Overnight carers

[Lainey 127]

Evening to everyone,
Quick question: We've just started getting waking nights carers to stay with Mum four nights a week while we go home for some much needed sleep. The carers seem to think we should be staying here too, not go home to sleep. I really can't see the point in staying here because if Mum wakes at night it's still going to wake me up.
What does everyone else do? Do you all stay overnight with the carers? Have we got it wrong?

 

[PeggySmith]

I should have thought the whole point of overnight carers would be to allow you to get some sleep. Have you asked them why they think you should stay?

 

[stanleypj]

No direct experience but their expectation seems unreasonable especially when you consider how much the agencies charge for this service.

Would they give you a refund if they had to wake you?

 

[Maldives13]

That seems a bit weird they expect you to stay there! What's the point of paying them. We used someone to stay overnight while we went away for a weekend. There was no question of the carer not being on their own with mum. Very strange! Let us know the outcome

 

[nellbelles]

I have no experience of waking night sitters, but surely it is all in the name.

I did have a carer who lived in for a week while I had a break, the only time she contacted me was one morning when Tom had no idea who this woman in the house was, and then it was to calm Tom for his sake not hers.

If you pay for a service you should get it!

 

[realist1234]

Speak to the management of the organisation who employs the carers. If they agree with their staff's views, speak to another agency and ask them their view, and if different change carers. As others have said, you are effectively employing someone to be with your relative overnight, so what exactly is the point of a family member staying as well?

 

[love.dad.but..]

Most agencies offer 2 levels of nightime care ... carers who are night sitters who are on duty all night to respond more expensive and carers who sleep at the house and can be disturbed usually up to twice for assistance during the night period by the resident which is cheaper....I don't think there is any other cover inbetween and from my experiences and research the relative is not required to also be on site. ....that's the whole point of night cover. I would check with the agency management your contract it doesn't seem right to me or perhaps the carers haven't been told clearly by them which service they are contracted to supply.