Carers running up massive bills using Mum's phone to log in!

penguingirl

Definitely a form of financial exploitation. Speak to your local authority. You could even ask to speak to the safeguarding team if you wanted to go down that route.

In the interim, I'm sure there are some phone services where you can add a pin number to make a call. Might be worth putting on the phone.

Peter333

gundo wrote: »

My elderly mother has carers popping into see her twice a day every day as medicine prompt and help with prepping food etc. The carers are employed by an agency that provides the service to my Mum's local authority. My Mum's had carers visiting her for over 10 years.

Anyway since the new carers company took over (the previous company lost the contract with the local authority) every time a carer arrives at my Mum's they use her phone to call the office to "log in" i.e. indicate that they've arrived to their agency.

I hadn't realised until very recently that these calls were costing a fortune, I'd stupidly assumed that they must be calling a 0800 number (in fact I'm sure I have a vague recollection that one of the carers told me this when I queried them about using the phone). They're calling a landline from my Mum's BT phone line during the week and the calls can last up to 10 minutes!

My Mum's BT bill is higher than mine and she very rarely uses her phone except to call me occasionally. She has the lowest tariff they do and I have fibre internet and "all the toys".

Even just looking at only the itemised calls (the ones costing more than 40p) the vast majority of them are the carers logging in.

The care service user's manual (which I've only just looked at) states that the carer must never use the "service user's" phone except in emergencies and not for logging in.

My question is: what do I do to prevent this "abuse"?

I rang the number that featured the most and because it was this afternoon I got put through to the out of hours service of the carer's company. The person I spoke to basically fobbed me off and was very cagey. They wouldn't even divulge an email address of someone I could contact regarding this (I asked for the manager of the carers).

How do I tackle this problem and who do I escalate this to?

I think it's an absolute scandal! My Mum's phone bill Direct Debit has gone up from approximately £17 a month if that, to over £37 a month and she almost never uses the phone herself :mad:

In my opinion, there are some gross assumptions, and hysteria going on on this thread, from a number of posters!

"This is abuse!" "Outrageous" "Disgusting" "Stealing" "Are you sure her other stuff is OK?" implying the carers have been stealing her possessions? Good grief!

There is NO evidence that the carers are exploiting anyone or doing anything bad or doing anything deliberately. Obviously the extra £200 a year on the lady's phone bill is not acceptable, and it needs to be addressed. But just contact the council for goodness sake, or her social worker (or both!) It may be that she needs to hand in the bills so they can reimburse her.

Who'd be a carer?! I know there have been a few that been proven to be dodgy, but the same goes for dentists, policemen, doctors, social workers, plastic surgeons etc, etc, but no-one tars all of THEM with the same brush!

Contact the relevant department at the council tomorrow.

moneyistooshorttomention

elsien wrote: »

So mum can't call any friends or make any other calls she might suddenly decide she wants to make? That solution sounds worse than the problem to me.

It doesn't sound like Mum makes any other phonecalls - but, in order to leave her the option available to phone whoever she wishes, perhaps the best thing is for her to unplug the phone and hide it when they visit her. Followed by telling them a lie and saying something about either the phone being broken or the phoneline needing fixing. I don't normally advocate lying - but they started that game (ie by lying and saying they wouldnt use her phone - and then proceeding to do so).

It's also a very valid point that they aren't using that time they spend on her phone on caring for her. If the call is only literally 2 minutes and the visit is 2 hours that's one thing - but a 5 minute call out of a 15 minute visit means her not getting one-third of her time from them.

I guess the "best case analysis - give them the benefit of the doubt" scenario is these visits are very long and the calls are very short and they have just made the assumption that everyone has one of these all-inclusive phone tariffs and not asked her if she does. In that scenario - it's still the case they should have asked her what sort of phone tariff she is on (in order to check she wouldnt be paying for their calls). Even with that scenario though - I'm assuming Mum probably doesnt have a home computer and logic should tell the carers that that would probably mean she has a more "pay as you go" type tariff.

-taff

Peter333 wrote: »

There is NO evidence that the carers are exploiting anyone or doing anything bad or doing anything deliberately.

gundo wrote: »

it clearly states in the service user's manual i.e. the contract they have with care agency that the carer must never use the "service user's" phone except in emergencies and not for logging in.

They don't read about their obligations then?

Loz01

One of my friends does this job and you are definitely not allowed to use the service users phone!! Make a formal complaint in writing and make it clear that they cannot use her phone unless they want to pay!

helcat26

I think you should make a complaint in writing (with a copy of the bill and a scan of the page in the user manual) to both the council and the carer service- do they have a complaints email?


In the meantime however unless you can actually be there to speak to the carers put a notice by the phone saying this phone is not to be used for log in and date it as I doubt you will get a swift response to your complaint.
Then if this continues after you have put up your note they cannot refuse to refund calls made after that time by saying they were given permission to use that phone.
good luck

Jamiesmum

I've worked for a few care companies, we can use the SU phones to ring a free 0800 number to log in. It doesn't charge. But this is only for new carers really, most of us have work phones and can tag in via stickers on folders.

It's something the local authorities bought in to track, (logging in and out) so if her carers are staying 5 minutes for a 30 minute call - the carers will now only get paid 5 minutes pay, and your mum will not have to pay for a half hour call (assuming she's self funding).

Next, the log in system means that if a carer doesn't arrive (or hasn't logged in) they can ring the carer, find out why, then ring your mum or yourself + send another carer out. I remember a case of a lady with dementia had died and been left for over a week because the carers were just skipping her calls.

It also means that the carers have a bit more safety late at night, if they are logging in and out correctly and, for example, had a car crash - between house A + B. She can be easily traced.

I'm not sure why these calls are costing you, I assume they are ringing office number (which should be an area code) but the calls should be free - and anyway, you can totally say no to them using it. Basically they just have to green sheet in on the system which means carers don't log in or out from your mums house and are automatically paid for the time. You could also suggest they just text the on call phone.

Your best bet would be ringing the office tomorrow after 9 o clock when you can get through to a manager, and ask who to contact regarding repayment of her phone bill.

chesky

Don't phone the carers agency, do everything in writing. You may need the proof at some point in the future.

Gloomendoom

Set up a 18185 account (or similar) and ask the carers to use it.

esuhl

trinidadone wrote: »

You have completely seen the wrong view point here. Firstly the other person is completely correct, and does not have to change the phone package to suit the carers. Secondly, even the manual clearly states not to use the clients phone, except in an emergency.

I would do two things. As stated above, have a conversation with the allocated social worker regarding the "abuse" of your mothers phone.

Secondly, I would go look through every bill, and add up the costs of the calls in total. I would then make a formal complaint under the councils complaints procedure, informing them you would like every penny paid back in full.

This is outrageous behavior.

Dont change your behavior to accommodate the carers, put a stop to this at once, please let us know how you get on??

I couldn't agree more. I'd invoice the care agency for the cost of the calls, and tell them not to use the phone in future. I'd tell them I'd be adding an administrative charge of £25 for any further invoices you need to send them.