We are collating information on bad experiences people have had employing PAs or live-in agency Care Workers to use for campaigning. Please tell us about a few of your worst experiences. email us at mail@dpac.uk.net with your details.
This doesn’t need to be very long. I thought I’d start with some examples I’ve experienced over the past 5 years however. The comments below are taken from formal complaints made to a Care Agency providing live-in social care when the usual staff were not avilable.
November 2020
A summary would be his brain just doesn’t seem to function and his behaviour/ the way he is so slow reminds me of the film Zombie Apocalypse. Overall he was abysmal and significantly worse than M who you sacked.
The main problem with J. is he can’t manage to do all of the job safely with both xxxx, myself and husband having confidence that xxxx would not be seriously injured by him making a mistake.
Although he was shown numerous times during an induction from me how to use xxxx’s Mermaid Ranger bath chair he just appears incapable of working out how to use it. It really isn’t difficult and we’ve never had this problem before with a carer but as a result xxxx has not felt safe enough to have a shower using his bath chair (which is the only available option) except when my husband and I have had to take turns to go to xxxx’s to supervise the use of the chair and make sure it was being used safely about once a week. So xxxx basically hasn’t been able to shower or wash his hair when he wanted or needed to. When I last went about 3 and a half weeks after J. came he still didn’t seem to have grasped how to use it and hadn’t when my husband had to be there from last Thursday.
There are, as well as being shown by me and my husband, very detailed photographic and written instructions on how to use this in the carer’s room and he could have practiced over and over again without xxxx being on the bath chair but hasn’t bothered even though I suggested this to him as a sensible option when he first failed to grasp the basics.
Further after almost 5 weeks he still is unable to roll xxxx safely on the bed and forgets what he needs to do so this can be done safely and without injuring xxxx. That is very worrying and most people have improved with time and practice.
Sadly there seems to be some sort of major malfunction of his brain and a total lack of any initiative or common sense. Added to that even after 3 and a half weeks (now almost 5 weeks) he seemed to have failed to remember xxxx’s routines and simple things like putting deodorant on before putting a teeshirt on, mixing up which of 2 plugs to turn on to charge the wheelchair or hoist battery. All of this makes life much more difficult for xxxx as he has to constantly prompt and check even the simplest thing. He also was starting to try to hoist xxxx without putting the sling underneath first. (not particularly dangerous as xxxx wouldn’t have moved anywhere but indicative of the lack of brain functioning).
Both times I have had to be there to support xxxx when J. has come in from work with xxxx, unlike all other carers we’ve had, he hasn’t locked the flat door when entering or taken off xxxx’s shoes, wallet, keys etc nor has he asked xxxx if he needs anything before going to bed. I have never had a carer just dumping xxxx in that way before and obviously I wasn’t impressed.
Lack of cleanliness and care of property
Twice he failed to screw the tops on properly resulting in Milk leaking a) all over the fridge and b) all over a bag with food in when xxxx was working outside the house. So there was a complete failure to check and do even simple things.
When I went after 3 and a half weeks J. had removed the washing up bowl from the kitchen sink and was washing dishes just in the sink. Which in itself would be okay but the sink looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned for weeks and if it had he had been using glass and window cleaner to do it and not spray on bleach cleaner. The bottle very clearly said glass and window cleaner so why was he using that??
I had a message from my husband who was the last weekend saying “how can anyone spend so long washing a few dishes it seems to be all he does all day?” And I think that actually was all he did all day.
In the bathrooms the hair and dirt had just been moved from the middle of the floors and pushed to the sides of the floor and left, although the bath tub looked clean the edges around the bath hadn’t been cleaned and were very hairy and dusty, the toilet rim under the seat was covered in hair and dust and the 2 washbasins were very greasy and really took some cleaning. xxxx has also said that there has been no hovering done in the last 5 weeks. He has spent most days at xxxx’s and not out at work so should have had plenty of time to clean these things if he’d bothered but all he seems to do apart from washing dishes very slowly is sit in his room making notes from what I think is the Book of Mormon. ( NB. no religious bias here just a fact)
Also last (Monday) xxxx asked J. to clean the kitchen bench as it was covered with crumbs only to be told he only wipes it every other day. Surely the kitchen bench should be wiped when it needs to be wiped and not limited to every other day?
His cooking skills were very limited too and he failed to respond when first asked when dirt he had left on the hob was burning and smoking badly. It was only when xxxx insisted that he removed the pan to discover why dirt left on the hob was burning that he reacted.
