nursing homes + care homes

[slinky]

Originally Posted by mick

This is one of the reasons i asked this my mum is 76 fine in body but starting with dementia
just forgetting little things like cleaning ,
she was very house proud but on visiting her we find things very dirty
for one we always go to the chippy rather than cook a meal there
she is very independent , lives on her own seeing two husbands off and being an ex nurse herself .
she lives in Preston my brother gets her shopping at weekends etc but cant look after her 24,7 the way she is going she will out live both of us .

It's awful when the head goes before the body or vice versa....

You could have a word with social services and see if there is a care package that would suit her needs in her own home?? maybe someone to just have a little peep on her at certain times in the day??

[slinky]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

I would rather my family put me in one than become a burden on them.

( No Slinky you don't need to send me a brochure just yet )

****** off, we wouldn't have ya... mel will have to carry on the bed bath's

[blazey]

I'd rather have my mum live with me and get home help. If she said she wanted to go in one then fair enough but I wouldn't put her in one without her saying so.

[Mick]

Originally Posted by slinky

There are still quite a lot of places advertise in Observer for un trained carers ( although it does say, must be willing to work towards NVQ)

There are mandatory training sessions that EVERY care/nursing home MUST adhere to............

Health and safety
Manual Handling
fire safety training
Basic first aid
and where you are required to handle food ... basic food hygiene.

Anyone can be trained in these things.... but it takes good carers and managers to keep checks that these things are being done day in day out.

I am trained to NVQ level 3, with a hell of a lot of other things that I trained for..... the last nursing home that I worked in was a stickler for training courses....but its all worth while

yep Slinky Anne has to go on them on a regular basis too
The home Anne works at is one that keep you on your toes
the unfortunate thing is our doc is Dr Dixon is also the doc for the nurseing home and you know what he is like (thinks he is a comedian) every time Anne has to see him the first question he asks is not how are you but who have you killed today

[slinky]

Originally Posted by mick

yep Slinky Anne has to go on them on a regular basis too
The home Anne works at is one that keep you on your toes
the unfortunate thing is our doc is Dr Dixon is also the doc for the nurseing home and you know what he is like (thinks he is a comedian) every time Anne has to see him the first question he asks is not how are you but who have you killed today

LOL yep he is my GP and he was the in-house doctor for Springhill to. He has a cracking sense of humor for a doctor

[Doug]

Originally Posted by slinky

OH and another thing..... if you are prepared to work in a nursing/care home that you think is crap and care is bad and do nothing about it, then you ARE as bad as the rest of the scum that keep it hush hush

I worked in a nursing home once for 4 hours..... I walked out in the end and cried buckets when I got home.... the care in that place was shocking...and YES, it was reported.

Absolutely. It’s important that staff feel they can talk to their managers and that managers are prepared to listen. A good whistle blowing policy is fundamental to good caring as is adult protection training. Of increasing importance is mental capacity, respect for the preferences of service users. There are so many views and opinions in regards to care practice today as well as government initiatives and white papers that are intended to improve care delivery, and What’s really needed is a properly trained, well motivated work force delivering good old person centre care.

[lettie]

I have worked in a fair few nursing homes in the past. Some are good and some are bad. The bad ones got reported. I worked in homes by going through an agency whilst I was waiting for a hospital job to come up. It was no skin off my nose to report bad ones, my livelihood didn't depend on having to work in them. I had at least 80 hours a week offered through the agency for an RGN so could pick and choose my work.
I think that some staff wouldn't report poor care practices because they have nowhere else to go and would depend on a reference from their employer for another job. This doesn't excuse them in my book, I would much rather employ someone who would speak out about poor standards and try to improve levels of comfort and care.

[blazey]

Originally Posted by lettie

I have worked in a fair few nursing homes in the past. Some are good and some are bad. The bad ones got reported. I worked in homes by going through an agency whilst I was waiting for a hospital job to come up. It was no skin off my nose to report bad ones, my livelihood didn't depend on having to work in them. I had at least 80 hours a week offered through the agency for an RGN so could pick and choose my work.
I think that some staff wouldn't report poor care practices because they have nowhere else to go and would depend on a reference from their employer for another job. This doesn't excuse them in my book, I would much rather employ someone who would speak out about poor standards and try to improve levels of comfort and care.

