What do carers do?

[mowglika]

My parents have 4 visits but don’t ask the carers to do much, it’s all getting too much for my mum but not sure what jobs we can ask carers to take on.

If they have carers what kind of jobs do you/your parents ask carers to do?

Go in first thing in the morning, assist with getting up, washed and dressed, stick a load of washing on whilst making breakfast, remind to take medication, make sure fresh drinks, snacks, remote for the TV, glasses, hearing aids etc are within reach.
Tidy up behind you as you go.

2nd visit is lunch call. Assisted to bathroom if required, check client is clean, dry and comfy, make lunch, sit and have a chat about the day, remind to take meds, washing from machine out to dry - clean bedding and towels on set days of the week, make lunch, refresh drinks and snacks - leave as above.

3rd call is tea time, all of the above plus make dinner. Which is normally a ready meal unless family prepare something. Put washing away - get day clothes and washing items ready for the morning.

4th is bed call, either assist into bed wear and into bed leaving the house all secure and locked in for the night or if the client is mobile enough to make their own way to bed, assist in to night wear and prepare rooms for an easy bedtime.

Go for walks with client's, feed their pets, remind them about appointments and special occasions. It's about the client being able to stay with in their home environment with carer support.

Brilliant list from Pepper. Your carers will know that what was expected from them at the start, will increase over time. Ring your carers and have a chat.

If it's council provided carers they will be strictly limited in the time they have available, usually 30 mins in the morning and evening and 15 mins in the daytime round here, which is barely enough IMO to do the basics like get the person up and dressed, showered, fed, had medications and a quick chat etc so not much time to help out with cleaning and other domestic stuff beyond perhaps a quick wipe around or stick load of laundry on, and meals seem to often end up being whatever can be quickly made in 5 mins so cereals, sandwiches etc. So it might not just be your DM not asking them to do things but that they genuinely don't have the time!

If you self-fund however and can afford enough hours you can get them to do all sorts, cleaning, laundry, batch cooking meals, grooming like doing hair or nails, taking the person out for walks or to the shops - although if I was looking to invest some extra funds I think I would probably go to a number of different sources rather than getting carers to do everything, so e.g. I would have a separate cleaner (ideally one that will do laundry/ironing too, or invest in a laundry service that will collect/deliver), gardener, posh ready meals service (Wiltshire Farm Foods maybe or Cook if the budget will stretch) and regular deliveries of nice cold/cupboard foods too (so important to keep elderly/frail people eating so nice to have easy/tempting things), taxis to outings etc. and keep the carer's time for more personal care tasks and/or social time...

As above but will also add, if tasks aren't in the Care Plan then carers aren't allowed to do them. If your Mum wants tasks added then ring the Agency and ask them to be added, time allowing. Sometimes you just don't have time to do anything more than the bare minimum especially in funded calls. If tasks on the care plan aren't being done then you need to find out if that's due to lack of time or laziness.

Great advice from PP. I just wanted to add that is really does depend on the needs of the household. Before my dad died, the carers' time was almost entirely taken up with administering medication, taking readings and changing incontinence products / bedding as necessary.