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Care & carers

Mobile contact with carers

(11 Posts)
Jayneletstryanother1 Sat 21-Feb-26 14:16:23

I am main carer for my partner. He is paralysed and we employ an agency to provide 2 carers twice a day to help with his personal care. All our carers are lovely, the one we see every day has my personal mobile contact so that if I am out or running late I can send her a text to warn her and let her know where to access a key. we don't have or want a key safe. Everything worked perfectly until last week when the carer thought she had sent me a message but mistakenly sent it to her manager instead. It was a perfectly innocent message, not rude or anything about the agency. She was hauled into see the manager and the outcome has been that she has been told to delete the contact with me. I would add that this is my personal mobile, not the client's, my partner. The outcome is that it will now be very difficult to come and go as I please when I am able. The agency is pretty bad at answering their own phones, so difficult to ask them to pass messages on and they are pretty awful at supplying their carers for the same time each day. Any thoughts?

butterandjam Sat 21-Feb-26 14:28:27

Get yourself a burner phone for her to contact you on.

Lathyrus3 Sat 21-Feb-26 14:46:46

I think you may have to give in about the key safe.

I’m afraid it’s a choice between that or being tied down to the agency timings.

Please be careful not to ask anything of her that is contrary to the Agency rules.

kittylester Sat 21-Feb-26 15:20:30

What Lathyrus said.

JaneJudge Sat 21-Feb-26 15:23:01

I think you'll have to get a key safe too.

It will be in her code of conduct not to have clients phone numbers on her phone, this is to do with professional boundaries.

keepingquiet Sat 21-Feb-26 15:55:48

I agree- get a key safe. Thousands of peiple have them and use them with no issues. I don't understand your reluctance- much safer than using a mobile and less worry for you.

Allira Sat 21-Feb-26 16:39:58

keepingquiet

I agree- get a key safe. Thousands of peiple have them and use them with no issues. I don't understand your reluctance- much safer than using a mobile and less worry for you.

I agree with others re the key safe.

Much safer than leaving the key hidden too.

Astitchintime Sat 21-Feb-26 16:53:08

Key safe is the way to go I’m afraid. Imagine your partner being alone in the home, there’s an emergency and immediate access is required and you’re not there to unlock the door………just saying!

butterandjam Sat 21-Feb-26 20:06:30

keepingquiet

I agree- get a key safe. Thousands of peiple have them and use them with no issues. I don't understand your reluctance- much safer than using a mobile and less worry for you.

maybe OP is worried about the security of the code? It can be changed as often as you like.

OldFrill Sun 22-Feb-26 00:50:10

She's lucky she wasn't fired.
Get a key safe but, if you can, attach it somewhere it's not overtly visible. Only put keys in when necessary, don't leave keys in it 24/7. Change the code regularly (work with the agency as they will have protocols to inform staff of code changes). Make sure the key safe conforms to your insurer's standards. Your other option, possibly, is a Bluetooth enabled key safe that you can open remotely via your phone rather than a keyed in code. When the carers finish, as a further security measure, they can post keys through the letter box rather than put them in the key safe.

Esmay Sun 22-Feb-26 13:10:55

I also advise you to get a key safe .

In the begining of my father's illness -we had three different care agencies .
He exchanged a mobile number with one in order to get his hair cut -then preferred me to fo it as he always has done .

I was very unhappy with the agencies for several reasons.
They left the front door open ,nearly set the house on fire and began to steal things.
Some of them were rude .
They also teased and frightened him .
I made complaints about their care and it fell on deaf ears .

I eventually decided to care for himself using someone I knew personally to fill in should I be not able to be at his home or was late .
This lady used to make him drinks and heat food in the microwave.
She mainly provided company for him -chatting and changing TV channels.
She did empty the commode if needed .
She didn't wash him nor change the linen,but would have if asked .
She did give him his meds on a few occasions.
We texted all the time .
This worked out very well for me ,my father and for the carer ..