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Elderly parents

Hearing - British Gss service contract query

11 replies

countrygirl99 · 05/11/2022 10:39

Do the engineers have a protocol for dealing with repeated call outs where the only problem is someone with dementia fiddling with the controls/not understanding thermostats?
Last winter DB was still living near mum and must have put the controls right at least a dozen times on top of a few engineer call outs. This winter he is several hours away, I'm an hour away, and it's happening again. A couple of weeks ago I called round and she was complaining "the boiler must be broken , it's not coming on". An electric heater was on in the same room.as the thermostat and the temperature was tropical. The whole house was warm so heating had been on earlier.
This morning another phone call, "I've had to call the gas people,my heating isn't working but they can't come until Monday". Chances are she's fiddled with the clock and it thinks it 2am (usual explanation).
I'm going up today anyway but we don't have central heating so I'm not familiar with the controls. Last winter we suggested putting a lockable box over the controls - she said it must be dad's carers messing with the controls, but she had a hissy fit at the suggestion. She's on her own now so no one else to blame but I'm sure if I say anything it'll go down like a lead balloon but if British Gas insist we might get somewhere.

OP posts:
countrygirl99 · 05/11/2022 10:40

Heating not hearing!

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Mosaic123 · 05/11/2022 14:18

We had the same with my MIL.

We asked B G to call us if she called them to request a call out. We were then able to drive round and check it actually needed a visit from an engineer. We lived half an hour away.

Mosaic123 · 05/11/2022 14:18

DH had POA so that probably helped

countrygirl99 · 05/11/2022 18:09

DB has POA but he is about 5 hours away. I'm an hour away and work full time. I was going up this afternoon anyway and when I got there the heating was working fine!

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Musicaltheatremum · 06/11/2022 12:32

Could you get a remote system so you could work the thermostat and turn things on and off...I have hive and my husband uses Google nest with his parents.. depends I suppose what she's fiddling with.

countrygirl99 · 06/11/2022 18:32

It's difficult to get mum to agree to anything as her alzheimers means she doesn't remember previous problems. So, for example, when I reminded her a few weeks ago that DB kept having to sort her heating controls and she has BG out 4 times last winter she looked at me pityingly and told me I must be getting confused with someone else. It wouldn't stop the phone calls as her understanding of thermostats is gone. The conversation goes:
Her - The heating isn't working, the heating is on but the boiler hasn't come on.
Me (sweating in the tropical heat) - It's boiling in here, the thermostat has cut in
Her - the heating is on but the boiler hasn't come on, so it's not working
Me (uncomfortably hot in a t shirt) - the thermostat is telling the boiler not to bother as it's already hot enough
Her - but the boiler should come on as the heatings on
And so on on repeat with me trying to vary the wording to try and explain.

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Ilikewinter · 06/11/2022 18:49

I think the remote system idea as mentioned above is a good idea if you can make it work.
I would also be worried about her heating bill because it sounds like shes having the heating on a lot.

countrygirl99 · 06/11/2022 19:21

TBH I'm not worried about the bills, she can afford high bills snd I'd rather she was comfortable.

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countrygirl99 · 09/11/2022 08:41

It appears the answer is try to flog them a new boiler when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the old one. That has been stamped on and hopefully the failure to set the correct flags on the account put right now.

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Ilikewinter · 09/11/2022 18:16

Oh wow thats very poor show from BG, I hope you've put a complaint in?

countrygirl99 · 09/11/2022 19:09

DB has been dealing with them as he has the POA. I think he made his displeasure known.

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