Kirklees Council’s ‘modernisation’ of home care services brings misery says users

Oct 3 2009 by Katie Grant, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Kirklees Council’s ‘modernisation’ of home care services brings misery says users

“The number of people who prefer to be cared for in their own home is increasing all the time, so it’s vital that we do whatever is necessary to reflect this and to meet people’s needs in the best way.

“We are developing and improving the range of services we offer to people in their own home and this includes having a more flexible workforce.

“New working patterns and rotas are needed to help us meet the growing demand for home care services throughout Kirklees.

“This is a sensitive area of work, and we are committed to making sure the standard of service for our vulnerable adults remains extremely high.

“We would encourage anyone having any difficulty to contact the home care service straight away and we will work hard to resolve it.”

Home carers have also expressed their concerns at the changes to their rotas, designed to introduce “flexible working”.

One care worker, who did not want to be named, told the Examiner she would no longer be looking after an elderly customer she had got to know over 10 years.

“There will be someone else going in tomorrow to wake them up and get them dressed and they won’t know them from Adam.

“The new person won’t know anything about their needs and wants.

“They won’t know how many sugars they take in their tea or tell if they are feeling down that day.”

Carers are particularly worried about those suffering from dementia.

One carer said: “Lots of them have dementia and know our faces – they might be frightened if someone else comes into the house to wake them up in the morning.

“They know our faces and our voices and have grown comfortable with us.

“Lots of them have been asking what they’ve done wrong.

“So I’ve told them they haven’t done anything wrong and we haven’t done anything wrong – it’s Kirklees.

“And they call this a caring service!”