staffing levels

[Emzlouise]

Hi everyone,

I am a carer in a 60 bed residential home, the layout of our building is an L shape, we currently have 54 residents who have a form of dementia. Our current staffing levels are 3 carers and 1 senior and 1 night manager, however our night manager only administers medication and does laundry.

I'm concerned that we do not have enough members of staff, as we are a 3 floored home and have several patients who are 'doubles' we barely have any time to spend with the residents and on a good night were still helping people get to bed around midnight, on a bad night it can be as late as 2am! We have mentioned this to our home manager but she thinks we are doing fine. As carers we are all worried that we are not meeting all the needs of our residents.

Our home manager calls our top floor residential, which is untrue, we have many dementia residents on that floor as we do the ground so she only allocates 1 member of staff to that floor, every night we are abused verbally and physically.

Do you think we have enough staff? Or should we really be having this conversation again with the manager and possibly someone from CQC

Many thanks x

 

[mancmum]

Make sure you are in a union before you go any further.

Before you do anything. If you are not already a union member make sure you join one NOW. If you become a whistleblower then you will have an organisation bigger than you backing you up. http://www.unitetheunion.org/ Your employer will not need to know that you have done this but it will give you some protection. Its usual for you to need to be a union member before you receive support. Once a concern has been raised it may be harder for you to get back up. Think of yourself as well as the residents.

I don't have any experience of staffing levels but it sounds unsafe to me. There are others here who will give you better advice that I can on this.

I am glad that there are people like yourself prepared to look at the bigger picture and question what is happening.

 

[sistermillicent]

I am afraid I would advise you to leave that job. As one who brought a case against someone I worked for I can tell you that I would never ever do it again even though I was right, and proved to be right, it was just dreadful.

However, I can understand that if you feel the lives and wellbeing of the elderly residents are at risk you would want to take some action. Joining a union is your first step. then following the grievance procedure of the place you work for is probably your best bet.

 

[love.dad.but..]

I can only give my opinion as a daughter of someone in a specialist dementia nursing home but having looked around 16 or so care/nursing home for my reasonably mobile 84 yr old end of moderate stage dementia, the minimum staffing level I would have needed reassurance on was 1-7/8 and only with a lower number of residents. From what you describe the staffing level and number of residents does not sound safe. Difficult to say what would be your personal best course of action but those residents should expect and receive good level of care in both expertise and numbers of staff. Personally I would speak to the Manager formally so it is on record about your professional concerns, then if no joy report the staffing level and care concern to CQC then find another home where the protection of vulnerable residents is clearly paramount and they have better regard for their staff. Easier said than done I know but if my Dad was in the home you describe and I knew what you have shared or it was obvious, I would remove him. His nursing home has 64 residents - 32 on each floor, day staff ratio 6 carers and 2 nurses on each floor 2 full time activity ladies night time 3 carers 1 nurse on each floor. 1 member of staff to a floor is unsafe, what happens if she falls ill, is attacked, her time is taken with one resident and others need urgent assistance?