They were arranged to start on Thursday but I had a late hospital appointment so we asked for it to start on Friday. The care agency (A) sent a carer anyway because they didn't listen; so because we weren't expecting anyone we'd already done what we needed them to do.
Friday and Saturday I had 3 carers; (I'm going to use their initials for each of them) F was the carer who came on the Thursday, she seemed nice, but she seemed like she wanted to hurry up and get every thing done quickly so she could leave as soon as possible, she was also being rough when she was helping to bathe me, and she made me feel uncomfortable. T was my favourite carer, she was 19, training to be a nurse and she stayed with me until the end of the hour and a half to talk to me instead of rushing to get out. D was a bit creepy, she was nice, helpful but she got really close, in my face with her eyes wide open wanting to help me actually go to the toilet, F did the same. I know I need help getting to the bathroom but once I am sitting I am able to spend a penny myself.
Saturdays and Sundays my mum isn't at home so I have care one hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the evening.
Saturdays and Sundays my mum isn't at home so I have care one hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the evening.
Sunday night a new carer, that I've never met or heard of turned up at 6.20 when care is at 5-6.30 (which is not what we wanted, we wanted a later call because I'm not really hungry for dinner at 5. She said that she was told it was that my care was at 6-7.30, but when we said that we'd made prior arrangements because we didn't know if she was coming she said that her motorbike broke down. It just seemed like excuses. We told her that she wasn't needed, she turned from being a smiley, nice seeming carer to a grumpy one and she stormed off.
On Monday the manager came round to find out what my care needs are, what the carers had to help me with, what my conditions are, etc... (I'm not that experienced in care but I would have thought that this would have happened before the care actually started). Before this we had to explain everything to each of the carers - my medications, conditions, needs and what to do if I faint or have an anaphalactic shock. None of the carers seemed to know what the recovery position was or what an epipen is or how to use it. When we asked the manager if they'd been medically, safety and food hygiene trained he said yes but he wasn't very confident in the answer and he said "yeah, if they weren't we'd be sued"... that doesn't really sound like a definite answer.
The next day we called Social Services to say that I didn't really feel safe or confident in them so can we have a different agency. My appointed social worker from last year, C, arranged for this company but she put me in the done pile but she was on duty so she sorted it. This time C was also on duty and she said she'd call back... That didn't happen.
On Monday the manager came round to find out what my care needs are, what the carers had to help me with, what my conditions are, etc... (I'm not that experienced in care but I would have thought that this would have happened before the care actually started). Before this we had to explain everything to each of the carers - my medications, conditions, needs and what to do if I faint or have an anaphalactic shock. None of the carers seemed to know what the recovery position was or what an epipen is or how to use it. When we asked the manager if they'd been medically, safety and food hygiene trained he said yes but he wasn't very confident in the answer and he said "yeah, if they weren't we'd be sued"... that doesn't really sound like a definite answer.
The next day we called Social Services to say that I didn't really feel safe or confident in them so can we have a different agency. My appointed social worker from last year, C, arranged for this company but she put me in the done pile but she was on duty so she sorted it. This time C was also on duty and she said she'd call back... That didn't happen.
The next week, on Monday we cancelled care when I was in agony, throwing up and having diarrhoea. We'd also called the agency to tell them that I wasn't really getting on with F and F seemed to be my primary carer (even though we asked for T to be my primary carer) and I didn't want to have her anymore, they said they'd call us back but we didn't hear back from them.
We reinstated care for Monday so we had to come home for five from a family do but we were about 10 minutes late, we were worried that we'd left them waiting but when we got home but no one came. If I had been on my own it could have been execrable as I can't cook, carry, walk or even go to the toilet myself.
On Tuesday F came at 3 to apologise for forgetting to come (FORGETTING?!? Do they do this to their old clients who could be worse than me?? I mean, really?? She FORGOT?!) the day before; we called up the care agency so to tell them that we didn't want them to send her anymore; they said to us "why hadn't we mentioned something earlier" which we did the week before. It should have been noted down on the system. They said that they'd have to cancel care because it was short notice. And yet F came back at 5 anyway as my carer.
