carers ??

[alfjess]

Hi All

This post maybe not be dementia related, but I thought it would be beneficial to bring it to everyones attention.

A distant relative, who had individual living funding, has recently died. She needed 24 hour care.

Since her death we have discovered lots of things that makes us feel sick IE. valentintes from one of the carers, to our relative eg.
To my lover. to my peach, from your plum. 6 years together, etc.
This carer also had a mobility car, which was never declared to her company
Although there was nothing wrong with my relative's brain, as in she was in her right mind, she was very vurnable, never having had any kind of relationship. We think this carer was grooming her and it worked.
This carer is now the only one to benefit from her estate. New will.
This carer has also benefitted greatly in the past from gifts of money and holidays.
A long story, but what really amazed me was, that when we got in touch with social services investigation dept, they said, "YES IT IS RIFE" But we can't prove it.

PLEASE BE AWARE

 

[Katrine]

Some carers make a habit of it

I was astonished to hear from some of my mother's live-in carers that there are elderly gentlemen who propose marriage to their carers in order to ensure that they will always be looked after (as if that would really be the result if you married an unscrupulous person!) They told me of several people they knew who had married a client, and one who had married two clients and done very well out of their wills.

In one case the man's own children were encouraging the carer to marry their father so that they could pass over the responsibility for organising his care. They were aware that he was going to change his will in her favour but didn't mind this as they saw it as a commercial transaction! The carer in this case declined the offer, but she said she had to refuse to go to that client again because he wouldn't let it alone. And then she heard he had immediately proposed to the next carer. Eventually someone will say yes.

This is a story as old as the hills really, people have always made these sorts of arrangement to their mutual benefit. Provided the person is of sound mind then they can choose to make such an arrangement, but of course they are likely only to get a wife who is in it for the money, and yes they are vulnerable both physically and emotionally, as well as financially. Have you read 'A short history of tractors in Ukrainian'? Very funny book about this subject.

 

[alfjess]

Hi
I hear what you are saying, maybe I didn't give enough info.
This relative was a female 45 year old quadriplegic(sp) She had three carers 24/7. WHY leave everything to one carer?
However, we have had a meeting with the care company and she (the carer) is being sacked for gross misconduct and the owner of company has said she will see to it that this carer, "is struck of"
I only wanted to try to make other people aware that this sort of thing is happening and as SW said "IT IS RIFE"

WHY SHOULD IT BE RIFE???

There is something seriously wrong with the system

 

[Tender Face]

Hello alfjess – not seen you for some time – and sorry to see you posting about this situation.

It IS a good warning. EPAs and LPAs should help ........ new wills or inappropriate spending would be negated if these things were registered (not that that helps your situation – but it does for some dementia situations).

I scream about CRB checks at times .... but truth – they are but a very bare minimum (and sadly the ‘Holly and Jessica/Huntley murders’ are proof people can bypass checks or CRB checks don’t show up ‘allegations’ and get themselves into situations where they access their vulnerable targets if they have a mind to do so).

It is sad. But it happens – and a few rotten apples will always spoil it for the genuine people. Not sure what the answer is ... I do know when I took a job a few years ago with very vulnerable young people I was reference checked almost from being in the womb!!!!! Not all employers are going to do that ... and especially not care agencies, I fear – who seem to be the only employers still advertising jobs these days?

Karen, x

 

[Nanak]

I have learned in the last few years how unscrupulous some people can be.
Can only pray that Karma gets them in the end.
Nanak
missing what has gone and scared of what is to come

 

[robertjohnmills]

the sadness of caring

Unfortunately so many times the opportunity for being taken advantage of arises out of the disinterest of the family! It is only at the end when the family vultures gather over the estate expecting a handout; they then discover to their horror that someone beat them to it!!
Whilst I would never condone Carers or any Professional who step beyond a standard of conduct expected of them, we sadly live and always have in a world of greed and avarice.
No matter how well educated or what profession it is rife where there is opportunity.
This is what needs to be stopped! No amount of system checks like CRB will stop this. But people will and can! There are many who should carry a share of the blame for not being aware of this including the Agency concerned. At the end of the day however it is done and if there is evidence of grooming then the Police should be brought in.

