The Compers Inn Part 40

Thanks divadee

Thanks for the shiny new Inn Diva :A

Off out today (I think!) have a great day everyone xx

Hiya all! :wave:

Hope everyone is well hugs and kisses to those that need them

we had a lovely time in cold and snowy Southport the weather wasn't great but we did manage to go on two trips to Birkenhead market and the Blue Lagoon aquarium at Cheshire Oaks

Sandpipers at Southport is a wonderful place and me and Alice cant wait to go back again in July

the nurses and carers where available 24/7 and there where more volunteers than guests to ensure that the carers didn't have to lift a finger as they kept on saying this is YOUR holiday and you need a break as well as Alice, they also said to me if you want to have some time to yourself and go into town for a few hours that they would sit with Alice

in the middle of our stay Alice had a problem with her catheter which was bypassing I pressed the buzzer in our bedroom and the nurse was with us within 2 minutes she decided that her catheter needed changing which was done promptly and with the minimum of fuss

I went on the carers evening out and we had a meal at the 5* Vincent hotel on Lord street in Southport where Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard stay apparently they hire the penthouse suite which is £695 a night

after Alice became immobile I thought we wouldn't be able to take a holiday again so Vitalise holiday's are a godsend

arrived back home on Saturday 30th at 11.30 and it was back to earth with a bump

the flats boiler\heating system had broken down and we where told that it would be fixed while we where on holiday but when we got in the flat it was like an ice box and to make matters worse Alice had developed a cough during her stay which despite medication had developed into a chest infection I then found a note under the door to say that they where still waiting for a part which wouldn't arrive until 03/04

I phoned the carers to see what time they where coming only to find that the care company had served a weeks notice which had ended the previous day, thinking that I would have to arrange emergency care I phoned Social Services to find that they had already arranged for another care company to come there place - I couldn't believe that they hadn't passed any of this information on too me

having discussed with my Social worker about who I wanted to replace my present care company I thought that they would this time grant my wish and bring in the care company that I have requested previously before who offer specialised Alzheimer's care but alas the company is too expensive and Social Services allocate there services on care cost and not quality of care :mad:

the care company they sent was simply unbelievable the first night they put her to bed without giving her a wash and brushing her teeth and they left her in bed with her glasses on and also left her with her thick woolen socks on in bed and her nightie in a clump in the small of her back

the second day they arrived 1 hour late and got Alice out of bed and dressed her then hoisted her into her comfy armchair and asked me if they could leave her sling underneath her I said NO as the sling wasn't a comfort sling and Alice has a pressure relief cushion and is in danger of developing pressure sores they seemed taken aback by my answer and said "if we take her sling from underneath her how are we going to hoist her back up again?"

on the 9pm evening call 2 young girls arrived and they wasn't sure how to use a Westholme sling which has an extra waist strap in the middle they said we haven't used a sling like this before! so I told them how to use it but despite this they still managed to get it wrong they hoisted Alice up twice and had to put her down again they then tried again and still got it wrong,

Alice by this time was becoming extremely distressed and very agitated so I said to them that it wasn't working and I asked them to leave I then phoned the care company to say that there basic standard of care wasn't good enough and told them that I didn't want them to care for Alice any more they said that it wasn't really there fault as Social Services hadn't sent them a proper care plan!

I then phoned Social Services and spoke with the emergency duty social worker who became very agitated with me and gave me a right dressing down, he basically said that I had no right to sack the care company on a bank holiday weekend and that he wouldn't be able to send anyone out to put Alice to bed, I said that the 2 previous care companies had allowed Alice to slip out of her sling and that the last time it had happened Alice had spent 8 hours in A&E with a suspected fractured hip, I said that I wasn't prepared to let this happen again

even with this information he still insisted that I should get on the phone and apologise to the care company and ask them to come back in again! :eek: he said that what I had done was very wrong I said that "there wasn't a cat in hells chance of this happening" he then accused me of swearing!

I said that what had happened was a result of there incompetence in the first place as Social Services hadn't informed me that my old care company was pulling out and a new care provider was being sent in and that they hadn't even put in place a care plan for Alice with the new care providers and to make matters even worse the care company said because of it being a bank holiday that they wouldn't be able to do a proper care assessment until Tuesday which I said was completely unacceptable

even after saying all of the above he still insisted that he wouldn't be able to send anyone out so I reminded him that Alice's care was classified as high risk and that she also had a severe chest infection and needed to go to bed I said that you have a "duty of care" to provide a service and that if you don't provide it I would first of all speak to your manager and then make a formal written complaint to the quality care commission I then put the phone down

5 minutes later the phone rang it was the social services helpline to say that they where sending 2 carers out to put Alice to bed within the next 20 minutes

sorry about the very long post and my ranting! but I just needed to get it off my chest, I do hope you understand

off to watch the footie now and chill out with a cold beer :beer:

Best of Luck

Awww Amilucky, just read your post.


Sorry you had such a nightmare to come home to

Rant all you like, it's totally understandable. Glad it was sorted in the end.

Really happy to read you had such a good time in Southport :j

walwin wrote: »

Happy April Fools Day to you too fire**fly :A

Shame about the rain. I'm toying with the idea of cleaning my windows :eek: I know if I do it's bound to rain but if I don't we're not going to able to see out of them shortly

Have a lovely day out wingo and Happy April Fools Day to you too :A

thanks walwin :A:D
can be sure it'll rain if you clean your windows :eek:
whatsists law & all that :eek:
might be better tomorrow maybe

i've been sorting out my 'desk & work' area
in between comps & it's looking all neat n tidy now
though not for long i'll bet :eek::D