PAID Carer from hell

From the person being cared for.

As a disabled 35 year old lady who suffers from Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and severely disabled and use a wheelchair fulltime, I need care 24/7 care, this is provided by a paid carer and my mother, I have lots of information about me for them to read and support from my mother who teaches them how to move me and hoist me and how I like to be cared for (I do have rights)

This may sound straight forward to you but it couldn’t be further from the truth, the carers are provided by a care agency and once you have signed on the dotted line you have to accept who they send to you, my nightmare is some foreign carers who can perhaps speak some English but when it comes to understanding English that’s another matter, for example simple things, like handkerchief, head band and saying the word tar for thank you is not understood or accepted as manners, sometimes my medication gets missed and when they are questioned about it I am accused of refusing it and an argument from them break out, I asked to have my bedroom door closed and was told to do it myself, when I asked her to call my mum to show her how to hoist me she refused even though I was slipping out of my wheelchair, I was screaming for help and she just sat there looking at me, this is not even the tip of the ice berg.

Getting to the point of my worst nightmare.

what happened was at lunch time Sunday 7^th August I asked my carer if she could cut the crusts off the bread because they make me choke, the carer either didn’t understand or ignored my plea, she put crust into my mouth and I spat it out for fear of me choking to death, carer went into a rage at me for doing that, then carer phoned the agency and said she wanted to leave instantly and could they pick her up, within the hour the agency manager came, picked up the carer and left without warning, they have withdrawn my care without any notice, I am now without any care and stunned at their actions, what about their duty of care I ask myself, do I matter or am I just money to them, if it wasn’t for my mum I would have been left destitute, she has had to come over to my bungalow and stay with me and leave dad on his own, I am unable to make a phone call for help without assistance.

Relatives Experience of the nightmare.

Sunday 7th August I went over to my daughters at 2pm to give her carer her daily break and I was met with the carer raging and shouting and saying she was leaving and had called the agency to collect her, she’s only been here since Friday.

I phoned a help line for advise, while I was on phone carer came through shouting at me, I went to close the door to talk private and she kept trying to force herself in the room pushing the door I was trying to hold shut to keep her out she was also shouting at me, I had to apologize to the person I was speaking to on the helpline for the interruption because the carer was acting violently towards me, within the hour the agency manager came, picked up the carer and left without a word, they have withdrawn from supplying care for my daughter, the CQC have been informed.

How would you feel if you were sent a carer that…… told you when you should sleep and wake up….when you should eat and drink….. say to you don’t tell me you have poor sight because I have a glass eye and it upsets me….. use your landline phone to call a mobile….talks on skype, most of the time in their own language when they should be doing care duties that they are PAID to do, one person did all this and more in only 2 days.

 Thanks to the skills and speed of a Social Worker we have new care starting on Tuesday from a new Agency that came out today, they were very meticulous in covering every aspect of care needed, now we have to try and get over this if we can and put it behind us.