What is the norm?

[whoareyou?]

Hi everyone, I've been sneaking a peak for over a year, but have finally decided to join you! I have a question for any of you who have relatives in care homes? What is the norm for staffing levels in Care homes? It's just I'm concerned that the home that Mum's in is understaffed and an accident is just waiting to happen! Mum is in a care home which is split into 4 units, mum has 9 other residents with her with varying levels of dementia and mobility. I visit every other Sunday and my sister who lives very close visits almost every day. The unit only ever has 1 member of staff which I feel isn't enough, I'm concerned that if anything was to happen in the lounge (a fall or heart attack) and the staff member was somewhere else with a resident (bathroom or bedroom?), who would raise the alarm! I actually asked this on Sunday and the team leader informed me that they trust that my Mum would come and inform the staff member as she has the least severe dementia!

I was gobsmacked by this answer and rang the manager on Monday with my concerns - I am still waiting for her to get back to me.

Any help appreciated,

[Lucy Lastic]

My Mother is in a small residential care home, they can take up to 18 residents. At present there are 15 residents, some mobile, some bedridden.

From what I have observed there are 3 carers on duty during the day and 2 at night.

There must be some guidelines, someone more knowledgeable will be along soon. Have you thought of contacting CQC (Care Quality Commission), or looking at their website?

[chris53]

Hello whoareyou, I just wanted to give you a warm welcome to TP (Talking Point) it's great you have done your first post I am sorry but I cannot help you on this problem, but there are many here who will have lots of advice and experience

best wishes and welcome again x

[whoareyou?]

Thanks for the replies, it's wonderful to know your not alone. I'm really surprised though that their isn't more info into what are the standards that relatives should realistically expect from a care home!

I think one of my main worries is that although most of the residents in my Mum's Unit are very docile and just sit looking out of the windows or sleeping their are 1 or 2 residents who can be aggressive and confrontational and I worry if the health care Assistant is else where on the unit one of them might lash out and one of the frailer residents. This actually happened whilst my sister was visiting but she was attacked by one of the residents when she tried to intervene! The Health care assistant was deemed to be in the wrong because she had left the unit to go to the laundry leaving my sister on her own with the residents! But what would have happened if my sister hadn't been their would the health care assistant have left the unit and then who knows what might have happened!

Oh by the way I am still waiting for the manager to get back to me about my complaint - she promised to contact me by Weds and I've had no return call yet!

[Jill1]

Hello whoareyou

My mum is in a dementia unit within a nursing home and there are 10 beds in the unit and always 2 staff on duty. They sometimes have one or 2 day people on respite so the ratio goes down slightly, but I have been told that the ratio my Mum has is good.
Hope you get a reply soon if not chase them up. x

[TinaT]

This is a question which is asked over and over again here on TP and one which no one can answer. There is no statutory fixed rate of carers per resident. I posted a petition about this some time ago to get the Government to pass laws to make one.

The general rule of thumb is what is considered safe and adequate. Not exactly the information we as family carers need but all I can find after much delving into this.

xxTinaT