Acting alongside a paid carer

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
My mother has dementia and I am her carer she can't weight bare on her legs so is in a hospital bed,we have 4 double visits to do a pad change and to give her a wash in the morning,fairly often only one carer turns up as they seem to be short staffed,last week one carer was ill and I helped through about 10 visits this has led me to feel I may as well do half of the job myself if I could just have 1 carer sent by the company instead of 2,does anyone else do this?It would only inviolve helping with a wash and helping hold on to my mum from one side of the bed during a pad change.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,072
0
Bury
If this arrangement becomes formal the care company may insist that you receive trainng in handling.
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
If this arrangement becomes formal the care company may insist that you receive trainng in handling.
Yes I suppose so,I volunteered and said I was happy to help as otherwise the job is done by 1 person although to be honest when only one of them is doing it my mum looks comfortable,if I want the slide sheet to be used properly I have to help so my mum can have her best seated position and enjoy the day better
 

Marnie63

Registered User
Dec 26, 2015
1,637
0
Hampshire
@whitehead1976 - I've been caring for my mum for nearly two and a half years at home now. Since she had a stroke in August 2017, she has been immobile for long periods so I have had to deal with pad changes in bed. Initially the care agency sent double ups (occasionally), but most of the time it was me and an agency carer (which I was happy with). Unfortunately there were/are many occasions where I had to do pad changes in bed myself (if carer call was a long time off and mum's pad was wet, or if she had a bout of diarrhoea which I couldn't leave her in). Doing it myself is hard (and even harder at the end of the day when I'm tired!) but as mum is able to grab the bed side rails (she is also in a hospital bed), it is doable. Of course it is much easier when there is an agency carer with me - I get them to do the actual wash and just help them roll and hold mum, etc.

I haven't had any training in handling, I did watch how the various nurses and HCAs worked when mum was in hospital and being changed, and also how the agency carers work, so 'learned' from them and also on the job by trying different things.

The problem is that there isn't always a carer there when something needs doing, so unfortunately there are many occasions where I have to get on and do stuff myself.
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
@whitehead1976 - I've been caring for my mum for nearly two and a half years at home now. Since she had a stroke in August 2017, she has been immobile for long periods so I have had to deal with pad changes in bed. Initially the care agency sent double ups (occasionally), but most of the time it was me and an agency carer (which I was happy with). Unfortunately there were/are many occasions where I had to do pad changes in bed myself (if carer call was a long time off and mum's pad was wet, or if she had a bout of diarrhoea which I couldn't leave her in). Doing it myself is hard (and even harder at the end of the day when I'm tired!) but as mum is able to grab the bed side rails (she is also in a hospital bed), it is doable. Of course it is much easier when there is an agency carer with me - I get them to do the actual wash and just help them roll and hold mum, etc.

I haven't had any training in handling, I did watch how the various nurses and HCAs worked when mum was in hospital and being changed, and also how the agency carers work, so 'learned' from them and also on the job by trying different things.

The problem is that there isn't always a carer there when something needs doing, so unfortunately there are many occasions where I have to get on and do stuff myself.


Hi my mum isn't able to hold on to the rail so I hold on to her when she is rolled over,although as I said earlier a lot of the calls are carried out by one person,I get the feeling that the carers are often doing the double round as singles so when somebody hasn't turned up at mine it's because they are doing another supposed to be double visit as a single in another home,the workers fall in to this as they have a lot on their plate and don't get paid travelling time so things happen that are not supposed to,one of the carers likes to do things herself when she visits on her own but I will have to insist today that I help her with the slide sheet so my mum can have a nice lofted seated position,if my mums left quite flat,she will be more inclined to nod off through the day and it's not so easy to feed her,even though I can manage to angle the electric bed a little
 

Marnie63

Registered User
Dec 26, 2015
1,637
0
Hampshire
Yes, I have to do battle with the slide sheet as well as mum slips down the bed regularly! I am a bit of a control freak so I like to see everything that the carers do with mum (unless I go out for a break of course), so it suits me to be around and help, etc. Our agency struggled to provide double ups when they were needed more but I suspect it's because more and more people are waiting for care at home and they want to cover more clients with single carers, rather than send so many to one client. I might be wrong though. We are lucky in that the agency and the carers are good, so that helps.

Thank God for hospital beds at home though, it would be horrendously difficult to do what we do without them.
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
4,820
0
UK
Ideally if that time comes when my mum is bed bound, I would prefer one carer and myself. I am inclined to take the lead, but suspect I would have to settle for assisting, especially when an agency is involved.
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
I spoke to a lady in the office at the care company this morning,she said she would look in to it and I may have to do a 2 1/2 day course at their office that new carers have to do,I'm glad that I have just last week covered about 10 calls when only one carer turned up frequently as one of the main carers was ill,as it demonstrates that I'm often doing the job anyway,I suppose it depends how they feel about it,they may not like a civvie working with one of their carers full time from a formal point of view,even though it's ok when it suits them
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
4,820
0
UK
Only a small point, but make sure you or local authority are being invoiced for one carer on the days you are stepping in.
 

Marnie63

Registered User
Dec 26, 2015
1,637
0
Hampshire
Ideally if that time comes when my mum is bed bound, I would prefer one carer and myself. I am inclined to take the lead, but suspect I would have to settle for assisting, especially when an agency is involved.
Tin - you can do what you like in your own home! I think some carers will let you get on with it if you want to, but most good carers should offer to do the 'hard work', if that's what you want them to do. When I had to have more help with mum, I realised that they are not mind readers and if I didn't tell them what I wanted, they didn't know. One lady arrived, did a load of silly things which wound me up, made a load of noise, and generally it wasn't of much use to me - she didn't come again, and one of our regular carers told me it's a ploy - when she is sent to the more 'difficult' clients, she does it on purpose so that people complain and them she just gets the easy clients! Must be annoying for those carers who know she does this!! A few others didn't take the lead, but I made it clear to them that if they were here, then they were to wash mum and clean her up after toileting, if need be. Anything that can reduce our load a bit all helps.

