Monthly Archives: July 2018

My ability to make light of my situation has reached breaking point. The woman that they gave me has Hashimoto’s syndrome.

The symptoms include extreme sluggishness, tiredness for no reason, and memory lapses.

Can you imagine a less suitable person to be with me as my Carer? Those 3 and poor English?!

How can PROMEDICA24 let her get through their filter? That’s easy – they don’t have any filters.  They obviously take on anyone at all. All those Polish people we all see being capable, the cleaners, the builders, the drivers, the unemployed doctors that work as labourers,  and I get someone with a thyroid condition that renders her useless, and then forgetting that she was useless several minutes later…..

My mental health ( my ability to not have Dark – suicidal- thoughts ) has reached breaking point. Today I’m in that zone. It’s taken her 3 hours to get me out of bed ( her lack of speed, and definitely not mine )  Yesterday my girlfriend did what I need doing in half an hour – and she isn’t a Carer.

I have called PROMEDICA24 repeatedly and emailed them many times. It’s only 5 days since she started, and I must have sent a dozen emails of complaint. It seems that often the people in charge have low IQ, so just can’t see it in their staff.

This woman HAS to get out of here, and fast. I can see myself killed her at this rate, Hashimoto’s or not.

Christ, she’s just asked me ( again ) if my legs are cold? Spot thé stupid and incredibly insensitive question?

It’s desperate.

Dear Sirs,

As someone who has spent time in a care-based role I felt that it is important to give you some important feedback regarding one of your Carers (Bog.) that is meant to be caring for Russell Dawkins.

Unfortunately, she shows a complete lack of competence and empathy as well as an inability to perform the basic necessities required in a role as a Carer.

Russell and I were both really looking forward to her arrival and getting a new Carer settled in. By the end of the first day Russell was feeling that she was incompetent and things weren’t going to work out but we decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.  We discussed the situation and decided that I would take the following day off work as we felt that it may be beneficial to her if she has someone to show her how to do things and walk her through all the processes.  Unfortunately, this has proven to be a complete waste of a day off for me as it has made no difference.

Bog. appears to have no common sense and an inability to follow basic instructions – when we were trying to demonstrate how to do a transfer and Russell asked her to watch she started walking off!  She has an inability to remember the simplest things and Russell is having to repeat himself constantly.  I showed her how to wash Russell, move him and where basic items such as the night bags are – last night she asked Russell where they are.  I asked her to never wake Russell up in the morning as he sometimes has trouble sleeping, but this morning she knocked at his door and woke him up.  She even struggled with a basic task on her first day – putting a sock on Russell’s foot..

She repeatedly asks if he can feel his legs – Russell is paralysed so no he can’t.  This sort of conversation from a carer shows a total lack of understanding and empathy and suggests that they are not suited to their role.

When I am staying over she does very little – yesterday she woke up at almost 12 noon and then ate a breakfast of baked oats that I had prepared.  I washed Russell – she had very little to do.  She complains that it is a long day but Russell is very self-sufficient and independent in all areas he possibly can be.  If she is in poor health or that easily tired she is not suitable for the job.

Your agency have a Duty of Care to provide someone who is suitable to do a job – she is clearly not suitable.  You are charging for a service that you are not providing and Bog. is bordering on being a risk to Russell rather than a Carer.  She clearly does not understand the basics of looking after someone like Russell and has to continuously be told to keep her phone on her in case he needs her (her hearing when she is called for doesn’t seem too great!).

Please can you take steps to rectify this situation immediately – I don’t see how you can justify charging your full rate for someone who is obviously under-skilled and incompetent.  As a care-provider you should be aware of how vulnerable your customers are and how reliant they are on the care that you provide.  In this instance it is sub-standard and bordering on dangerous – a thoroughly unacceptable situation.  I am going to wrap up this email here as I now have to drive from Abingdon (Oxford) to London to assist Russell as the person who is being paid to is incapable of doing her job.

I look forward to receiving your response outlining the steps that the Agency are taking to sort this unacceptable situation out.

Yours faithfully,

Wendy *******

 

I don’t normally laugh at my own jokes, but I have this time!😂

M****,

Référence her claimed skill ( organisation ), I’d say that you don’t just accept a candidate’s word for everything, and seek proof.

Just a thought,

Russ Dawkins

( former 100 mètres world record holder, and 11th man on the Moon )

Sent from my iPhone 9.6 prototype.

On 27 Jul 2018, at 17:53, Russell Dawkins wrote:

I’d say that that is an error.

It’s standard procedure in other agencies.

Maybe rethink your policy.

Russ

Sent from my iPhone 9.6 prototype.

On 27 Jul 2018, at 16:13, M*** wrote:

Hi Russell

Unfortunately we do not do FaceTime or Skype calls with potential care workers, so you will not be able to speak to them prior to their arrival.

