would you get a job in a care home now?

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

How would you chose where to work?

No.

I would be asking if they have tested any residents or staff, what figures had come back positive or negative, how many residents had been moved in recently from hospital or elsewhere or have all residents been there since lockdown (unlikely) and what infection control procedures they have in place and what their PPE supplies were like.

And, before accepting any position, I would like all of the above info in writing be it email, text, A4-whatever.

A home 1/2 mile away. They have had a few moved in from hospital recently, have had 2 staff but 5 residents confirmed positive. They have really stringent infection control procedures in place, plenty of PPE. All seems to be well controlled but it would be naive to think all places were run so strictly and were all so good as you see on the news. Let’s face it, no home that had 37 residents with symptoms & 15 staff already off work would be loudly declaring it.

That said, people still need caring for and people still need jobs. Nurses/dr are still tending patients in ITU -should they refuse jobs? What would happen to sufferers if they did?

People need caring for, if the caring profession is in your nature you will do it. If it’s not -then don’t apply during a pandemic.

thank you.

I applied and was offered a role as currently not working due to CV19. My questions about cases at the home and what PPE I would wear were all answered with I would be told that during my training - I would actually have liked to know beforehand as that would have influenced my decision - so turned it down. Don't feel their reply was really acceptable, just dismissed a legitimate question. Not a LA home but a private one.

that is a good idea, i would suggest that, it is my dd aged 20, and so i fear she could be bullied into not believing ppe is necessary, when it is not available.

The home might have had PPE but it was the way they just dismissed by question until training. I will PM you as there is something else that is relevant.

I'm fairly young and healthy, possibly had covid already. So the pandemic wouldn't put me off. If I was an obese 70 year old black man I would be more hesitant.

I would have asked what safety precautions and ppe would be in place during the training sessions. Will there be essential training that involves participation like manual handling, personal care, helping rrsidents eat.

Training is now done online via zoom or similar. I wanted to know the answers before deciding if I should take the job, not take it then start the online training only to not like the answers and then probably not get paid for my time wasted.

No. Most homes are now populated with advanced dementia residents. Like very young children they will not respond to advice to distance, they do not themselves have the capacity to keep good hygiene standards, and they will not be easy to isolate or quarantine if they have symptoms. So, no.

Existing long term staff are often the most casual, most lax and most likely to cut corners. They are used to being under pressure to work quickly because of staff shortages.

The neglect and cruelty in even the most well presented homes is beyond anything you can reasonably imagine if you've never seen it for yourself.

The pay is shit, the thanks is nill, and the hours and conditions appalling. Most are badly run by care staff who have been promoted above their ability, but then forget how it is to do the work.

Nope not a hope in hell. I'm pretty relaxed about coronavirus and I've read the NHS stats showing breakdown of mortality rates. However I have read that infection load ( I think it's called ) is a key factor in how seriously you get it and the covid 19 mortality rate for social care staff is double that of the general population.

I thought there were quite a lot of vacancies in supermarkets at the minute, which although you come into contact with lots of folk it's not such close contact.

Poorer people wont have a choice. It will be "take the care home job or be sanctioned"

HelenaDove I hadn't thought of that. Very true. Care work is so poorly paid, always staff shortages, but now there must be huge numbers of vacancies and growing numbers of unemployed.

YY Mini. I really dont think we have heard the last of it.

Care home jobs should be completely removed from the sanction equation IMO. But i dont think they will be

I answered No.
My reason behind that is I worked up until recently in a nursing home emi unit.
Worked in this type of setting for 20years.

Working in such an environment during this pandemic is horrific. Just. Horrific.

I'll never be the same again.

No
I know someone who works in a care home and caught COVID and did not isolate, just went to work a few days later

No fucking wonder we’re in this mess.

Perhaps she couldnt afford not to go in.

People being discharged from hospital into care homes with no testing is whats caused it.

The neglect and cruelty in even the most well presented homes is beyond anything you can reasonably imagine if you've never seen it for yourself
Really??
I would only work in a care home if the alternative was destitution

Years ago I saw someone slap someone around the head. Food removed because they were making a mess. Staff force feeding people. Incontinence pads are in very short supply, so people sit in piss and soiled pads for the whole day, and no one encouraged drinks because that would dehydrate and less pad changes. People being manhandled and pushed. Staff not having time to talk to residents but instead talking over them or laughing at them. In one place I witnessed staff regularly not washing, changing, feeding or turning one resident day after day. Residents seemed anxious and agitated constantly but staff don't have time to distract them and reassure them. Night staff washing and dressing people in their beds before 7am, then day staff hoist them into chairs at 8am with no pad changes, no oral care. Residents crying because they are confused and afraid but considered a nuisance and ignored. Food that is cheap mush and disgusting. Even bupa care homes have a per person per day food budget of around £2.

Yes but I have limited work options.

I like to think I make a difference though with the residents but it's tough.

if you've never worked in care before please don't start now , its not the time

I’m a support worker in a care environment. We’re not all heinous bitches who abuse those in our care!

As to starting now though, no i wouldn’t. It’s horrible and impersonal and socially distancing from people who just need some human contact is soul destroying.

We’re ‘lucky’ we have no COVID..... yet. Not counting chickens.

Yes, in fact I have taken a job in care (in home care, not a care home) simply because I needed something positive to do whilst my professional, post grad, placement is on hold. I applied to a council advert and could have been filtered to either care homes or in home care. I would have happily gone I to a care home and am loving the care work generally, most of which is also dementia based although probably not as advanced as in homes for obvious reasons. I feel a responsibility to do something value adding at such an awful time, might make me odd but that is my answer!

No, I’d be terrible at it. I have already been a carer for my Dad, now it’s starting with my Mum. I can just manage 1 person I love. I find it emotionally exhausting.