Carers are useless, can I transfer the care package?

[SunshineDA]

I'm currently supporting someone and they've asked me if I can find out their options given the situation:

My mother has severe Alzheimer's and I have been doing all of her daily care for years. I receive Carer's Allowance for this. A few months ago, she had a fall that left her bed-bound and was discharged from hospital with a care package that includes multiple visits a day, both day and night. The carers are completely useless, though, so I never get them to do anything. Their hygiene practices are terrible so I do my mother's personal care and shifting her position in bed on my own. They are also meant to move her from the bed to a chair using a hoist, but none of them know how to use it so I do that myself, as well. For months they have come to my home every day just for me to say we're all good and send them away. They are also meant to visit me in pairs, but instead often show up one at a time, around 10-20 minutes apart.

I've complained many times about all of this but nothing is changing.

What I'm wondering is whether I could get the care package moved to a better organisation, or, ideally, take it on myself. I'm doing all of the work they are supposed to do, could I get paid for this?

 

[SeaSwallow]

Hello @SunshineDA and welcome to the Dementia Support Forum. First of all i am not sure from what you have posted if you are talking about you and your mother or if what you have written is describing someone's experience, I am assuming the latter.
In the first instance I would suggest that the person contacts their social worker and explain that they are not happy with the level of care, laying out in detail what is going on and why they are not happy. It would then be up to the SW to decide if they would consider another care provider.
I have attached a link regarding carer's allowance if the person wants to consider caring for their mother themselves.

Carer's Allowance

Apply for Carer's Allowance - money to help you look after someone who needs to be cared for. Apply online or use form DS700.

www.gov.uk

 

[amIinthewrong?]

I'm currently supporting someone and they've asked me if I can find out their options given the situation:

My mother has severe Alzheimer's and I have been doing all of her daily care for years. I receive Carer's Allowance for this. A few months ago, she had a fall that left her bed-bound and was discharged from hospital with a care package that includes multiple visits a day, both day and night. The carers are completely useless, though, so I never get them to do anything. Their hygiene practices are terrible so I do my mother's personal care and shifting her position in bed on my own. They are also meant to move her from the bed to a chair using a hoist, but none of them know how to use it so I do that myself, as well. For months they have come to my home every day just for me to say we're all good and send them away. They are also meant to visit me in pairs, but instead often show up one at a time, around 10-20 minutes apart.

I've complained many times about all of this but nothing is changing.

What I'm wondering is whether I could get the care package moved to a better organisation, or, ideally, take it on myself. I'm doing all of the work they are supposed to do, could I get paid for this?

Hello from what I know is that you can get income support to "top up" carer's allowance, or you can earn up to £120 a week if you're working, I don't think you will be paid a wage like the carers that come in. Regarding the problem with the carers,have you spoke to social services,and told them that you are left doing everything, that the carers that come in should be doing? I also don't understand why they just sent your mother home from the hospital, if she is bed bound as from what happened with my mum is that she is also "bed bound" and they said she needs to go to the care home for four weeks for rehab and the social worker told me that she has nursing care needs meaning that they wanted to put her in a nursing home which they have people, who should know how to care for people with nursing needs. Also it sounds like you're taking a lot on by yourself,maybe you could also say to social services that you need respite,and see how that goes.💐💐

 

[Pacucho]

Hello,
I don't know about whether you can transfer the package to pay for yourself.
However, you can definitely transfer the package, and one way in which you can do this is to request a Personal Budget and using something called Direct Payments. This is a way in which you become the employer and you recruit the carers to help you. The fact that there is care package in place for your mother should mean this is fairly straightforward. But looking for good carers and dealing with the paperwork is an additional burden you have to take on. Here is a link to more advice: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/informatio...essment/personal-budgets-and-direct-payments/.
Hope this helps,
Paco

 

[Kevinl]

If yo hold a Power of Attorney you're not allowed to benefit as the holder of the PoA.
If you quit a well paid job and took a carers wage, then one could argue that you're not benefitting as such, however, someone with experience of how the rules are implemented will hopefully post. K