Carers putting patients to bed early to save money (From Daily Echo)

I worked in a Residential home and they had so few staff that with the amount of residents to care for per carer, care would start at 7am with breakfast and washing & dressing and you often the last resident would only get to the living areas after dinner was served at 1pm. In order to get residents all in bed by the time the night staff came on at 10pm the routine of getting residents to their bedrooms, washed and in bed would begin at 5pm. Some unfortunate residents would be the ones only ready and 'up' at 1pm so be getting ready for bed at 6pm. Daily behaviour. NONE of the residents had any choice about when to get up or go to bed.

This is where tax payers money should be spent - not on housing the likes of the Hoffmans from the Shirley Towers tragedy.

In most cases it boils down to money and staff. It is a well known fact that Carers are well UNDERPAID - I am a Community Carer and am allowed 15 minutes to get someone into bed. I am only paid £6.50per hour. I do not receive any fuel allowance. When this broken down I earn around £1,10 ! for every 15 minute call - disgraceful. Carers work extremely hard and at times the job is very stressful. Never any thanks and more often than not moaned at by users – but we carry on regardless. I am sick and tired of people who keep knocking Carers, no doubt every user would like to go to bed around 9.00pm or 10.00pm but there is just not enough people willing to work as a lone worker for such a poor wage and give up their evenings until late into the night. Maybe if Carers were paid a more reasonable salary not only to reflect the hard work they do but also the qualifications they have to achieve then maybe more Care staff could be recruited to work later into the night and meet the requirement of users who prefer to stay up later.

.....even when they haven't been naughty?

mecharacter wrote:
In most cases it boils down to money and staff. It is a well known fact that Carers are well UNDERPAID - I am a Community Carer and am allowed 15 minutes to get someone into bed. I am only paid £6.50per hour. I do not receive any fuel allowance. When this broken down I earn around £1,10 ! for every 15 minute call - disgraceful. Carers work extremely hard and at times the job is very stressful. Never any thanks and more often than not moaned at by users – but we carry on regardless. I am sick and tired of people who keep knocking Carers, no doubt every user would like to go to bed around 9.00pm or 10.00pm but there is just not enough people willing to work as a lone worker for such a poor wage and give up their evenings until late into the night. Maybe if Carers were paid a more reasonable salary not only to reflect the hard work they do but also the qualifications they have to achieve then maybe more Care staff could be recruited to work later into the night and meet the requirement of users who prefer to stay up later.

100% agree with you, although I left city care about 15years ago, this has always been a problem (although I must say we were well paid). Lone workers are at risk visiting clients especially at night and if you cannot get parked close to where you need to be.
Unfortunately most people in an ideal situation would like to go to bed between 9.30 - 10.30 but if there are not the carers to do it, then it cannot be done. A night visit would take between 15mins to 30mins, so without even taking into account travelling times it would be impossible to get 3 people into bed. I take my hat of to any carer willing to work unsocial hours to assist the elderly to stay home, but sadly I cannot see things improving.
Most carers do a fantastic job are extremely dedicated and often go over their time and do little extras that they do not get paid for, as you state for little thanks. Always the first to be accused if anything goes wrong.
Most carers could tell some horror stories of situations they have been in, I know I could.

Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

Happens about 7pm at Oak Lodge. Bitterne!! Lazy staff. They spend most of the day at the back of the 'care home' drinking tea and making more noise than the neighbourhood put together!

I know a carer that was asked to work Christmas day for time and a half. (About £10 hour) As she's a great carer she agreed then found out that other agency staff were being paid anything from £200 to £300 for a 8 hour shift! 8loody disgusting!

elvisimo wrote:

SotonLad wrote: This is where tax payers money should be spent - not on housing the likes of the Hoffmans from the Shirley Towers tragedy.

agreed - wasting money on those scumbags is shameful.

Let em burn

Solent Lass wrote:
Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

these people should be made to do community work until they find a job seeing as the community look after them they should look after the community, street cleaning etc, whos in for a pettition?

sb2012 wrote:

Solent Lass wrote: Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

these people should be made to do community work until they find a job seeing as the community look after them they should look after the community, street cleaning etc, whos in for a pettition?

Why punish the elderly like that? Whilst the sentiments might be laudible in forcing the feckless to do something for their benefits, how can you expect someone who displays little or no social responsibility provide social care to a very vulnerable section of society?

I for one would not wish an elderly person cared for by someone who couldn't give a d*mn and is only there because they have been told to do it? Is that the sort of care you would want?

And I strongly suspect the supervisory costs would be so much higher that even more costs accrue to the taxpayer!

Family Man wrote:

sb2012 wrote:

Solent Lass wrote: Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

these people should be made to do community work until they find a job seeing as the community look after them they should look after the community, street cleaning etc, whos in for a pettition?

Why punish the elderly like that? Whilst the sentiments might be laudible in forcing the feckless to do something for their benefits, how can you expect someone who displays little or no social responsibility provide social care to a very vulnerable section of society?

I for one would not wish an elderly person cared for by someone who couldn't give a d*mn and is only there because they have been told to do it? Is that the sort of care you would want?

And I strongly suspect the supervisory costs would be so much higher that even more costs accrue to the taxpayer!

Agreed! It takes a special person to be a decent carer. These days Companies feel doing a CRB check qualifies their staff to do a decent job.

This has been happening for years!

My late father-in-law was usually in bed by 7.00 pm two years ago and no one listened to our concerns and complaints, but at least he was up about 8.00 am the following morning.

