Care companies handing back contracts

I think that the growing care industry ( horrid word, sorry) is far too important, far too embroiled in legislation regarding training, drug dispensing, client handling etc., to be left to charities or even to not for profit organisations. The point is that the carer providers cannot charge enough to cover their costs, it is not a matter of not paying shareholders. I admit there is a place for volunteers providing companionship, lunch clubs etc., but this is a very different area of provision from hands on caring and getting people toileted, ready for bed, meals prepared. The bottom line is that there is an ever increasing need for care services, and it needs to be properly funded.

ww I know most of them do, but I do know of some charities which employ volunteers. I wasn't sure which sort you meant.

dd this is a bit of a late reply, but not for profit charities are run like a business. They employ careers etc, and pay them the going rate. The difference is that the shareholders do not take the cream off the top the money is entirely used for the charitable activities.

Apologies dte. I totally agree with what's been said, and the future for home care does look bleak indeed. Heaven only knows where it will all end, I dread to think!

My Grandaughter * niggly* am her legal guardian since age of 4

It is without any doubt in my mind, the fault of central government with their race to the bottom

Totally agree with you GillT57 it should be the responsibility of central government to pay for elderly care. It definitely shouldn't be down to Local Governments who are forced to put council taxes up in order to pay for the increases necessary. More and more companies will refuse (or be forced to hand back) contracts if they are unable to cover their ever increasing costs.

We are all obviously agreed that the current situation is not working and is going to get worse, but blaming the private care providers is not the answer. As I pointed out previously, they are handing back contracts as they just don't add up financially, and I would be very surprised indeed if any are making a huge profit from this necessary service. Training is essential, not just for the staff, but for the clients receiving the care, but training costs money. Even a couple of weeks of training is wages paid to a new staff member which cannot be charge, and there is no guarantee that after expensive training, sorting out references, DBS checks etc., that the newly trained staff member will not just quit and go to another employer who will be delighted to employ a ready to go staff member. The blame is being laid at the wrong doors, it is not the fault of the overworked, harassed carers, it is not the fault of the care agency trying to provide a service and not make a loss, and it is not even the fault of the local authority who have had to outsource the provision of care. It is without any doubt in my mind, the fault of central government with their race to the bottom, their desperate slashing of budgets. Maybe if more care agencies fail, or refuse to take on local authority contracts, maybe, just maybe, notice will be taken.

downtoearth, words actually fail me, particularly as I guess this is not an isolated case. I feel so sorry for your niece(?) What a horrible experience for her. Medication for us was always administered from a blister pack made up by the Chemist or from a pill box, the pills having been put into appropriate days/times by the District Nurse on a weekly basis. Later, we did have medication training but again, a senior care worker sorted any pill boxes so that the care worker could administer pills at the appropriate time with confidence.
15 mins is hardly time to write your notes, never mind make a light snack, and wash up, and do any other small jobs. How ridiculous to expect anyone to perform any task apart from checking a clients security, and maybe remind about pills or supervise, and perhaps turn the bed down!
I couldn't have worked like this as it would have been a completely unacceptable way to treat the elderly and carers alike

In fact she used to call me as she couldnt get supervisors to respond or if she did they would get snotty with her for keep ringing..she would ask my advice fortunately I have trained in dispensing and pharmacy for many years and could help explain MAR charts and Dosette boxes.

Definitely agree life experience required for this role niggly

Started at 06.45 saturday

* Niggly* and Gilly I was horrified that E had to handle controlled medication, assist.with administering oxygen,weekends where worst as half the carers had weekends off and in her weekend on which started at 01.45 saturday and finished 22.00 sunday., she was hauled over the coals in a mix up when tea time and evening timed medication where given together after an afternoon carer arrived latefir the lunch dose.As a 64year old I wouldnt feel comfortable allowing the young ones to care for me or my husband especially with personal care. Calls where 15 minutes to include meds make light snack/ meal wash up and general duties iften sink of washing up from previous carer out of time left no time to make any difference to a lonely person at all

We as carers had lots of laughs and plenty of tears. One lady was convinced that her older brother was coming home on leave from the first world war! She made and remade the spare room bed, and dusted the room umpteen times in anticipation of this visit!! She was 88, and brother had been dead for many years, but she was convinced!! In the end she went into residential care as care in her home became too difficult. Would today's carer have time to listen or even have an opinion about such a case? Sadly it would appear not.

downtoearth, that is a truly shocking tale. Years ago new carers had to shadow an experienced carer for at least two weeks after training, just to get the gist of things. I can't believe that anyone could be expected to be thrown in the deep end in this way and cope satisfactorily. Caring is about personal care of course, but it is also about dealing sympathetically with frightened, awkward, cantankerous, lonely senior citizens. Suggesting baths when one is being fiercely resisted! 'Just see how we go' and hopefully a good result. Clients who won't let you in, even threatening to get the Police!!!! All time consuming but part of the job, and the feeling of satisfaction when you get an awkward clients confidence and good will makes it well worth while. Although I guess no one has time for any of that any more.

