When does carer "scattiness" become negligence?

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
Bit of a rant coming, brace yourself.

It's invoicing time again and the same carer has submitted something I assume was generated by ERNIE, it bears little relation to the hours she's actually been here (which, thanks to nearly 3,000 lines of code and countless hours honing my access control system, I have logged to the microsecond :)). I told her I couldn't pay the invoice and suggested she might like to find some software or someone who could help her. She reprimanded me for my "snide" comments. Bear in mind that, by my reckoning, she initially invoiced for in excess of £430 for what she's done.

In addition, on a couple of occasions, including a consecutive evening/morning, she forgot to give him his pills. She bought some dog treats (without asking or telling us - he lives in an annexe on our house and we have dogs, some of which have specific dietary needs) and left them by his chair - one of the other carers found out he'd eaten them (lovely glossy coat, mind). I don't think she's ever taken him out (although the bulk of her work is overnight) and I've witnessed her manually hauling him upright, instead of using the bed electrics. She's a tough cookie, but I worry about her getting injured too as I doubt she has insurance. Despite us telling the carers to leave him in his chair with the feet down (because otherwise he tries to get up and tips the chair), she often leaves him with his feet up. She once messaged me to say she was going as I wasn't back yet. I asked her to lock the door (there's a keysafe on the wall) but she used the internal key and left it in the outside of the door, so completely blocking that exit. Second time she's done that, actually.

My wife, who is an expert administrator, is fed up of her always being the one who doesn't know what hours she's supposed to be doing. I've spent about 4 hours this evening trying to reconcile her invoice with what she's actually done. It's well over £3,000 and I dread to think how inaccurate her previous invoices were before I was forced to log every coming and going. Spent several hours this morning improving the software because of how she treats the entry keypads.

The problem is, before anyone says the obvious, with the number of hours she does a month (over 200), getting someone else to cover her shifts is going to be very difficult. He's going into respite tomorrow for a couple of weeks so we won't have to deal with her.

TL:DR - carer is a pain in the **** but we need the cover.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
Is the carer an agency carer @spandit? If so I would make a complaint detailing all your concerns.

I have done this in the past for far less serious incidents and the matter was resolved.
 

Sarasa

Volunteer Host
Apr 13, 2018
7,195
0
Nottinghamshire
Do you think it might be time for your father to move into care permanently @spandit? Either that or try to find another care company, though I know carers are very thin on the ground at the moment.
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
25,018
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South coast
I think she feels she has got you over a barrel @spandit . You need her and she knows it. IMO she is taking the mick and some of the things she is (or isnt) doing sound frankly dangerous.

Im guessing she is a private carer and not employed by an agency. I think I would be looking at alternative arrangements - either looking for another carer, or perhaps extending this respite indefinitely
 

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
I think she feels she has got you over a barrel @spandit . You need her and she knows it. IMO she is taking the mick and some of the things she is (or isnt) doing sound frankly dangerous.

Im guessing she is a private carer and not employed by an agency. I think I would be looking at alternative arrangements - either looking for another carer, or perhaps extending this respite indefinitely

She is a private carer. I think she's well meaning but we hired carers to relieve the stress and she doesn't do that. I'm looking for alternative carers (got 2, possibly 3 interested). Due to a mistake on our part, she's been getting paid way more than far better qualified carers for her overnight stays. We'll be rectifying that whilst he's in respite, assuming he comes out again (although I'd love it if he stayed there)
 

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
At least you’ve still got your sense of humour ?. She sounds infuriating btw.

She is! One of our favourite carers, who normally leaves a few minutes after her allotted time, makes sure she leaves punctually on the night when the annoying one is coming in, so they don't cross over!
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,134
0
Southampton
she doesnt seem very well trained or honest. shes not only putting herself in danger of injury but also him as well. not very professional. if you have to spend hours sorting out what to pay her and checking, i wouldnt have thought she was worth it.
 

northumbrian_k

Volunteer Host
Mar 2, 2017
4,415
0
Newcastle
Why bother with someone so unsuitable?
When he is in respite you will have the opportunity to terminate her contract without the immediate pressure of having to get another carer in her place. Follow up the leads you have got assuming that the respite is for a limited time. If you can't get anyone in place in time see if the respite can be extended until you have found someone. If the respite then turns into a permanent stay that may prove to be better for his quality of life and yours too.
 

