Elderly relatives and care homes

[Octopus]

My elderly mother was living in a residential home until her health worsened late last year. We looked around and found what we thought would be an ideal residential/nursing/dementia care home locally and moved her in late October.

Over the last few months its become clear that the home (which is part of a group of approx 150 homes) is only focused on money.

On Thursday, they held a relatives meeting and its the opportunity to raise issues and concerns. There were a number of points regarding the home where the majority of attendees were in agreement that the home was falling short of the standard we expect. At the end of the meeting a relative asked the Director in attendence, if there were plans for a rate rise (1st April each year) - to which he said no decisions had been made as yet and any changes would be communicated in mid March.

Imagine my "surprise" (horror) when I opened mum's post on Friday, to find a letter, signed by said Director, posted to her (so was in the post at the time of the meeting) confirming a 7% rate rise!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The moral of the story for anyone looking for a care home for a parent, is look for one that is owned and run independently.

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

"Elderly relatives and car homes" parking them in the garage is a cheap option, but not recommended.:joker:

 

[Jonesy83]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

My elderly mother was living in a residential home until her health worsened late last year. We looked around and found what we thought would be an ideal residential/nursing/dementia care home locally and moved her in late October.

Over the last few months its become clear that the home (which is part of a group of approx 150 homes) is only focused on money.

On Thursday, they held a relatives meeting and its the opportunity to raise issues and concerns. There were a number of points regarding the home where the majority of attendees were in agreement that the home was falling short of the standard we expect. At the end of the meeting a relative asked the Director in attendence, if there were plans for a rate rise (1st April each year) - to which he said no decisions had been made as yet and any changes would be communicated in mid March.

Imagine my "surprise" (horror) when I opened mum's post on Friday, to find a letter, signed by said Director, posted to her (so was in the post at the time of the meeting) confirming a 7% rate rise!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The moral of the story for anyone looking for a care home for a parent, is look for one that is owned and run independently.

my lady worked as a community carer for an agency and now and again she would be sent to work in a care home she would often come home saying the standard of care is shockingly poor in these places as all they wanted is to fill beds to make a profit at 1 point she got a fulltime job in a care home and was left on her own all night looking after 40 residents with a quarter of them with dementia and getting up in the night.she had to take 2 days off when she was admitted into hospital with a suspected ectopic pregnancy and was sacked for it

 

[Silly Sausage]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

I think some of these 'Care' Homes are a disgrace.

The M in L is in one near me, and they have a Today's Activity Board.

When the B in Law came around to visit, the only entry on the board was...Look at today's papers!
Considering most of them are losing the plot...
With a bit of research there are decent places to be found though.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

The moral of the story for anyone looking for a care home for a parent, is look for one that is owned and run independently.

Not necessarily the case.

 

[alarm man]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

all care homes are a con,they take all your parents money and their house to pay for care,2k a month to provide them with the basics,bassers..they take advantage of the selfish kids imo,unlike the old days where kids took their parents in when they got old..lets face it they looked after us when we were young and we put them in a home when their old..!i blame society personally..

 

[mogga]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

Iv done work in one of the biggest care home companys homes there were some had 2 sides "private" and" funded" the difference was so obvious but the standards of care were prety much the same and as we worked in a few we saw them in normal times not a staged visit the worst were the EMI sections where the demensia sufferers were these were well cared for but the people there had "lost the plot" and even the carers were"Special" as due to the demensia ect there were some upsetting sights ( if you get my drift its hard to explain0 I wouldnt fancy working there all day every day neither would I take certain people there as it was quite upsetting to see how demensia can affect people who pre condition would have been normal upstanding people
As for charges These companys are in it to make a profit of course BUT IMO we all pay N.I. and as such should have care in our later years at no cost to families BUT if you choose to pay privatly then thats your choice BUT like everything the governments over the years the places have been erroded and lost localy hence the private homes are more practical in most places

 

[cook1e]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

just follow the money trail to the very very top, you will probably find it eventually goes to some tax avoidance haven on behalf of someone who is extremely wealthy, maybe even someone with a duck house or a moat that needs cleaning

Martin

 

[kathwilcox]

Re: Elderly relatives and car homes

I used to be carer before retraining and becoming an electrician, and the reason i got out was for all of the above reasons plus more!

The residents are treated shocking and so are the staff.

You get the staff that do give a damn and want to spend time caring for people and then the ones that are there because its just a job with a wage and a crap one at that.

Then you get the residents that share a home with around 30 others and think that their the only one that matters.

Staffing levels are not enough for the number of people that are in these homes.

I used to work nights and some of the residents we used to have were quite violent due to there illnesses, there wasn't a morning i didn't come home black and blue.

As the saying goes the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Something needs doing about these places, but nothing will ever change.

changing careers was the best move i ever made!