Outrageous treatment of Carers

Just recently there has been a lot in the news about poor care. Whilst I abhor what has gone on, I am equally disgusted with the way some carers are treated by their companies. I recently spoke to two different carers who work for two different companies and was astonished to find that they are not paid for any time that they take to travel between calls. They are expected to either cut short one call to reach the next or use their own time if they take too long at the call. This effectively means that vulnerable people are being rushed by a carer who is constantly looking to leave after 6 minutes because that constitutes 15 minutes care; This in itself must create stress to the service users and the carer resulting in fraught situations where someone is taking longer than expected;  worst case scenario this could lead to abuse. The alternative is that the more conscientious carers work for five hours and get paid for four. At rate of £7.20 an hour that sounds like it takes it below the minimum wage. Is it any wonder we are hearing stories of poor care when the carers are treated in such a way.


On a note about zero hours contracts being outlawed the companies are getting round it by offering a 7 hour contract over a week.

Scare mongering over flying visits

http://www.channel4.com/news/care-visit-15-minutes-nhs-elderly-disabled

 

Perhaps the Care Industry does need looking at but articles like the one above give us all a bad name. The suggestion that 15 minute flying visits are forcing people to choose between a toilet break or a drink is farcical and nothing more than scare mongering.

My fifteen minute call would go something like this...

'Good morning Ethel. Do you need to go to the toilet?'
'Yes please'
'Ok let me just put the kettle on and I will help you.

Lets face it if they have waited for you to arrive to use the toilet, another minute is not going to make any difference (there are obvious exceptions). I then help Ethel to the toilet or onto a bed pan.
 I am not going to stand over the poor woman whilst she does her business so guess what; I go and make a cup of tea whilst I wait for her to finish. So even if it takes the lady fifteen minutes to go to the toilet she will still have a cup of tea by her side before I leave.


Yes there are calls where fifteen minutes is not enough but if a Carer feels that there is not enough time to do a call they can ask for a review from social services.

fifteen minutes of care

There is a lot of talk in the news today about fifteen minute care



As a care worker I do not see anything wrong with 15 minute calls; occasionally that is all that is required. I have one woman who often tells me to 'Sod off' once I have made a cup of tea and a sandwich. Other times I only pop in to check they are ok and have taken tablets; Yes I stay for a chat but sometimes they do not want to talk; any longer is an intrusion.

The problem arises when, through a profit driven industry, 6 minutes constitutes a 15 minute call. I'll leave you to work out the rest.

I have to say that I always try to give what is required regardless of time and my company has never pulled me up for spending too much time at a call. So if a lady tells me to 'Sod off after 6 minutes I will. If someone else needs a bit more attention one day through illness or loneliness, I stay longer than my fifteen minutes of allotted time.

Just for the record they are not all fifteen minute call, I spend an hour and half with one lady every day

Sometimes common sense has to prevail