Lack of any infection control
I assume your carers are still supposed to wear a mask for the first week in a placement, clean door handles daily and use gloves to prevent cross infections yet J. has done none of these things. At this current time that is not the best behaviour.
Inappropriate Behaviour
And finally I really don’t want to see your male carers half naked, yet something else that has never happened before, thankfully. But really if I knock on his door for attention because xxxx needs something if he only has a towel around his waist or a pair of trousers on I expect him to say “I’ll be with you in a minute” or open the door slightly not open the door fully half dressed. Again this illustrates I feel that his brain doesn’t work in a ‘normal’ way and I have to say I consider it totally inappropriate behaviour.
xxxx did consider asking for J. to be replaced but as he had been described as a brilliant carer xxxx was concerned that any replacement might be even worse. Obviously we’re both disappointed and puzzled as to why you thought this man was a brilliant carer when in actual fact he should be considered a hazard to your clients and an embarrassment to Care Agency. It is worrying that you send him to a client who because of a xxxxxxxxxxx is now non-verbal and therefore less able to articulate any dissatisfaction.
Use of Language
Neither xxxx nor xxxx the xxxxxxx with Cerebral Palsy who had a catheter who J. worked with last year should be referred to, in my opinion, by your carers as “ people like that” it is offensive to say the least.
October 2017
I had arranged to go to watch a football match play in Birmingham and had booked tickets and assistance to board and leave the train for myself and R .N. who was the care assistant from x Care Agency. I have successfully done this with many care workers over the years and there has never been any problem before. I need a ramp on and off the train and book a companion seat for the carer.
As is the case with anyone needing assistance to travel myself and R arrived early at the station to ensure there was no problem with the assistance being in place. We arrived on the platform at 12.05 pm and sat on the platform waiting for the Virgin train to arrive. The train which was due at 12.37 pm had been delayed and the largest delay displayed said the train would arrive at 12.50 pm but this time kept changing and the delay was reduced – as is often the case with delayed trains.
R.N.went to the toilet at about 12.30 pm (I am sure of the times as I was watching the arrivals board to see how long the train had been delayed, as I needed to arrange transport at the other end, and to ensure the delay would not cause me to miss the match) and was back in a couple of minutes as the men’s toilet is on the same platform as the train and only about 10 yards away from where we were sitting (It is the only toilet in the station). R. came back from the toilet and sat down for about 5 minutes again but then said that he had a bad back (as well as a bad knee and a hamstring problem) and needed to stand up to stretch it and walked to the right away from the toilets. R. knew the train was coming into platform 6 and that it was due – really at any minute.
It is not possible to get from the direction he went off in and back to the toilet without passing where I was waiting for the train, and through my line of sight. As R. had also just been to the toilet it is very doubtful that he’d need to go again and people waiting for a train which is due at any time usually wait until they are on the train before going if they are in any way sensible. They do not just wander off completely out of sight of the platform when travelling as part of a group, or with someone to whom you are employed to ensure their safety and security.
After R. had wandered off, I waited until about 5 minutes before the departure time and attempted to locate R. (within the immediate vicinity and could not do so). I considered calling his phone, but not only was his phone in his bag, which he was not carrying, but from the experience after this I would have only reached his voicemail anyway. Approximately two minutes before the train, the guard came to board me with the ramp. I boarded the train expecting R. to notice the train had arrived and also to get on board. He failed to do this of course. This was the only train due on platform 6 until the next, also delayed, train due approximately 1.15pm. Virgin trains are further quite distinct as not only are they red rather then green but their fronts are a different shape.
Once on a train I am unable to get off without a ramp and having boarded I had no means of contacting the dispatcher who had gone elsewhere to work so was unable to do anything other than continue the journey without assistance. I was concerned, and also shocked that someone I pay to provide the support I need to live independently had failed so catastrophically. I was also amazed that someone selected by xxx to provide this service, was so utterly clueless as to how to best support someone, or even do something as basic, and normal as catch a train.
After this, I sent a text to my mum, as I really had no other option – below is her input:
I received a text from xxxx at 12.52 saying he had lost R. and was on the train alone. At that stage I tried several times to call R. but as usual with his phone there was no reply and it said not available. There should be a voice messages from me still on his phone unless he has deleted them.
