POC coming to an end- hard sell?

[harrietthespi]

My mum who is also a carer for my step dad has recently been discharged from hospital after breaking her hip . She has a poc for another few weeks , currently has 2 visits a day. We have been in this position before with my stepdad. The care company have been to see them and asked them to sign up for ongoing care package , it’s a minimum of 2 hours a day and it’s £35 an hour. They sound a bit like timeshare salespeople if anyone can remember them?! Really very ‘persuasive’. And they behaved similarly previously. So £70 a day £490 a week for 2 visits that they won’t be able to specify a time for . They are reluctant, but they do need some help. It seems extortionate , and whilst ‘most’ of the carers are nice they are coming to get my mum up at 11/12 o’clock and can come to help her to bed anytime from about 6pm, which is too early. Would it be better to look for a private individual do you think? Any ideas ?

Surely it won't do any harm to look around?

Look at other care companies. That one doesn’t seem able to meet your mum’s needs.

Has she been referred to a social worker? And your step Dad? Sounds like they both need their care needs assessed. If not get on to their local adult social services team.

Look for a private carer instead. We did that and saved thousands.

I'd definitely shop around before accepting that care package. You should be able to get a list of all the care companies operating in your area from your council. Call them all to see if they have vacancies for carers in your area and what their rates are. At the same time get the prices of private carers so you can compare. Ask all of them if they are able to commit to specific windows of time when they can come to deliver the care.

Thank you everyone

A private care company should be able to give you a time slot and be quite close to it. Much better than the NHS provision.

My DM's care company is same price. Her slot in the morning was 10.30 ish (which is what she requested) and then she had some arriving 10.20 and on other days 10.55. But she was given a weekly schedule so knew what time they were due each day.

The first fortnight was a bit all over the place as they were fitting her into existing schedules but then it settled down pretty well.

DM's company would do slots of 30, 45, or 60 minutes, but the shorter slots weren't much less money than the longer ones (because of travel time).

The good thing with a care company is they are doing the admin as an employer, and also if the carer is ill they send a substitute.

If she has been discharged from hospital with a package of care (funded by the NHS/Adult Social care?) Then it's likely she is due an assessment from the local authority imminently to determine if she has long term care needs and to discuss future care planning.

This assessment will be the opportunity to explore if she is eligible for long term care/ any funding from the local authority and also whether you want to remain with the existing care provider or try a new one.

You need to speak to the local authority first before making any decisions basically - and the issues with the care times need reporting to the LA even if you aren't staying with the company as they/the NHS are currently paying for something it doesn't sound like is currently being properly delivered.