My mother, who passed away 12 years ago, was in a worse situation. Although she lived in a residential home, she was left in bed from 6.30 pm through to 12.00 noon the following day.

According to my mother she wasn't even given breakfast, although the staff disputed this when challenged.

However, as my mother was mentally alert and physically restricted, I think I know who was telling the truth.

Solent Lass wrote:
Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

Fair comment.
>
However, I wonder where the relatives are in these cases - too many relatives obviate their responsibilities with all sorts of excuses and justification.

sb2012 wrote:

Solent Lass wrote: Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

these people should be made to do community work until they find a job seeing as the community look after them they should look after the community, street cleaning etc, whos in for a pettition?

Many of us are doing community work until we find a job. Many have also paid tax and national insurance for many years and are receiving back a little of what we have paid.

George4th wrote:

Solent Lass wrote:
Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

Fair comment.
>
However, I wonder where the relatives are in these cases - too many relatives obviate their responsibilities with all sorts of excuses and justification.

George4th, you are speaking a lot of sense.

I have been bought up knowing that my parents cared for me as a child and in turn I will care for my parents when they need me.

I speak to my mother daily even if it's a quick phone call to ensure she's ok and she lives 150 miles away.

If my mother became seriously ill I would consider moving her way or asking her to live with me. I would never put her in a home, no matter how difficult she may become.

Would your parents have simply given up on you as a child because you were difficult and challenging and placed you into someone else's care?

IronLady2010 wrote:

George4th wrote:

Solent Lass wrote: Why are we not utilising people on benefits sitting at home doing nothing in return for their money to do this work?

Fair comment. > However, I wonder where the relatives are in these cases - too many relatives obviate their responsibilities with all sorts of excuses and justification.

George4th, you are speaking a lot of sense. I have been bought up knowing that my parents cared for me as a child and in turn I will care for my parents when they need me. I speak to my mother daily even if it's a quick phone call to ensure she's ok and she lives 150 miles away. If my mother became seriously ill I would consider moving her way or asking her to live with me. I would never put her in a home, no matter how difficult she may become. Would your parents have simply given up on you as a child because you were difficult and challenging and placed you into someone else's care?

Agreed. People now seem to think that their parents are the State and local councils' responsibility, rather than themselves. Anyone living close to their parent should be able to give up an hour or more of their time in an evening to visit their parent, give them a meal if necessary, and put them to bed if necessary. People are just too selfish these days and more interested in sitting in front of a TV watching rubbish programmes rather than interacting and caring for their own families.
If someone has to have carers come in, I think councils' outsourcing the caring is appalling and anyone's bedtime should be based on their individual circumstances and their health rather than shareholder profit for an organisation (ie minimal staffing at minimum pay).
If someone needs a lot of care, though, I do think then that is the time for them to be moved out of their home into a suitable care home with enough staff with the right attitudes to offer proper care.
I know someone with many years' caring experience in the public sector, who was unable to set up a caring business due to bureaucratic nonsense, whilst someone who'd never worked in the caring profession was allowed to set up a "care" business (and was doing it merely for profit reasons). The whole system is a mess and needs to be sorted.

BenjiWinsor wrote:
I worked in a Residential home and they had so few staff that with the amount of residents to care for per carer, care would start at 7am with breakfast and washing & dressing and you often the last resident would only get to the living areas after dinner was served at 1pm. In order to get residents all in bed by the time the night staff came on at 10pm the routine of getting residents to their bedrooms, washed and in bed would begin at 5pm. Some unfortunate residents would be the ones only ready and 'up' at 1pm so be getting ready for bed at 6pm. Daily behaviour. NONE of the residents had any choice about when to get up or go to bed.

Why did you do it then? Why not blow the whistle? Put proper complaints it?

Not good enough just to have an idle moan about it.

You should have done something about it.

bazzeroz wrote:
Happens about 7pm at Oak Lodge. Bitterne!! Lazy staff. They spend most of the day at the back of the 'care home' drinking tea and making more noise than the neighbourhood put together!

True. Bunch of martyrs in my opinion.

They have to power to change things.

eurogordi wrote:
This has been happening for years!

My late father-in-law was usually in bed by 7.00 pm two years ago and no one listened to our concerns and complaints, but at least he was up about 8.00 am the following morning.

My mother, who passed away 12 years ago, was in a worse situation. Although she lived in a residential home, she was left in bed from 6.30 pm through to 12.00 noon the following day.

According to my mother she wasn't even given breakfast, although the staff disputed this when challenged.

However, as my mother was mentally alert and physically restricted, I think I know who was telling the truth.

Why didn't you move them somewhere else?

I wouldnt be too quick to assume that people just ditch thier parents because eastenders is on or whatever and get a carer in because they cant be bothered.In our case, my nan had a carer as my mum had her own health problems, and is unable to lift and was also still working, to mostly pay for her own perscription charges.We often went round and cooked and cleaned and bathed her.Sat with her in bed and held her hand when she was ill.But as we all work, have children to care for we couldn't be there all the time.It broke our hearts when she was diagnosed as having dementia and eventually had to go into a home, not because we couldnt be bothered with her, it was for her own safety.Most of the carers she had, were absolutely brilliant.One took it upon themselves to give my nan all sorts of vitamins and minerals which mixed with her usual meds could of been detrimental to her health.But generally they did a great job in difficult circumstances.