 

[sistermillicent]

I hsve been CRB checked and police checked many times in my life, for the voluntary work that I have done with young people, and the work I did with drug users.for going into my childrens school to read etc.

The one place I was not checked, not police or CRB was in the school where I have worked for the majority of the last thirteen years. They eventually got around to it last year. I had even pointed it out to them several years ago.
DO NOT rely on the system.

There is not any way of striking off a carer is there? What professional body are they registered with? Are they regulated?

I trust you have reported this to the police, not just social services.

Pippa

 

[alfjess]

Unfortunately so many times the opportunity for being taken advantage of arises out of the disinterest of the family!

In this case, family were not disinterested. They visited at least 3 times a week, but when they did visit this carer always seemed to be there and there abouts. When we said anything about the carer and asked her to leave the room, our relative said "OH that's just her, don't bother about her"
Rather than make a scene and upset our cousin we just accepted it

 

[alfjess]

It is only at the end when the family vultures gather over the estate expecting a handout; they then discover to their horror that someone beat them to it!!

Hi
We are not family vultures. We did not expect anything, nor do we need it.
My concern is only to alert other carers/relatives to be aware that this is happening.
SS have admitted that they know this goes on, but can't prove it.

We have informed the police

 

[sistermillicent]

Oh dear I hope you didn't take my post to be critical in any way, I totally agree that people should be aware of what has happened to you and I must say this is not the first time I have heard of this sort of thing, but am not at liberty to disclose other specific examples, I am glad you have done so here.

Pippa

 

[JPG1]

Re. CRB checks: the CRB check will only highlight any crime that has been committed in this country, but not in the 'other country of origin' of any care worker.

The POVA register (Protection of Vulnerable Adults) was designed so as to ensure that anyone who was deemed unsuitable to be in a caring role where vulnerable adults were being cared for, was not allowed to continue. But, of course, it is dependent on a referral being made to the POVA register.

That was then superceded by what was called the Vetting and Barring scheme. Same difference but just another name for it.

Then along came the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

http://www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk/

Not the kind of ISA that comes normally, if you're wanting to shield a smidgen of savings from tax-man!! Another kind of ISA altogether.

So they change the names to protect the guilty sometimes. Meanwhile, it's left to us - the innocent - to work out who is responsible for anything.

Or did I get the time-sequence of all of the above wrong? Quite possibly. In which case it just shows how difficult it is to work out who is responsible for what .... in this lovely caring UK of ours.

 

[alfjess]

Hi Pippa

No, I don't think you were critical in anyway, your reply was very constructive.
Made me think, how could this carer be stuck off. To answer your questions, I don't know if there is a register of carers,but the care agency did say this could be done. More questions need to be asked
thanks

 

[alfjess]

Hi JPG1

Thanks for the info. I look at this site to-morrow when I am not as tired
thanks again

 

[jenniferpa]

Alfjess - if your relative was in Scotland then see this page

http://www.isa.homeoffice.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=328

and
http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/pvg/pvg_index.html

 

[hollysmum]