Whitehead - our agency also offered me some kind of training at their offices, but it never came about, and I think I've probably go the hang of it by now!

I think once you start having agency carers in to help, it takes a while for them to get to know you, the client, where you keep towels, how you like things done, etc. It takes a while for it all to bed in, and then of course you quickly learn which carers are good. It doesn't take away the fact that I would rather not have any of them stomping through my home, but needs must.
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
Only a small point, but make sure you or local authority are being invoiced for one carer on the days you are stepping in.
Hi I have spoken to the care company with a list of dates and times when only one carer was sent and then they notify the LA of the charge for that month,I shall keep an eye on the next bill,thanks
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
Tin - you can do what you like in your own home! I think some carers will let you get on with it if you want to, but most good carers should offer to do the 'hard work', if that's what you want them to do. When I had to have more help with mum, I realised that they are not mind readers and if I didn't tell them what I wanted, they didn't know. One lady arrived, did a load of silly things which wound me up, made a load of noise, and generally it wasn't of much use to me - she didn't come again, and one of our regular carers told me it's a ploy - when she is sent to the more 'difficult' clients, she does it on purpose so that people complain and them she just gets the easy clients! Must be annoying for those carers who know she does this!! A few others didn't take the lead, but I made it clear to them that if they were here, then they were to wash mum and clean her up after toileting, if need be. Anything that can reduce our load a bit all helps.

Whitehead - our agency also offered me some kind of training at their offices, but it never came about, and I think I've probably go the hang of it by now!

I think once you start having agency carers in to help, it takes a while for them to get to know you, the client, where you keep towels, how you like things done, etc. It takes a while for it all to bed in, and then of course you quickly learn which carers are good. It doesn't take away the fact that I would rather not have any of them stomping through my home, but needs must.

Married63 I know what you mean about "needs must" I enjoy seeing most of them and have a laugh with a few of them,you can feel a bit shell shocked with 4 double visits,I can't find the exact words,but I suppose it makes you feel a little on edge,I love it when the last call has been made at 7.30pm and I can lock the door and we have our own time.
I would only be doing what I do now(when they only send 1 carer) which is hold my mum's thigh while she has been rolled as I assume the carer would do the cleaning,not that I feel I can't do that but they are getting paid for that.And I would be able to help with the slide sheet to help my mum get up the bed a bit.
My mum doesn't get hoisted every day in to her chair but that wont take long to learn,I'm just hoping they don't turn around and say they don't want me to stand in full time working along side one of their carers,it wouldn't surprise me if one of the 2 main carers stir things a little as they may be worried that I would try and take over as I'm family.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
When OH needed a carer in the morning I was happy to help in small ways. I would go into his room and wake him up, then the carer and I would together get him up from the bed. This wasn't difficult as OH was helping. The carer would then do the rest but I would help him get OH off the shower board at the end to make things easier. However, I would never have done things that could have hurt my back! A paid carer should have had proper training in moving and handling - I guess you haven't. Remember, if a carer hurts their back, they are protected by employment rights, and you'll get another carer. If you hurt yourself, you can't be replaced like that. And frankly, if a job was assessed as needing two people, then from a health and safety point of view there have to be two paid carers, and if there aren't, the care agency is in breach of contract. Their staff shortage isn't your problem. Do Social Services not have anything to say about this flagrant breach of the rules? I know you're happy to help at present but if you hurt yourself, you'll have no comeback at anyone as you willingly put yourself into that position.
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
When OH needed a carer in the morning I was happy to help in small ways. I would go into his room and wake him up, then the carer and I would together get him up from the bed. This wasn't difficult as OH was helping. The carer would then do the rest but I would help him get OH off the shower board at the end to make things easier. However, I would never have done things that could have hurt my back! A paid carer should have had proper training in moving and handling - I guess you haven't. Remember, if a carer hurts their back, they are protected by employment rights, and you'll get another carer. If you hurt yourself, you can't be replaced like that. And frankly, if a job was assessed as needing two people, then from a health and safety point of view there have to be two paid carers, and if there aren't, the care agency is in breach of contract. Their staff shortage isn't your problem. Do Social Services not have anything to say about this flagrant breach of the rules? I know you're happy to help at present but if you hurt yourself, you'll have no comeback at anyone as you willingly put yourself into that position.
Yes I know what you're saying,it sounds awful but I felt in a position where I felt we would get lesser care by complaining,the tables have turned today though and I will be making that phone call naming any missed calls every time now,they had taken advantage of my good nature and my fear of my mother receiving a lesser service if we challenged them,I'm of the firm view that some carers would rather not have a family member living in the home that is of sound mind and can see what occurs.I'm sure in some of the literature that there is a get out clause for bad weather and staff illness in terms of receiving both carers,and this has been quoted to me over the phone before.
 
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whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
Besides all of this we have fun and I'm glad I'm there for my mum to make her nutricious meals,and keep her safe and company,she has a lovely smile and a cheeky face and it's lovely to wake up and see her in the morning,I feel privileged to be able to care for her,the cat often spends the night on her bed and she loves that
 

whitehead1976

Registered User
Dec 22, 2016
91
0
Nottingham
After the phone call to the office,both carers now amazingly managing to appear together at the same time,when they leave the house they even say "See you later we will be on time" I'm pleased that things have been resolved