How long should carers visit? One only stays for 5 mins and asks for mums signature, they others stay for 30 mins and chat and dont ask for signature. We are self funding and I dont want to get charged for an hour when they are only here half that or 5 mins. They fil the log in "nothing required, had a chat".
Carers
- Thread starter banger696
- Start date
Carers continued.....
hello there
I am at home when the carers come and they do stay for the proper amount of time and almost 100% are really good its just we have had so many different ones. A bit confusing for someone with Dementia. Since July about 13 - 14 different carers and we only have 3 visits a week! Have requested continuity but it hasn't happened yet. Also self funded now but it started with Social services and still with same firm
hello there
I am at home when the carers come and they do stay for the proper amount of time and almost 100% are really good its just we have had so many different ones. A bit confusing for someone with Dementia. Since July about 13 - 14 different carers and we only have 3 visits a week! Have requested continuity but it hasn't happened yet. Also self funded now but it started with Social services and still with same firm
Fortunately we have 3 carers within our village, 2 walk and one has a car but they are here everyday at 1pm and 8pm but because my mum does her own personal care they have nothing to do and just chat, We also started with SS who said they would review her care after a few weeks and in hospital she was designated without capacity but has really improved over these last 2 weeks.
It is difficult with Carers. My mum has care 3 x a day some of the staff are ok others lacking. They vary their time from 15 to 45 mins although we are paying for a half hour each visit. It will be interesting to see what the charge is when the bill arrives! I do have issues with them, odd combinations of food at meal times, leaving the microwave dirty etc and have made several complaints to SS. At the moment they are being reviewed and have said they will put in the same 4 carers per week to try and give continuity and give them extra dementia training. I will wait and see what happens but do you wish good luck x x
You know, when my Mum had 3X daily callers, they signed the book, listed what they'd done and how mum seemed and time visited. Mum did not sign the book. Their contract was for a minimum call of 15 mins... their visits lasted from 5 to 15mins in fact. I had to pay for 15 mins because that was the smallest billable arrangement..... but on the other hand, they were reliable and kind to Mum and the Attendance Allowance was paid to cover this.
Dad had the same as Cragmaid - all actions written up in book with time of arrival and time of leaving. Sometimes dad was really co-operative and the visit was short but ALL the agreed care was given - sometimes he was awkward and they kindly stayed longer so that all the agreed care was given. He paid the same for the visits.
His morning visit was to get him up, washed/showered, dressed, have breakfast, take meds, leave him in lounge with TV or music and a coffee = 45 mins. The evening visit was shorter = 20 mins to give him meds, toilet, into pjs, teeth out, settle in bed, lights out (it was rarely as easy as that).
Seems to me that the times you have aren't the best times for the break that the care visit is meant to be for YOU. If your mum is still doing her personal care (are you SURE? is she fibbing and the carers do actually need to gently support her?) I seem to remember that bedtimes had been difficult for you. But maybe the visits need to be swapped for other time slots or for mealtimes - to get her lunch and meds and a dinner and meds - to take that responsibility from you.
It seems odd that you have an hour allotted but it's not used - what exactly is it meant to be for? IF the carers are meant to spend time with your mother then they should stay and chat with her or even just sit with her for the given time - to give you a break, so you can safely do whatever you want.
I'd be resistant to give up care if I were you, as you will need it at some point and at the very least your mother is getting used to others coming into the house regularly to help you both - that in itself is often a breakthrough.
Are you sure YOU aren't doing what the care givers are meant to? If so, hard as it is, step back and let them get on with it.
PS Just reread your posts and seen that the first visit is at 1pm = lunchtime? So they do not come to help her in the morning. What are they meant to do then?
Not sure Selinacroft is right - dad's carers had a care plan and the tasks were all agreed so that the carers knew exactly what was expected of them, they were not there to pick up any undone housework - UNLESS that is made part of the agreement.
His morning visit was to get him up, washed/showered, dressed, have breakfast, take meds, leave him in lounge with TV or music and a coffee = 45 mins. The evening visit was shorter = 20 mins to give him meds, toilet, into pjs, teeth out, settle in bed, lights out (it was rarely as easy as that).
