.......be warned I’m trying not to sound like a harridan or just certifiable hence separating the posts!!
If it wasn’t for a lovely trainee at the care agency I’d still be trying to prove what had been put into place by Social services etc.
So heads up folks
Original care package pre hospital discharge 3 visits a day to be funded by Social services - yep first question community nurse asked “ who’s funding this”
Nearly 2 months on & still it’s a muddle.
Unbeknown to us at the time on discharge from hospital Aged Mother informs SW within 3 days of discharge that she finds the carers intrusive ~ so SW cancels lunchtime carer.
carers have 2 visit contract now.
So from 3 to 3 - following me so far??
Aged mother gets UTI again, carers concerned & raise queries with GP, ask for home visit. Community nurse starts calling unbeknown to us & the carers!!
Community reinstates 3 visits a day care package as she believes it’s the original contract pre - discharge, not being aware that SW & mother agreed 2 visits a day!
Still following so far ~ care package 3-2-2
Another UTI & paramedics called out- paramedics call me late at night & day Aged mother refuses help but they are raising welfare issues.
The saga continues.....
aged mother not responding to antibiotics, care team on the ball & chase GP for tests, no response!
Unbeknown to carers, family, neighbours, community nurse & even the damn cat Aged Mother’s GP visits & states nothing wrong with her just age - “frail” was the medical term used in the email ( first for everything! Woohoo!) I received from the GP.
Umm ..., same Aged Mother that was so poorly that the community nurse rang the same day & asked me to comedown & look after her as she shouldn’t be on her own!! Or I could have her to stay with me until she” picked up “ oh & was I aware that whoever did Mums shopping needed to purchase lots of incontinent pants as she’d used the large months supply sent back with her from the hospital within less than 10 days ; oh even better I was told I might have to double up the pants as Aged Mother was so incontinent it was flooding !!!
No not happening so community nurse says she will sort it out & I ask her to let me know what’s happening as no transport until OH gets back late that night.
This is the same aged mother who carers written statements say she was off her legs for 4 days!!
So next day OH & I travel to find Aged Mother sat in soiled bedding & pads, no carer & hadn’t seen anyone since the GP called in & said she was fine.
Just to recap off her legs, raging temperature, raging UTI, sat in soiled bedding since carer came in at tea-time.Alone all night since the last carer came in & raised concerns about Aged Mother’s welfare & safety, & now no more antibiotics as GP said she was fine just frail.
Carer arrives, horrified at Mums worsening condition ( fortunately for the carers they document everything!) sorts Aged Mother out & asks us to call 111 for out of hours GP while she rings in her concerns to the office
Ask carer how many times a day they are coming in- still 2.
Meanwhile we have emails from SW to carer stating 3 times a day as UTI, off her legs etc & the reduction of care package was not working
Still following ...,
Many hours & phone calls later another carer turns up .. Result we think !! WRONG unbeknown to us it’s an agency community nurse arranged by the community nurse to cover her over the weekend!
So still on 2 visits a day care package
When the 3rd carer turned up around early tea -time ...... fortunately old habits die hard ... I asked what times they carers would be with Aged Mother?
Imagine my shock when it turns out that Poor Aged Mum wouldn’t see another carer until mid morning the next day.
So that’s how the care package contract issues were brought to our attention!!
Resolution care plan 4 visits a day from carers, any change & we’d be notified before hand!
Out of hours GP more antibiotics, & Community nurse visits as well!!
Sorted!!!
wrong.....
FAST FORWARD another few weeks more antibiotics, more UTI’s, more visits from God knows who working for God knows whom. Only the care agency fill in the book so we have no idea what’s happening at least we can keep Aged Mother company in that!
TODAY after weeks of emails like a returning curse “CONTRACT FIASCO” returns to haunt me!
Days of phone calls from aged mother distressed - no carers, emails confirming yet again Mum found 4 visits a day intrusive so reduced to 3; the mystery of the missing care package is solved!!
Tah Dah!
So thank you trainee carer, you are an amazing person for actually listening to the facts written in black & white in the carers notes
Mum being charged for more care than she received.
The contract in place was never changed after being reduced.
No one let us know until after the changes to care plan had been put in place. All these UTI’s & issues could have been advised if the concerns the family & cares raised were actually taken seriously. It’s hard enough dealing with the issues of dementia daily without this ineptitude!So exhausting having to convince certain people that they couldn’t organise a party in brewery.
Outcome it is Only now is care package contract is in place for 3 visits,a 4th visit having been arranged & then cancelled by Aged Mother through Social services isn’t possible now due to staffing issues!!! So here we go again another UTI no carer in from mid afternoon & to just ice this little mess .......
Still no referrals to -
-Memory Clinic
-Physio
-incontinence team
- or psychiatric nurse & team
Etc
Add insult to injury ... I have emails stating that all this has been done!
Actually got fed up of being pushed pillar to post & rang Dementia team direct ......