In theory, reporting a bad care home doesn't mean it's going to be closed, just the management will be monitored or replaced etc to make it good again, so workers shouldn't fear losing their jobs over it. After all, if they where sacked it would be unfair dismissal and they could sue if they wanted to or take it to a tribunal. Everyone should try be a member of a trade union too, whatever their career.

Of course, it doesn't always work that way, but thats the way it general works.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by lettie

This doesn't excuse them in my book, I would much rather employ someone who would speak out about poor standards and try to improve levels of comfort and care.

Me to, finding them is always going to be difficult. I know, I'm trying....

The best I can offer for Domiciliary is 5.90 per hour (add 60p for weekends), petrol, two complete uniforms, in house Induction based on Mulberry House training, followed by CIEH accredited mandertory courses and NVQ up to level 3. and an open door policy that supports staff both in the office and in the field, this is based on a hourly rate of 10.50p. Not easy. Quite often you can make an hell of an investment before you really get to see someones true colours, I sure you would agree it can be the same in nursing. The registers are fine when people are reported, but what's needed is openness between employers to keep the bad buggers out of the system in the first place. But I do agree with what is been said here.

If people are looking you can check the Inspection Reports from CSCI here...

Commission for Social Care Inspection - Directory of care services

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think that the carers who are employed should be those who WANT to care.......and those training courses, well I have delivered training to staff (carers) who just saw the training day as a 'skive'.......a day away from the coal face so to speak.......I have also heard those on training courses say they were 'sent'...this means that they aren't all that interested in what is being delivered.
Carers should be able to see the relevance of the training they are doing and be able to appreciate the impact of such training on the work they do every day.

[flashy]

god ive just realised its 16 yers since i did my NVQ, i was one of the first in Hyndburn to do it just after they came out

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I think that the carers who are employed should be those who WANT to care.......and those training courses, well I have delivered training to staff (carers) who just saw the training day as a 'skive'.......a day away from the coal face so to speak.......I have also heard those on training courses say they were 'sent'...this means that they aren't all that interested in what is being delivered.
Carers should be able to see the relevance of the training they are doing and be able to appreciate the impact of such training on the work they do every day.

Totally agree.......I had a meeting with a training provider today and these very issues where discussed. They agreed that they would conduct an individual appraisal of candidates, their conduct and their participation on the courses, and have agreed that anyone who is not engaging or giving their full attention are asked to leave the course irrespective of who they are. I’ve often asked people to leave inductions, courses or meeting when they have failed to be attentive.

[slinky]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I think that the carers who are employed should be those who WANT to care.......and those training courses, well I have delivered training to staff (carers) who just saw the training day as a 'skive'.......a day away from the coal face so to speak.......I have also heard those on training courses say they were 'sent'...this means that they aren't all that interested in what is being delivered.
Carers should be able to see the relevance of the training they are doing and be able to appreciate the impact of such training on the work they do every day.

I must be one of the minority. I always enjoyed training courses and on 3 monthly supervisions, would always ask to be sent on any that had places. I dunno, I just like learning things that I don't know about, and most of the courses are quite interesting and you get some other point of views.

I do know what you mean though Margaret...seen it myself.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think that sometimes we forget the valuable contribution that older people have made to our society......they are almost disposable.
Carers should be able to feel that they are doing something good and valuable, even though the rates of pay do not always reflect that.

Leadership should be emphasised too, with senior staff working alongside younger/junior carers.......demonstrating good practice.
Staff should also feel that their ideas are taken notice of and listened to...and maybe implemented if comfort and care beneffits can be realised......and I'm sure that in the best homes these things are probably what set them apart from the standard homes.

[Margaret Pilkington]

What I found MOST enjoyable during my nursing career was the 'hands on' care giving.
I often thought that the auxiliary nurses had the best job.