Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that someone who works in a 'caring' capacity should bloody well do just that???

29 replies

tiredemma · 19/05/2008 19:00

What is wrong with people??/?

Visited a lovely, lovely old lady today with numerous physical and severe mental health problems.

Turns out that the 'carers' who are supposed to be going in twice a day to wash her, feed her etc cant be arsed and have been 'doctoring' the diary that they have to fill in to make it look like they have been attending.

Poor woman hasnt had a wash for three weeks so we had to shower her (this doesnt bother me at all btw)

Bloke upstairs in his flat has been feeding her when the carers haven't turned up.

Bloody hell, How can you be so heartless?????

OP posts:
brimfull · 19/05/2008 19:02

omg
that is awful!

Hope you are going to report them.

differentID · 19/05/2008 19:05

That's horrendous. Do you know who to speak to about it?

Original poster
tiredemma · 19/05/2008 19:06

its all sorted now- I really cannot believe it though.

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 19/05/2008 19:08

Absolutely disgusting behaviour. Definitely report the carers and if the agency do not carry through with correct care, then go to the national press!

eenybeeny · 19/05/2008 19:11

My DH used to work for a care company and left in part due to this kind of behaviour. Its incredibally common place. Some councils have put in monitoring equipment to stop it happening.

Original poster
tiredemma · 19/05/2008 19:12

Im shocked- this lady doesnt have the capacity to complain- good job her elderly neighbour was watching out for her.

Isnt it so bloody sad?

Made me feel utterly depressed

OP posts:
paperchain · 19/05/2008 19:13

SadSadSadSadSadSad

eenybeeny · 19/05/2008 19:14

its awful

NormaStanleyFletcher · 19/05/2008 19:16

I have a (very lovely) friend who has worked in various care homes for special needs or the elderly, and the "leave him be or he will expect that attention" or "well if we clear up her wet/soiled bed we will only have to do it again" attitude was frighteningly common

ANd then she was bullied when she told

swiftyknickers · 19/05/2008 19:17

i run a care agency, you shoukd report them to CSCI, the agency and the carers, they will have a POVA slapped on them and wont be able to work in the care industry again...awful behaviour

Original poster
tiredemma · 19/05/2008 19:18

Norma- that is horrifying.

Its completely inhumane- you wouldnt treat an animal in such a way.

OP posts:
Original poster
tiredemma · 19/05/2008 19:19

Swify- it was all being dealt with this afternoon

OP posts:
CombustibleLemon · 19/05/2008 19:23

This kind of thing happened with my grandad after he had a stroke. My aunt and my mother dealt with all his washing and cleaning and my father and uncles dealt with his baths, but he needed carers to come in and prepare his meals.

He had to pay and my family had to fight social services to get him this help. All but one of the people were bloody useless, and she quit because she didn't feel she could carry on meeting the agency's unrealistic time constraints and give an appropriate level of care. The morning person was supposed to bring food, cook breakfast, help him eat and clear up afterwards- taking half an hour. She bought cornflakes, put them in a bowl, left a bottle of milk alongside and buggered off (taking about two minutes). He couldn't lift the spoon to his mouth without help.

duomonstermum · 19/05/2008 19:44

i care for my BIL with my MIL. when her home help quit she couldn't get any help at all so i stepped in. after phoning the social worker ( twice a day for 3wks) they got her an agency to come and help. they are supposed to be there for 1.5 hrs. 30mins slots 3 times a day. they are there for 30mins in the whole day . she gets financial help from ILF but they have told her that she can't get rid of the agency and pay me instead. they will pay for me to be there for 12hrs/wk and even at that MIL has to top-up by £30/wk to qualify for the money....

UniversallyChallenged · 19/05/2008 19:51

So so sad tiredemma - thank goodness for people like you who care.

