Paying private carer in care home

[Staceyrose5]

Mum has a rare brain disorder that means she has limited mental capacity and is largely bedbound. She moved into a care home 2 weeks ago and doesn't have 1-2-1 care now (funding was declined). The home are stretched for staff so they won't put Mum in a wheelchair unless family are there to watch her, quite often she isn't washed or dressed until after 10am. She misses out on the care home activities because they just leave her in the bed. I'm thinking of hiring 1-2-1 care to go in Mon-Fri 9-12 to get her washed and dressed and take her to the daily 11am activity. Is this allowed in a care home, I'm worried they would say it's a conflict of interest, but the care home just don't have enough people to give her the care we would like her to have.

Did she move into a home of her own volition or was a needs assessment carried out in order to determine that she needed to go into one?

The person to answer your question is the manager of the care home. Just ask the question and see if they have any policy.

Needs assessment, we got fast track chc funding for her

I don't want to show our hand at this stage, I want to know our rights first. Unfortunately I've lost faith in the care sector through Mum's experience

Not getting her up in time to join the activities seems like a poor standard of care, and not something you should be paying extra for. I know of cases where people have paid for companions/carers to do trips out with residents but not where they have provided personal care.

From my experience of working in care homes, if you are able to pay the extra cost of a 1:1 carer the home will find one. It would usually be done this way rather than your own private carer popping in for a couple of hours each day.

Also worth noting that, depending on DMs mobility, she may well need two Carers to get her washed, dressed & into her wheelchair after which a 1:1 would be sufficient to just sit with her. You should not be paying extra for the basic care (ie the washing, dressing & transfer to wheelchair). Don’t let the home convince you otherwise!

My Mothers 'home help' has continued with the same hours, just now does them at the care home. I continue to pay her for 3x two hours each week and, during those six hours, she will help DM with her lunch, encourage her to be active, maybe assist with personal care etc.
I may be wrong, but I think if the care home staff knew that she was not just a relative or friend they might be unhappy - but as it is, they show no interest in asking.

They don't take her to the activities at all because they don't have staff to stay with her when she's in the wheelchair