How much to pay a live in carer

rose28454

i have spent over 4 years looking after Mum and Dad ( he is now deceased) and latterly Mum has had agency visits 4 times a day which are funded by Social services. I have just gone back to work and as Mum has been hospitalised twice in the last 2 month due to falls the family think we now need to get direct payments and employ a live in carer.
We are awaiting an assesment of how much they will give Mum to pay for her own care. We have interviewed a number of people and have 2 in mind. We would like to give one a trial next weekend but are unsure how much we should pay for the weekend and full time if we decide to take her on.
Any ideas anyone?

Indie_Kid

Have you had a look to see what the going rate for carers in your area is?

nannytone_2

as she receives 5 x visits a day, i cant see her being assessed for more than around 12 hours a week at most.
you have to pay minimum wage ( if it was my relative being cared for, i wouldnt want to be paying rock bottom).
you will also need liability insurance.
surely you will need to employ more than one carer too?

Mojisola

I looked into this for Mum and Dad a few years ago. If you employ directly, you have to get involved in all the relevant legislation and insurance, etc.

There are several firms who provide carers (eg, https://www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk/ - no experience so it's not a recommendation) but the fees start at about £800 a week.

Carers also have to have time off during the week and rotate so that they also have a regular block of time off.

marvin

They would be a care worker or care assistant of course not a Carer

Who is a Carer? and why is it essential to not misuse the term.

rose28454

nannytone wrote: »

as she receives 5 x visits a day, i cant see her being assessed for more than around 12 hours a week at most.
you have to pay minimum wage ( if it was my relative being cared for, i wouldnt want to be paying rock bottom).
you will also need liability insurance.
surely you will need to employ more than one carer too?

Mum has been having 4 visits a day ( 4th visit only fell in a week ago when she came out of hospital). Up to now i was filling in with shopping, doctors appts, finances, meal planning and paperwork. I was getting carer's allowance and Mum gave me £100.00. Cause I now have a part time job my brother thought she needed someone to live in ( and also because she fell) as he thinks she should not be alone at night. He advertised and we interviewed 2 ladies this week. He prefers one but Mum and my sis and I prefer the other. So he has thrown a strop and handed it over to us. I am well aware that she is probably better sticking with what she has ( she also has a cleaner 2 times a week) and my sis and I would deal with appts etc. But we want to give it a try as sis and i are away for 3 days next weekend so seems a good opportunity to test someone out. Older sis ( who lives abroad ) comes home every month or so and stays and is home for most of June. she thinks we can get someone to live in , do a few things and not get paid as getting free accomadation and continue with the 4 care visits too. She has not got a clue.
As to her going into a home she does not want that but i know we are heading that way.
I think we should just get someone to come a few hours a week as Mum wont be giving me any money from her Attendance Allowance so she can use that money for that.
I take on board what you are saying about more than one carer as it is obvious my brother has not thought this through. he just thinks we can stop her falling if someone lives in and it will be company as she is a bit lonely.
Having said that she sees me or my sis at least once a day but neither of my 2 brothers bothers to visit.

cattermole

Its a difficult area of employment law.

Mojosla is totally correct about time off.

I wouldn't contemplate employing direct without at least 4 employees if you are looking at 24/7 care and its highly unlikely she would get that kind of funding as Nanny says

Having a companion living in the property is possible but Social Services wont fund an informal agreement They would need to be formally employed for the DP to be used for paying the carer. And therr is also the further complication that you cannot unless there are very extenuating circumstances use a DP to pay someone who is resident at the sane address.

It also isn"t that easy to find someone who can live in full time with no real pay? Despite free accommodation. That's why there are specialist companies like Mojosla has given a link to.

It can be a full time job managing it all.

I don't agree care homes are on the whole the best option but sadly and wrongly its becoming increasingly difficult because of lack of funding to keep people in there own homes.

Is there no in between option like sheltered housing with carers on call and on site? With communal activities? A lot of these schemes are coming back now and we have quite a lot recently built in our area They also often gave "extra care" options on site for when the care needs increase in the future .

cattermole

PasturesNew wrote: »

My mum randomly gets out of bed in the middle of the night and falls ... they put a mat on her floor when she's going through times of doing this and the minute she puts her little foot on that mat in the night it lights up a light and the corridor walker (who checks everybody every 2 hours) trots along to ask if she's OK.

Sometimes mum likes to go and sit in the lounge at midnight and watch telly with the staff ... she's not got the marbles to decide this, but she's got the marbles to work out that if she goes there when nobody else is about she'll get a sandwich and cup of tea. She loves it when there's a big storm, with wind/rain/lightning as she can trot up to the lounge at any time through the night and there's a member of staff to put the kettle on so she's not afraid and alone. She loves the idea there's always somebody about and awake... so she's not a nuisance.

It sounds a great home for your Mum They are hard to come by like you describe. They should all be like this but sadly are not.

cattermole

I just want to say taking someone on to live with your Mum that you don't know on the basis you describe. You really need to vet them thoroughly. That would include a CRB check, references from previous
employers and landlords

Why would some one live 24/7 with somebody with no other income and provide adhoc care on demand?

You also need to be aware that Social Services might also be concerned rightly so at some unvetted person moving in with your Mum as she is a vulnerable adult..

You cannot do a police check as an individual either its a grey area even with doing it through a DP support service.

rose28454

cattermole wrote: »

I just want to say taking someone on to live with your Mum that you don't know on the basis you describe. You really need to vet them thoroughly. That would include a CRB check, references from previous
employers and landlords

Why would some one live 24/7 with somebody with no other income and provide adhoc care on demand?

You also need to be aware that Social Services might also be concerned rightly so at some unvetted person moving in with your Mum as she is a vulnerable adult..

You cannot do a police check as an individual either its a grey area even with doing it through a DP support service.

My eldest brother ( who is a bully )decided we needed to go down this route as she fell twice in one day. Part of it is to assuage his own guilt for not bothering with her and part to be the big man. He and my oldest sister ( who was home last week) interviewed a few people ( including 2 Romanian men!!!!- not worried what nationality is as dad was an immigrant himself but men!!) and then my brother narrowed it down to 2 ladies. One has care experience but the lady she cared for died and she is staying with the ladies husband until she finds a new post , seems very experienced but is a bit dour and Mum did not like her. The other is a South African lady who has moved to UK to be near her sister and her experience is nursing her own father. Mum liked her and we are supposed to be trying her out next weekend.
As to someone living in for free and doing some care in exchange that is my oldest sister's idea. As I said I have done it for 4 years and got a job because I needed my life back and it was not easy. Mum is quite unhappy and if began to drag me down. However I am not heartless and do feel guilty.

cattermole

I would discuss everything you have said here with your Mum's social worker. These situations are never easy but I really don't think its an option to move a complete stranger unvetted in with your Mother regardless of their nationality. There could also be issues regarding rights to reside or work with in the UK without proper vetting you have no way of knowing this.

Any Social Worker worth there sort will make all this clear to your siblings

You also need to be aware that Legally social services have the duty of care to your mum not relatives. Without a Lasting Power of Attorney for Care or Financial matters they also have the final decision in regard to your Mums care.