By Wednesday I was fed up with this company so we called the Social Worker and a nice man, H, was on duty, he managed to get the agency to send someone else (miraculously it happened almost instantly). The care agency told us that they were sending someone, K. We finally got someone other than F. Amazing.
It got to 5.30, and no K so we called the care agency to find out what happened to her. They said they'd call back after they get in contact with her. It got to 6.20 and no phone call so we called them back. They said that they couldn't get hold of her so they were sending someone else but they had to finish all their other clients before they could come here so they couldn't tell us when they were coming or even WHO was coming.
We told them that I have to take my pills at certain times and their carers were interfering with that, so if they'd turn up later, after I took my tablets, I wouldn't be able to get up to be washed/showered which is always difficult even before I take my medication. So we cancelled it in the end because they weren't here to help when I needed it. They acted as if WE'D done something wrong saying "fine then" as if WE'D put THEM out.
The Carers that came after we saw he managers still didn't know the recovery position, what epipens are, how to use them, what my meds are and my conditions. I need them to help me when I need it, to understand my conditions. I also need to get on with them and feel safe and comfortable around them. I need to know that they ARE coming when I need them. They need to know the difference between floopy and sleepy and I need to have continuity with care and not have a million carers in and out, not getting to know me or my conditions or to just want to get things done quickly even though I can't go a long with that pace.
The care agency wouldn't listen to us, they didn't seem to care about my conditions, they only wanted to hear the answers to their questions and nothing else.
We called H again to tell him that nobody came and he agreed that this company isn't right for me so he arranged for a new contract with another care agency but they couldn't start, he said, until today. H was hoping that I would agree to stick with the uncaring care agency (A) until then but I didn't feel comfortable with that; my mum wouldn't be here and I couldn't be sure that someone would turn up, I mean they forget, don't come at all or send the wrong person. He understood all of this but he didn't want me to be on my own so we arranged for me to stay at my sister's house over the weekend. It wasn't exactly the best place for me to be because her only bathroom is upstairs and I can barely stand with my crutches and especially walk but I was able to, painfully, bum shuffle up and down the stairs and I had my sister their to help me wash, make food and altogether look after me but I made sure I want in the way and I even helped occupy my niece so that my sister could do some more unpacking. I also got my sister, her fiancé and my niece a little prezzie each.
Today we spoke to the social worker secretary and found out that they wanted a four o'clock call for this evening (I don't want an early-bird special) but that was way too early so we cancelled it for tonight and hoped it could be arranged later for tomorrow but C was on duty again and called us up, she said she wasn't happy about me not having care this evening so she wanted me to have it, we told her it was too early so she said she'd call us back but, Quelle Surprise, it is now twenty past four and no phone call and no carer.
Anyway, I'll keep you updated with this...
*huggle* for everyone!!!
We called H again to tell him that nobody came and he agreed that this company isn't right for me so he arranged for a new contract with another care agency but they couldn't start, he said, until today. H was hoping that I would agree to stick with the uncaring care agency (A) until then but I didn't feel comfortable with that; my mum wouldn't be here and I couldn't be sure that someone would turn up, I mean they forget, don't come at all or send the wrong person. He understood all of this but he didn't want me to be on my own so we arranged for me to stay at my sister's house over the weekend. It wasn't exactly the best place for me to be because her only bathroom is upstairs and I can barely stand with my crutches and especially walk but I was able to, painfully, bum shuffle up and down the stairs and I had my sister their to help me wash, make food and altogether look after me but I made sure I want in the way and I even helped occupy my niece so that my sister could do some more unpacking. I also got my sister, her fiancé and my niece a little prezzie each.
Today we spoke to the social worker secretary and found out that they wanted a four o'clock call for this evening (I don't want an early-bird special) but that was way too early so we cancelled it for tonight and hoped it could be arranged later for tomorrow but C was on duty again and called us up, she said she wasn't happy about me not having care this evening so she wanted me to have it, we told her it was too early so she said she'd call us back but, Quelle Surprise, it is now twenty past four and no phone call and no carer.
Anyway, I'll keep you updated with this...
*huggle* for everyone!!!
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