2 months in and I and my siblings are having real trouble with her care home.
Our first issue is that certain members of staff have a real issue with my mum's old carer, Tracey (not real name) who still visits mum 4 times a week at the home.
She has cared for my mum for 4 years prior to mum going into the home. We decided to keep her on to help mum transition and maintain a relationship that has benefitted mum's well being immeasurably whilst she has dealt with the effects of Alzheimers.
English is not her first language and Tracey can at times come over rather brusque but once you get used to it she is a true gem and has glowing references from everyone she has ever worked for plus and award for her work with people with dementia. Despite this certain members of staff at the home have complained about her and I have witnessed them ignoring her or rolling their eyes whenever she talks. One of the members of staff referred to her as "that silly" cow whilst complaining to me about her.
In an attempt to appease the staff and show good will will agreed that Tracey would not get involved in any of mum's personal care, like showering her in the morning or helping her to get dressed, despite mum's preference being that Tracey do this for her. Tracey also agreed to come in later in the morning so as not to interfere with the carers routine in the morning.
Despite this some carers are still resentful of her presence and complain that she is rude to them and they find her intimidating. On Wednesday this week it all came to a head and Tracey left the care home because she could no longer take the unpleasant atmosphere and rudeness, more alarmingly she was unsure whether she wanted to continue to visit my mum at the care home.
This fills me with despair because the ward my mother is on has a staff ratio of 2-10 in the daytime and 1 -10 at night, despite one of the residents frequently requiring two members of staff to fulfil his personal care needs because he has several additional conditions including dementia. My mum has mobility issues and has had several bad falls. The staff constantly complain that she requires 1-1 care as they cannot satisfactorily meet her needs due to the staffing ratios. They frequently take mum around with them when they attend to other residents personal care in their rooms. My mum does not like having to do this, and complains that she can't be in her room alone as frequently as she might like because they cannot check on her frequently enough to ensure she is safe. This is why it is so infuriating to me that they cannot see Tracey as a blessing and act in a professional way and treat her with courtesy. They don't have to adore her but they should surely tolerate her for mum's benefit and theirs? I am a teacher and I do not love every parent, nanny, childminder etc I come across but I work with them for the benefit of the child, I wouldn't dream of being discourteous even if I felt their manner was not to my liking.
The manager is the barely around she is permanently locked in her office on the ground floor or outside the home having a fag. I have only seen her once on my mothers ward in the two months she has been there and she has never reached out to us to ask us how my mum has settled in. Her response is that she has spoken to the staff concerned and tells me that they counter that Paula is the problem.
What do I do...? Mum will be devastated if Tracey doesn't visit most days and I will be concerned that mum's care is compromised because of the low staffing levels.
Our first issue is that certain members of staff have a real issue with my mum's old carer, Tracey (not real name) who still visits mum 4 times a week at the home.
She has cared for my mum for 4 years prior to mum going into the home. We decided to keep her on to help mum transition and maintain a relationship that has benefitted mum's well being immeasurably whilst she has dealt with the effects of Alzheimers.
English is not her first language and Tracey can at times come over rather brusque but once you get used to it she is a true gem and has glowing references from everyone she has ever worked for plus and award for her work with people with dementia. Despite this certain members of staff at the home have complained about her and I have witnessed them ignoring her or rolling their eyes whenever she talks. One of the members of staff referred to her as "that silly" cow whilst complaining to me about her.
In an attempt to appease the staff and show good will will agreed that Tracey would not get involved in any of mum's personal care, like showering her in the morning or helping her to get dressed, despite mum's preference being that Tracey do this for her. Tracey also agreed to come in later in the morning so as not to interfere with the carers routine in the morning.
Despite this some carers are still resentful of her presence and complain that she is rude to them and they find her intimidating. On Wednesday this week it all came to a head and Tracey left the care home because she could no longer take the unpleasant atmosphere and rudeness, more alarmingly she was unsure whether she wanted to continue to visit my mum at the care home.
This fills me with despair because the ward my mother is on has a staff ratio of 2-10 in the daytime and 1 -10 at night, despite one of the residents frequently requiring two members of staff to fulfil his personal care needs because he has several additional conditions including dementia. My mum has mobility issues and has had several bad falls. The staff constantly complain that she requires 1-1 care as they cannot satisfactorily meet her needs due to the staffing ratios. They frequently take mum around with them when they attend to other residents personal care in their rooms. My mum does not like having to do this, and complains that she can't be in her room alone as frequently as she might like because they cannot check on her frequently enough to ensure she is safe. This is why it is so infuriating to me that they cannot see Tracey as a blessing and act in a professional way and treat her with courtesy. They don't have to adore her but they should surely tolerate her for mum's benefit and theirs? I am a teacher and I do not love every parent, nanny, childminder etc I come across but I work with them for the benefit of the child, I wouldn't dream of being discourteous even if I felt their manner was not to my liking.
The manager is the barely around she is permanently locked in her office on the ground floor or outside the home having a fag. I have only seen her once on my mothers ward in the two months she has been there and she has never reached out to us to ask us how my mum has settled in. Her response is that she has spoken to the staff concerned and tells me that they counter that Paula is the problem.
What do I do...? Mum will be devastated if Tracey doesn't visit most days and I will be concerned that mum's care is compromised because of the low staffing levels.