3 replies to this topic

[Angi]

Hello,

My name is Angie, I am currently dating a c6 complete. He has 24HR health aides and we ran into some, how shall I say this, "incompentant" caregivers. They knew how to do the procedures but lacked the caring touch and common sense to actually do the job right. Does other SCI have 24 HR health aides and if so are you running into similiar problems??

[lopo]

Angi, on Dec 17 2007, 12:43 PM, said:

Hello,

My name is Angie, I am currently dating a c6 complete. He has 24HR health aides and we ran into some, how shall I say this, "incompentant" caregivers. They knew how to do the procedures but lacked the caring touch and common sense to actually do the job right. Does other SCI have 24 HR health aides and if so are you running into similiar problems?? :( :(

Hi, Angie, While looking for some other info, I found your post. My husband is a C5/6 and was when I married him. The caregiver situation in the U.S. had been a nightmare for him so we live in Mexico where we find MUCH better help. and for less. However, we're retired now and can do that. However, if you live in a city, you might find that you will get better help among an immigrant population such as Hispanic or Asian.

[Rye]

Angi, on Dec 17 2007, 01:43 PM, said:

Hello,

My name is Angie, I am currently dating a c6 complete. He has 24HR health aides and we ran into some, how shall I say this, "incompentant" caregivers. They knew how to do the procedures but lacked the caring touch and common sense to actually do the job right. Does other SCI have 24 HR health aides and if so are you running into similiar problems??

Yeah he'll get a few a-holes. The job doesn't pay well and you usually get what you pay for. Theifs, no-call/no-shows, lazy and down right people that made bad life choices. I'm a C5-6 and just have them come in at night until morning, 11 hours. They'll put me to bed, roll me every 3hrs and get me up. Once up I can take care of myself after they set things up for me. It's been 15 years for me and have been real fortunate to have snagged good people that stay for years. I use an agency to staff the hours from there if we click personality wise I'll hire them out-right allowing me to pay them what they're worth. $15-18 per hour depending on years with me. If he can do something like this he'll find better people. Plus when working with an agency gives you the ability to have back-up if the person doesn't work out. Sometimes it's real liberating to tell one of the bad attitude lay-abouts to "Go F yourself, you're fired!" I use to have 24 hr care but having the people in my face 24/7 got old real quick.

[qbounce]

Hi Angi,
I've gone through several agencies, specifically because the owners of the agency were incompetent . . . not neccesarily the fault of the caregivers. Although I've had some doozy carer's too!!

One was always on the phone and not doing any work beyond sweeping the floor.

Another was always telling me about his problems while I was 1 and 1/2 years post injury.

Always alot of scheduling problems with secondary carers, or not getting the same relief carer and having to constantly retrain another for back-up.

One broke a glass and threw it under the bathroom sink to hide the evidence instead of just properly throwing it away and telling me, or not telling me (I could give a rats ass about a broken glass. . . until it's thrown, shards and all, someplace it shouldn't be).

BTW the only carers I've had were Phillipino's and some were great and others weren't. It doesn't matter that they were imigrants. People are people, and some take pride in how they work and others don't care. It's up to us to find and keep the people who we know will do the work we pay them to do, and get rid of the those who don't meet our expectations.

I'm down to just one caregiver right now, and I'm lucky to have her. She does so much more than most I've had previously! Hopefully you've had the same luck since you posted this!!