very much.

I used to be a carer, we had a strict 'shoes on' rule. But shoe covers would be a good addition, why don't they want to wear them? Because they're plastic and possibly slippery?

What are the carers actually doing? And where? That makes a huge difference to the safety aspect.

Personal care, and they sometimes wash the dishes, which I'm not sure why as I can do that- it would cost a lot less than what they cost :-/

Unless you’re rolling around licking your carpets I can’t see why your medical condition makes the least bit of difference?

My DP is immune suppressed, and he’s a builder who is often up to his elbows in other people’s excrement! He’s always dirty and he’s very rarely ill besides the odd cold like the rest of us. Someone walking on your floor won’t make you ill.

If, like you say, this is temporary care, just put up with it for now and get a good cleaning company in after to give your carpets a deep clean.

I don’t understand why people who are so obsessed over their carpets have so many of them in their house! Hard floors all the way for the hallway, through to kitchen. Save a fluffy carpet for a cosy lounge, or perhaps a bedroom.

Personal care, so washing/changing pads? I would not take my shoes off for that.

You need to investigate the shoe covers and see how you can get them to wear those.

The safety of the carers is more important than your carpet.

There are no pads, there is a catheter. We are talking about a wash with a flannel. They don't use their feet to perform that task, at least I hope not.

You could always buy a vax carpet cleaner? My house is a no shoes house and I regularly clean my lounge carpet because I look after my 20 month old grandson 2 days a week. You would be amazed at the dirt it picks up even though no shoes are ever walked into the lounge.

Bodily fluids = shoes on.

What bodily fluids? Do you mean if they spilled urine? The trainers they wear have mesh tops. A spillage would soak straight through.

We have always had a strict no shoes policy in our house which applies to everybody who enters, not just friends and family but also carers, health visitors, workmen, etc. We offer shoe covers to tradespeople who need to keep their shoes on or to others who are unwilling to remove footwear but make no other exceptions to our shoes off policy.
I am disabled and have carers coming in every day who always remove their shoes without needing to be prompted and who keep indoor footwear in our home so they can change into them as soon as they arrive. However, my situation sounds different from yours as I have two regular carers who have worked for me for years and know how I need things to be done, I can imagine this being a harder rule to inforce with a number of different agency carers visiting your home. I still think you are being eminently reasonable to make this request of all carers in order to maintain the safety and hygiene of your home and safeguard the health of all those in your household. Surely, as care professionals, they should be willing to accommodate reasonable requests to improve the experience of the person whose care they are providing.
I also have an immune condition which makes me vulnerable to infections and I am also completely blind and feel safer being barefoot in my home so Ican feel the floor under my feet, so having dirt trodden into the house would be very disruptive.
We are expecting a baby in January when I will probably require supplementary care hours which will probably involve hiring extra carers, but I intend to still insist on shoe removal which will surely be even more vital with a newborn baby. I hope new carers will be as accommodating as my current carers.
Best of luck with addressing this situation, I completely understand how important this can be so please don't think you're being unreasonable to draw a firm line in the sand regarding shoes in your home.

I would imagine it's a workplace health and safety issue. They can't walk around a workplace without shoes on and the blue plastic covers are slippery which is also a hazard.

We had three decorators around to see about work that needs doing because of the situation. I didn't ask, but all three on their separate visits, took their shoes off outside the door. Yet they were entering a workplace.

We have had people from the council come over and they don't wipe their feet, and keep their shoes on, even though all they are doing is sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea.

The suggestion of a cosy sitting room with carpet is a nice one, but all of these people head into that room to sit on the sofa.

Again, the public wouldn't be asked to wear them in museums and national trusts if they were a risk. Health is all well and food. But health includes cleanliness.

Workplace or not, it's our home. If your job requires special attention to cleanliness, it ought to be respected. If you were working on conserving a piece of art and were asked to wear a mask, you would do so. Surgeons gown up to protect patients.

It's your home and you are more than welcome to care for your relative in whichever way you see fit in your own home.
Surgeons wear masks and I am happy to wear one too if that's what you request. But I have never seen a surgeon schlepping around in his socks in an operating theatre. Nor have I ever seen an HCA doing the same in a hospital full of immunocompromised patients.
No objections to shoe covers but as someone who has been threatened by a knife and a dog in someone's home as well as someone who's been splattered with vomit while on duty, I am going to put my safety above your carpets, even if you think me unreasonable.
I have the right to a safe working environment just as you have the right to have a clean and carpeted home. If our rights are in a conflict with each other, it doesn't mean I am wrong. It simply means that your home does not meet my occupational standards and you need to seek an alternative service provider.

We had three decorators around to see about work that needs doing because of the situation. I didn't ask, but all three on their separate visits, took their shoes off outside the door. Yet they were entering a workplace.

They were visiting to quote, not work. They were trying to make a good impression and persuade you that they will be tidy workers. When they actually come, the won't be climbing ladders in socks or shoe covers.

Well okay, you don't want to ask re the shoe covers, you don't want the carers to wear shoes, that's your right. It's your home.

Look for a different care company then.

How badly do you actually need carers?

So you need to ask for the carers risk assessment, the chances are it is compiled at head office and there is a blanket ban on going shoe less and they have probably been told they can't use shoe covers. It is very unlikely that the individual carer has any part in this part of the RA process and if they want to keep their job will follow it.

A self employed builder can make whatever decision they like about taking shoes on or off. Someone working for a large organisation cannot
I work for a public service and we are instructed never to remove shoes incase a situation becomes hostile even though it's unlikely.
If it turns out it isn't in the organisations Risk assessment and is indeed personal preference of the carer, then request a different carer.

Much simpler to use a dust sheet or vinyl runners though

If there is even the remotest chance of trending on something or something being dropped onto my foot I am not taking my shoes off to work. If there is any equipment that I need to use, hoist, rotunda ect it is not safe without shoes. Plastic covers over shoes on carpet are slippery, try it, try it while you’re actually trying to work and keep an eye on time. If there is any manual handling and you need a good steady stance it’s not safe.

"Much simpler to use a dust sheet or vinyl runners though"

Indeed.

The shoe covers I keep for tradesmen are very grippy on carpet, I actually tried them out myself out of interest.
No idea why it's claimed they're a slip hazard.

Share the brand name with OP then?

As a carer who has stepped in a fair share of piss, shit and blood, I’d keep my shoes on.

If you’re not happy then you need to ask for a different care company.

Carers are already quite poorly treated, please don’t ask them to undress.

Share the brand name with OP then?

Can't remember - they were from Amazon and the outer packaging has long been binned.

I managed a home care service for a charity before I retired. The carers are required to wear closed toe suitable shoes in their work to keep them safe from needles, bodily fluids on the floor and slipping. If the care provider allowed otherwise they would be laying themselves open to a claim that would not be covered by insurance.
There are shoe covers available that the provider might be able to source, they need to be fairly close fitting and non slip.
I would suggest you have a talk with the care manager to find a suitable solution, there is always one to be found with good will on both sides.

Prior to them coming, we were asked to remove the carpet in one room, I'm not sure why, it was a normal, clean, short-pile, quite new carpet, but we went ahead and put a hard floor down.

You went to the time, trouble and expense of removing the carpet and laying a hard floor down but you didn't ask why? 😳

That's so odd, why didn't you ask?