Taking advantage of vulnerable people

I read this thread with interest, as a colleague of mine, and his family, were actually embroiled in a legal dispute with a so-called friend of his mother's. As well as showing signs of dementia, she had other heart-related health issues, and had to have regular check-ups. This (male) "friend" would regularly cancel appointments on her behalf, and would arrive unannounced at her home and whisk her away for a "day out". Her family had made arrangements for her to be assessed for dementia, and this man did his utmost to sabotage these, too, saying that she was totally capable of making up her own mind as to whether or not she wanted to marry him! This was his goal, as he believed that she was sitting on a fortune (not true, in fact). He had a cohort, a woman who actually worked for Adult Services, who quite outrageously flouted all the rules. One week, whilst my colleague was on holiday, he had arranged for his mum to stay at a care home, as he wanted to ensure she was safe from this man. No one but the family knew where she was (how awful that they had to do this?). However, the man turned up there, saying he'd been told by the family that he could take her to London for the day. All lies, of course. Clearly, his cohort had managed to find out where she was, and had told him. Gross misconduct, in my eyes. Very sadly, the mother died at the end of February this year, so this man thankfully never got his way. He'd taken out legal proceedings against my colleague's family, saying that they were infringing her human rights, and falsely claiming she had dementia and so on and so on. Evil.

 

[miss cool]

hi alfjess just read your coment on carers, i had a simerler experence with a carer all i can say is i am apouled and disscusted at this day and age its allowed to continue. i am to ill to of took it further but i hope you stamp you feet and make a fuse becouse someone needs to .it dosent give me eny plesure hearing you story. it just makes me feel sick.

wishing you well miss cool.xxxxxx



sorry about spelling hope you understand.

 

[Jancis]

Undue influence

Hi alfjess,
Your thread concerns something very close to my heart - the psychological and financial abuse of elders, especially the cognitively impaired.

When I expressed concerns to Social Services that someone we knew was being unduly influenced and psychologically and financially abused they went through the motions of "safeguarding" procedures but nothing could be done. This was because the individual concerned (who had been deemed as lacking mental capacity) consented to the actions of the abuser. It was a sickening state of affairs to witness.

The charity Elder Abuse was not able to help either. There seems to be more recognition of this kind of abuse in America than in the UK.

One article I found summed it all up for me - it's one that others also might find interesting,
http://www.preventelderabuse.org/nexus/singer.html

 

[alfjess]

I read this thread with interest, as a colleague of mine, and his family, were actually embroiled in a legal dispute with a so-called friend of his mother's. As well as showing signs of dementia, she had other heart-related health issues, and had to have regular check-ups. This (male) "friend" would regularly cancel appointments on her behalf, and would arrive unannounced at her home and whisk her away for a "day out". Her family had made arrangements for her to be assessed for dementia, and this man did his utmost to sabotage these, too, saying that she was totally capable of making up her own mind as to whether or not she wanted to marry him! This was his goal, as he believed that she was sitting on a fortune (not true, in fact). He had a cohort, a woman who actually worked for Adult Services, who quite outrageously flouted all the rules. One week, whilst my colleague was on holiday, he had arranged for his mum to stay at a care home, as he wanted to ensure she was safe from this man. No one but the family knew where she was (how awful that they had to do this?). However, the man turned up there, saying he'd been told by the family that he could take her to London for the day. All lies, of course. Clearly, his cohort had managed to find out where she was, and had told him. Gross misconduct, in my eyes. Very sadly, the mother died at the end of February this year, so this man thankfully never got his way. He'd taken out legal proceedings against my colleague's family, saying that they were infringing her human rights, and falsely claiming she had dementia and so on and so on. Evil.

I can't believe things like this are happening and nothing is being done about it. BEGGARS BELIEF

 

[alfjess]

Latest development

Social services has now, nicely told us, to but out. They will deal with the problem. If only they were capable!

The social worker sounded quite apoligetic, but she was only relaying what her senior had told her to say.

We asked if the investigative dept. of SS were investigating, she said no, the care company would be audited in their investigation of the carer, at least, I think that is what she meant, through the waffle.

No wonder that abuse and fraud is rife.

I know that most carers are genuine and do more than is expected. I was lucky to have one of them for Mum and Dad and was very grateful, but what about the poor service users who don't have a "MORAG" or family.

Alfjess

 

[sistermillicent]

I think a phone call to the local paper would be interesting. I realise you have family confidentiality and all that, so you may well not feel like it. But the authorities get very very rattled at the mere suggestion.....
Pippa