Some time after the train had left the station R. phoned me to say he wasn’t on the train and that he’d seen it but didn’t get on as he thought it wasn’t the right train as it was earlier than he thought it should have been.
When xxxx arrived in Birmingham the assistance he’d booked to get off the train failed to arrive which is one of the main reasons he needs support to travel by train.xxxx is unable to reach the alarm buttons and it is sheer luck that he was able to attract attention and be helped off the train –who knows where he could have ended up otherwise.
R.N. eventually called to say he was on a later train to Birmingham at which point I told him to contact Care Agency, return to xxxxxx and return xxxx’s flat key to me and pack to leave. R. then disappeared for several hours and turned up shortly after 6.30 pm. He did not apologise at any stage for what I consider to be gross negligence and took the view that missing the train he was supposed to be getting with xxxx was just a minor error.I dread to think what might have happened if anything similar to this ever happens to a person with dementia.
Prior to this, and it pales almost into insignificance, even tough he was told 5 times by me not to totally move everything around in xxxx’s kitchen without speaking to xxxx first R. had gone ahead and moved everything around in xxxx’s kitchen which meant that xxxx no longer knew where things were and neither did I. He said he needed more space to cook a Thai curry which he did on Friday evening while xxxx and I were out. This left the whole flat stinking of boiled cabbage on our return. Moving things around like this was very annoying and showed a lack of respect for the client’s home.
In addition to all of this R. had told me the previous day that he had been suspended from working with Care Agency for seven months and that if he made any more mistakes then his DBS accreditation would be removed yet I understand this information was not available to the Care Co-ordinator.
August 2017
JR buys and drinks a bottle of wine every before hoisting xxxx into bed.
When JR first came to xxxx’s, when I was there to help with a handover, as soon as he could he went to the local Tesco and came back with 2 cans of Lager which he drank.(this was the afternoon) He did this every day I was there.
I know that xxxx although not very happy with JR drinking a bottle of wine a night felt that he would just drink it secretly if he complained and due to an eye injury I have been unable to get to xxxx’s home for a couple of weeks which would have made a handover to someone else difficult.
It seems that J.R. started off having a couple of Lagers mid afternoon then graduated to a glass of red wine every night which then became at some stage during those dates a full bottle of red wine every night. xxxx says he heard JR on the phone to a friend saying he’d started to drink again but had found a different type of wine which gave him less of a hangover.
On the morning of August 1st when xxxx woke up to go to work JR had to go out for a cigarette before starting to get him up and then went out twice more for cigarettes while xxxx was drinking his tea. xxxx says he built in an extra half hour to get up and go to work so there was time for JR to go and smoke.
Although most things were okay when I arrived at xxxx’s I was surprised to find later on that there was food left in the fridge from when I was previously there 3 weeks ago. (Salami, Half Mozarella, Tomatoes and Mushrooms) as well as the remains of Pasta Bolognese from the previous week. I have no concerns that xxxx might have eaten any of these things but they should at some stage have been thrown out.
Changing from Care Company to PA I found numerous benefits.
Continuity of care meant less time wasted explaining over and over where things were and how things needed to be done.
Building trust is very difficult when being faced with different carers weekly.
More flexibility (on both sides) was most beneficial to allow for variable health days and meant my needs were more likely to be met unlike with rigid care plans and set times.
Reliability helped to reduce anxiety, especially when going to appointments.
There are downsides, the payments, taxation and private pension system is set up for business minded people and whilst I had an excellent payroll company I found it difficult to deal with the level of responsibility as an employer. Health and safety at work – this was not covered. I purchased an accident book and a first aid kit as basics but had increased stress and anxiety with regard to equipment being used and the risks of injury to carers.
The added expense of printing and postage costs relating to timesheets and payslips as well as purchasing a laptop, printer, ink, broadband, paper etc.
Overall employing PA’s I believe is far more beneficial to long term health and continued independence.
I have had several carers gossip and repeat sensitive i formation to inapropriate people livng in the same village as myself. This was from a recognised care support agency and when I complained they told a pack of lies to social services causing great harm and distress to myself and my child who was living at home at the time. I was very pleased to see that this agency went bust and no longer operates. The owner of this agency was a former SS employee and had been rubber stamped as an appropriate person to run such such an agency. Please always make sure that ALL sensitive information is locked away and that all keys are kept on your person to avoid theft and sensitive information being accessed and made public. I avoid using care agencies such was my disgust at the total lack of privacy let alone confidentiality. Be warned.