My mother had a stroke and we started to use carers from a well-known franchise to get her up in the morning while I do everything else. The carers were mostly good but the office was useless, constant staff turnover, very inexperienced staff.
They tried to charge us the full amount when my mother went to Respite but they don't give it to the carers. Their T&Cs say 14 days Respite is not chargeable so we offered a retainer which they didn't like. They were ignoring emails and only replying at 5pm Friday.......
We're self-funding but via the LA and the LA agreed this was not appropriate and as the LA commissioned the care, they took it up with the franchise.
Then over a month after we'd given them the dates, and just 48 hours before I was leaving the country, they told us we'd have to reapply for the package after the Respite was finished because they'd "just discovered" one of the principle carers was moving house.
We'd known this for 4 months as the carer told us and the company. So it was nonsense.
Fast forward, new care company, all good except the timings were too late but we accepted them to get a foot in the door. Then my mum had another fall and back in to hospital where she is now. We lost the carers.
She's ready to come home but we can't find any carers for the mornings before 10am... Then same well-known franchise bid for the commission via the LA. I didn't want them but beggars can't be choosers so I said yes and they agreed to start November 1st.
Then once again, 2 days before the weekend, and after my mother stayed in hospital an extra week to fit their timing, they dumped us again.
I don't know what to do to find carers. There's a shortage of staff and now the LA are suggesting that I advertise and employ my own. I just don't need this on top of everything else I'm pushed to the limits.
With the LA's encouragement, I am going to report the famous franchise (which made a 4 milllion quid + profit last year) to the CQC but that doesn't help me find carers or allow my poor mum to come home.
Does anyone have any ideas as to where I can find carers? Our local classified ads are useless so no point advertising there and we live in a village.
I wouldn't even know what to do although the LA said there's a company to handle the payroll.... it's doing my head in
I feel so defeated, I can (mostly) manage my mum's care it's all the endless bureaucracy and hassle with the rest that exhausts me.
They tried to charge us the full amount when my mother went to Respite but they don't give it to the carers. Their T&Cs say 14 days Respite is not chargeable so we offered a retainer which they didn't like. They were ignoring emails and only replying at 5pm Friday.......
We're self-funding but via the LA and the LA agreed this was not appropriate and as the LA commissioned the care, they took it up with the franchise.
Then over a month after we'd given them the dates, and just 48 hours before I was leaving the country, they told us we'd have to reapply for the package after the Respite was finished because they'd "just discovered" one of the principle carers was moving house.
We'd known this for 4 months as the carer told us and the company. So it was nonsense.
Fast forward, new care company, all good except the timings were too late but we accepted them to get a foot in the door. Then my mum had another fall and back in to hospital where she is now. We lost the carers.
She's ready to come home but we can't find any carers for the mornings before 10am... Then same well-known franchise bid for the commission via the LA. I didn't want them but beggars can't be choosers so I said yes and they agreed to start November 1st.
Then once again, 2 days before the weekend, and after my mother stayed in hospital an extra week to fit their timing, they dumped us again.
I don't know what to do to find carers. There's a shortage of staff and now the LA are suggesting that I advertise and employ my own. I just don't need this on top of everything else I'm pushed to the limits.
With the LA's encouragement, I am going to report the famous franchise (which made a 4 milllion quid + profit last year) to the CQC but that doesn't help me find carers or allow my poor mum to come home.
Does anyone have any ideas as to where I can find carers? Our local classified ads are useless so no point advertising there and we live in a village.
I wouldn't even know what to do although the LA said there's a company to handle the payroll.... it's doing my head in
I feel so defeated, I can (mostly) manage my mum's care it's all the endless bureaucracy and hassle with the rest that exhausts me.
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