Violet Jane

Registered User
Aug 23, 2021
2,015
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When the trust has gone it’s time to change carer (or agency). This is not you being petty or over demanding. She seems to do what she wants and is shameless about it. She is unsatisfactory in terms of both the provision of care (in the broadest sense) and her financial trustworthiness.

Personally, I would never use a private carer as there are all sorts of potential legal risks and complications, and, as you are experiencing now, you have to sort out any problems on your own, which can make you feel very vulnerable if you have to find another carer at short or no notice.

I don’t see how you can continue with this carer. As you say, she is adding to your stress, not reducing it.
 

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
did you do a dbs check on her? if you went with an agency, they would already have done it

No, we didn't. We've hired all our carers privately. Unfortunately, she has the most availability with other carers leaving or going long term sick and she's ended up having the most hours out of all of them. I've advertised for more private carers and she's already contacted me worried we're planning on reducing her hours. I am planning on reducing her hours, but we want a regular schedule.

His move into respite went OK. He was a bit confused - he knows we're going to a wedding but thought the home we've taken him to was where the wedding was. As my wife pointed out, it's not as if he's leaving the home he's known for most of his adult life - he's only been with us 2 years and his annexe is 4 months old. She can't understand his reluctance to go into full term care. I think it's going to be very difficult bringing him home again.
 

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
I don’t see how you can continue with this carer. As you say, she is adding to your stress, not reducing it.

You are right there. As for going with an agency - we do feel that seeing the same carers regularly means he gets better, more personal care. We are, however, going to insist on seeing proof of insurance.
 

jennifer1967

Registered User
Mar 15, 2020
23,134
0
Southampton
No, we didn't. We've hired all our carers privately. Unfortunately, she has the most availability with other carers leaving or going long term sick and she's ended up having the most hours out of all of them. I've advertised for more private carers and she's already contacted me worried we're planning on reducing her hours. I am planning on reducing her hours, but we want a regular schedule.

His move into respite went OK. He was a bit confused - he knows we're going to a wedding but thought the home we've taken him to was where the wedding was. As my wife pointed out, it's not as if he's leaving the home he's known for most of his adult life - he's only been with us 2 years and his annexe is 4 months old. She can't understand his reluctance to go into full term care. I think it's going to be very difficult bringing him home again.
if you dont dbs check them, you may be inviting all sorts into your home with maybe all sorts of crimes including dishonesty but more serious crimes as well.
 

Violet Jane

Registered User
Aug 23, 2021
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Going with an agency doesn’t have to mean many different carers. My elderly friend had the same carer for all 4 daily visits during the week and a second carer covering the visits at the weekend.
 

Female1952

Registered User
Apr 6, 2021
41
0
You are right there. As for going with an agency - we do feel that seeing the same carers regularly means he gets better, more personal care. We are, however, going to insist on seeing proof of insurance.
If she's not employed by an agency, aren't you the employer. So shouldn't you have the insurance? Employment status can be complex.
 

Lemondrizzle

Registered User
Aug 26, 2018
246
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My MIL had regular carers through an agency who shared the rota. Any problems the agency dealt with including covering sickness etc. They were responsible for the insurance and pension set up etc.
 

Sarasa

Volunteer Host
Apr 13, 2018
7,195
0
Nottinghamshire
I think if you found the right agency you'd end up with the same small group of carers and would have someone to sort out any problems about not doing hours etc.
My mil had a great team looking after her for ten months from last December. When they felt they could no longer meet her needs that's when she moved into care.
 

spandit

Registered User
Feb 11, 2020
348
0
If she's not employed by an agency, aren't you the employer. So shouldn't you have the insurance? Employment status can be complex.
Does hiring a plumber/electrician/gardener count as employing them? I'd have thought they are the same as any other self employed contractor.
 

Violet Jane

Registered User
Aug 23, 2021
2,015
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I think that the employment status of carers is rather uncertain, particularly if they are working for you for long shifts. Nannies are in a not dissimilar situation and they are invariably regarded as employees, with the parents of their charges paying their tax, NI and pensions. The examples that you mention are not really analogous because they work for many people and, in the case of plumbers and electricians, are only doing work occasionally.