Disgusting expecting 17 year old's to take such responsibility regardless of how much they are paid. Shocking in fact.

Would I have wanted a 17 year old to look after my grandma? Absolutely NOT.

I have to say that the company who provided home care to my grandma were fantastic. She was lovely but could be awkward if she wanted to be and fixate on silly little things, so I think it takes a certain, special kind of person to dot he job properly.

17 year old carers are being used in our area,training is 4 day induction and they are expected to supervise medication..and sit in a house alone with a dead body whilst waiting for back up which can be an age coming.In our rural area care work is the major employer, people are pushed into this type if work through job centres with out any thoughts of aptitude or ability to do the job.
My 17 year old was expected to do this as a community walker covering a huge area from first call at 06.30 through to evening calls she would arrive home at 21.45 exhausted having been out all day in all weathers trying to meet timed appointments for supervising/giving medication 7 days a week on national minimum wage for a 17 year old currently app £3.75 an hour.Several times she walked to out of area clients to be told she wasnt required ..she wasnt paid for these calls.support was non existant , harassed supervisors where required to cover staff shortages and iften out of contact in situations that experience and knowledge where required and a responsiblity placed on young shoulders that put client and carer in situations that sometimes colud have had tragic consequences.
She has now returned to full time education. terrible exploitation for all concerned especialky as youngsters dont get adult rates of pay , the care company are cutting corners to make the business pay

and they shouldn't be, as that's when accidents happen and the poor client in some cases is left feeling that they are being a burden and any concerns they have simply won't be voiced as no one has time to listen! It's just not good to say the least!

We have care workers coming in four times a day , they are just so helpful and caring , but rushed off their feet

Care workers may well have to rely on in-work benefits to make ends meet. Housing benefits, tax credits etc.

I think it's the same throughout the health service, in fact I know it is. I view my own old age with slight trepidation to say the least!

Hmm...I meant constraints

That's the story I have from my sister. Her background was a nurse, who then specialised in mental health and district nursing. She used to love her job, because she felt that she made a difference to people's lives, even after she moved into management.

She saw everything change to tick boxes and saving money, even when the quality of care suffered.

After my sister was made redundant, she worked for a short time for a private company, but after a while couldn't square her conscience with what was going on. Staff were recruited on a minimum budget and there was no attempt to train them or nurture them. Clients received a worse service, because their care packages were subject to budget restraints.

Oh no dd I certainly didn't think you were comparing me to a monkey, far from it. I do actually sadly agree with that sentiment!! I think the attitude to care has altered so much in the last 25 years, and maybe for me working in a tightly knit community where a lot of the carers knew the clients they were going to from when they were children, made the job more personal. Not me as I was a new kid on the block, but I was always made very welcome by the clients which helped to do a good job. We just had more time to help and to chat, bring shopping in, Dr's appointments etc, they were all part of the job. I loved it, they were happy days, but over the years, although the clients didn't alter the system became more regimented and difficult, and the caring seemed impersonal and was becoming just a job! Not what I was there for that's for sure!

nigglynellie I hope you don't think that I thought you are a monkey. I certainly don't. I worked in an old people's home for two months when I was a student and I realised that I didn't have the qualities to do that kind of work, so I respect people who do.

Care work has always been poorly paid and I think deserves more respect than it has. Care workers deserve to have all the rights other workers have, but private companies and agencies will do all they can to cut corners.

One of my sisters was an NHS district nursing manager before she was made redundant when social care was transferred to local authorities. At the same time, more residential care was transferred to the community. I remember my sister saying at the time that it would all end in tears, because LAs wouldn't be able to afford what was being planned. Not only that, but LAs didn't have the expertise to deal with the clients with more complex needs, who were being transferred from the NHS. My sister was right.

The government thought it would be saving money, but it hasn't worked out like that, which is why we're seeing the whole system collapsing.

Local authorities outsourced the work to private companies, who treated their staff worse than the NHS or LAs, but even they can't afford to prop up the current system. Privatisation and a belief in the "market" has been a disaster for staff and the people who rely on home care.