Seems to me that the times you have aren't the best times for the break that the care visit is meant to be for YOU. If your mum is still doing her personal care (are you SURE? is she fibbing and the carers do actually need to gently support her?) I seem to remember that bedtimes had been difficult for you. But maybe the visits need to be swapped for other time slots or for mealtimes - to get her lunch and meds and a dinner and meds - to take that responsibility from you.
It seems odd that you have an hour allotted but it's not used - what exactly is it meant to be for? IF the carers are meant to spend time with your mother then they should stay and chat with her or even just sit with her for the given time - to give you a break, so you can safely do whatever you want.
I'd be resistant to give up care if I were you, as you will need it at some point and at the very least your mother is getting used to others coming into the house regularly to help you both - that in itself is often a breakthrough.
Are you sure YOU aren't doing what the care givers are meant to? If so, hard as it is, step back and let them get on with it.
PS Just reread your posts and seen that the first visit is at 1pm = lunchtime? So they do not come to help her in the morning. What are they meant to do then?
Not sure Selinacroft is right - dad's carers had a care plan and the tasks were all agreed so that the carers knew exactly what was expected of them, they were not there to pick up any undone housework - UNLESS that is made part of the agreement.
Last edited:
Don't get me started on this one! I was fortunate to get CHC funding for 2 months since Dad was discharged but once CHC completed the prolonged assessment the funding was refused so back to self funding.
I do care work myself to fit in with being at home with Dad so I am especially aware of carers trying to cut corners. I do tend to leave notes asking for jobs to be done and when I am at home myself I crack the whip in the nicest possible way. Some of them still sneak off early and I will be ringing the office and seeking alternatives tomorrow but I am not sure I will find better. On the plus side they are a decent lot of people but under too much pressure and given no travel time.
If you are self funding you have every right to demand they work the allotted half hour and if not needed for personal care they can do household jobs.
I've found a carer who works for herself rather than agency and I hope to use her more than agency for household help.
I got really fed up with some of them who would write in log "sitting in chair watching tv- all safe on leaving" How useful is that suppose to be when I am at home with him? I started doing a book of my own with requests to do jobs like clean toilet, mop floor , empty and clean commode, change bed sheets, vacuum lounge-etc etc. Some of them got a bit fed up but I got more out of them. Now I am self funding again I have cut visits from one hour to half an hour as easier to fill the time.
I do care work myself to fit in with being at home with Dad so I am especially aware of carers trying to cut corners. I do tend to leave notes asking for jobs to be done and when I am at home myself I crack the whip in the nicest possible way. Some of them still sneak off early and I will be ringing the office and seeking alternatives tomorrow but I am not sure I will find better. On the plus side they are a decent lot of people but under too much pressure and given no travel time.
If you are self funding you have every right to demand they work the allotted half hour and if not needed for personal care they can do household jobs.
I've found a carer who works for herself rather than agency and I hope to use her more than agency for household help.
I got really fed up with some of them who would write in log "sitting in chair watching tv- all safe on leaving" How useful is that suppose to be when I am at home with him? I started doing a book of my own with requests to do jobs like clean toilet, mop floor , empty and clean commode, change bed sheets, vacuum lounge-etc etc. Some of them got a bit fed up but I got more out of them. Now I am self funding again I have cut visits from one hour to half an hour as easier to fill the time.
Last edited:
A favourite here used to be NER. Thankfully we are past the Agency sending that tyep of carer: nothing else required indeed!
My Mum's carers have to log in and out on the phone so that here is a record of how long they actually spend in her house and they are generally very good at keeping a balance between getting her sorted out and jus having a chat. I'm a bit concerned that the care company has now been taken over and the new one gives the carers mobile phones to use for logging in. The mobiles apparently have GPS trackers but one of the staff from the new company told one of Mum's existing carers tha you can log in from the phone and sit in the car doing your own thing for as long as you like before acually going into the house. There will be blood on the carpet if I catch a carer doing that!