My work is in care and a few years ago i made a complaint about a manager 2 levels above me not caring for our residents as people - merely commodities. Wish i hadnt bothered as she got away with it - let everyone know too- and i was blackmarked. Of course nothing was officially said to me but as she has gone on to a higher position I do wonder about the kind of people who work in the "caring" profession

nickytwotimes · 19/05/2008 19:55

i've seen things like this, though not as bad. It is truly awful.There are some absolutely fantastic agencies abut others are awful, with poorly paid and untrained staff and with a high turn-over.

ScoobyDoo · 19/05/2008 20:00

I have just started being a "carer" for an agency, i have done it alot in my past & have about 6 years experience in various roles!

I love caring for people it's just in my nature i think, i have to say though there are people within the company who are terrible at there job, in fact i can think of 2 straight away who do not do there job right, don't turn up to people's ouses when they know they should, think they can get away with it & by the looks of things they do.

One women was found in the bathroom on the floor with blood everywhere, she had been there since the morning & it was a 6pm night call she was found!! reason apparently was one carer thought another one was going in (excuse i think) i think she was ment to be in there herself & thought she could get away with it.

It's funny but so many people have said to me "we are glad when we see your name on our sheet for our call"

I am nothing spectacular but i do my job properly, make sure they are safe, turn up on time & am not rushing around, i also probably chat to much

I think if these cares actually "cared" & spent more time doing the work there ment to be doing & not rushing from one to the next it would bloody help.

I have only worked there 4 weeks & put about 5 complaints in already, i feel the need to speak up to protect the vulnerable people we are dealing with here!

BouncingTurtle · 19/05/2008 20:02

Shocking behaviour. Doesn't it occur to them that one day they might be that old lady, a victim of indifferent care?

ScoobyDoo · 19/05/2008 20:04

Shall i tell you another awfully sad story i heard tonight, one of our service users has had blood in his urine for a long time we kept on at the district nurses but they told us to let them get on with there job.

Outcome is the person in question is now going to lose both his legs

3andnomore · 19/05/2008 20:05

That is just terrible TE. It's so disgusting that there are people around who take this kind of Job and the money (o.k. it's not that much, but still) and then don't actually do their Job. How can anyone leave someone in need of help so desperately alone....!
Hope they get sacked and are never allowed to come near any sort of patients or clients ever again!

limecrush · 19/05/2008 20:07

oh god that's so tragic

I know careworkers are badly paid and demoralised etc etc but some just appear to have lost their humanity. I don't know, maybe the job desensitises them

sillybut · 19/05/2008 20:11

Glad you are dealing with this OP.

I was on benefits for a brief period a few years back and did voluntary work as a visitor for Age Concern. I used to go and visit one lady every Thursday night for a couple of hours. I remember leaving her absolutely fine one evening (I'd brought her fish and chips and we'd sat chatting and playing scrabble) then on the Monday afternoon she phoned me. NOBODY had been in to see her since I left and she was meant to have carers twice a day morning and evening. I went round and she was in a terrible state. Shed been sick on Saturday and not been able to clear it up herself, had vomit on herself and around her, had been stuck in the same armchair for days and her commode was overflowing. Oh and she'd not eaten anything except a pack of sweets that was by her chair and the jug of water I'd filled up before I left

It turned out that "carers" had filled in their sheets saying she was fine. There were desperate phone calls from her logged with the agency from her as well. Awful awful situation and I made sure that Age Concern got involved and threw every book in the libarary at the agency

swiftyknickers · 19/05/2008 20:12

the thing is its underpaid and ppeople can go and work in sainsburys for the same amount...people dont go into it for the love of the job IME...also more migrant workers, have realised how racist people really are

UniversallyChallenged · 19/05/2008 20:21

SW - not having a go at you but it's not that badly paid - my employers pay between £7.50 and £11 per hour and other benefits. We are pretty standard I think

3andnomore · 19/05/2008 20:27

UC, in this area, most homecare/socialcare etc... agency's and employers seem to pay £6.50 and because I am working with children with challenging behaviour I get just over £7 and there are still plenty employers that pay under £6 that advertise....but of course that is beside the point really....because if you are paid to do a job than you should do it, or look for somehting that suits one better, paywise or otehrwise....

Swipe left for the next trending thread