Kind regards M

Wysłano z telefonu Samsung

M***
Care Manager

Promedica24
Cassiobury House,
11-19 Station Road,
Watford
WD17 1AP

tel.

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For information on Promedica24’s policy on mail protection and confidentiality,click here

——– Original message ——–

From: Russell Dawkins

Date: 27/07/2018 13:33 (GMT+00:00)

To: M

Cc: T

Subject: Re: Promedica24/Arriving carer/25th July/R.D

She is very disorganised and doesn’t remember many things I say she needs to do.

I can’t imagine her in an administration job – she’d be totally unsuitable.

She walked into it – twice!

Extraordinary.

I did tell you that in the first ten months I could tell. I’d suggest you let me talk to the next potential candidates on FaceTime before they just turn up?

I’ve employed hundreds of people in my career, probably far my than you.

I CAN tell if they are not going to work.

Russ

Sent from my iPhone 9.6 prototype.

On 27 Jul 2018, at 12:52, M wrote:

Hi Russell

 

Thank you for your email, I have checked her file and she has had experience of looking after a person with paralysis and states her strengths as being organised. I am not sure where walking into the glass door has come from or being forgetful and miss placing things. The Polish team are contacting B*** now to find out what happened with walking into the glass door as an incident report needs to be raised.

 

Hi Russell

 

Thank you for your email, I have checked her file and she has had experience of looking after a person with paralysis and states her strengths as being organised. I am not sure where walking into the glass door has come from or being forgetful and miss placing things. The Polish team are contacting Bog**** now to find out what happened with walking into the glass door as an incident report needs to be raised.

( GOOD GRIEF )

 

I have asked the team to look for another care worker for you, the change over will be ideally next week – however I am away on annual leave next week so another of my colleagues will be there to do the introduction.

 

Please can I ask that all emails are directed to me and not to Magdalena as she cannot action any points or concerns raised, also I need line of sight on what is happening.

 

As soon as we have a profile I will forward to you

 

Kind regards

M**** ****

Care Manager

Sweaty night out.

I was out last night. The Carer s job is to accompany me.

I just couldn’t face having to look after her, so I went alone.

It was 10 Miles by Triride to Kentish Town, to meet Leigh, to see The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in a sweaty Forum, and 10 miles Back in the dark.

It was still easier to just go by myself.

The band was great. 8/10.

Id shared my location with Bogrolla on WhatsApp, so she’d know exactly where I was at all times.

Needless to say she didn’t look at it, so had no idea I was coming back ( that was the whole point )

Anyway I eventually got in.

This morning I mentioned that she had had 6 hours off and wondered what she’d done, as the bins were all full. She said she had to make my bed ( it’s a Sheet and a duvet ) I asked how long that had taken? She said half an hour.

I asked why it took her so long. She said ‘ well normally my husband helps me ‘.

Good Grief.

Going so well

I asked her to bring out the ELECTRIC hot stone heater.

After 10 Minutes she asked if it was warm enough.

Given SHE had brought it out, Stone in one hand and cable with plug on end in other hand, and NOT plugged it into a power source of any description, that was another puzzling enquiry from Bogarolla.

It took a while to explain what to do with the plug but she did plug it into the wall.

Five minutes later she asked if I thought it was warm now.

I wheeled over to see.

Silly me, how remiss of me! Id left out the vital last part of information! Doh! My fault for sure… you have to press the switch on the wall socket!

I’d forgotten she ‘ is a woman ‘

I really must start to be far more sexist in my approach.. or starve.

She has just told me, smiling, that they ‘always called her the Clumsy Girl at school ‘ and that she ALWAYS goes to bed at 10pm…

So unfair! Gréât that the ‘ hand picked selection process ‘ to find a Carer whose duties will include reversing a cripple in a wheelchair backwards down a bus ramp in a busy London street, and never sleeps before midnight,  has given me such an ideal match, isn’t it?

Obviously I’ve told thé agency to change her ASAP

Lets face it, it’s not her fault, it’s PROMEDICA’s

 

My email to PROMEDICA

Michelle,

Ref my Carer:

She didn’t know my name when she arrived.

Or my address ( after 3 days of living here )

Hand picked for compatibility?

She doesn’t know her salary?

Today she has lost the keys to my home.
I deliberately gave them to her on a lanyard to go around her neck, having seen how absent minded she is.
She forgets an awful lot of things that she has done/ needs to do, things as simple as where she put my 2 cups of tea that she just made 2 Minutes prior.

Yesterday she gave me a bed bath. She managed to soak the sheets – as in properly soak them. There’s no thought process as to the problem with that when it comes to helping me get dressed in bed ie the clothes are then wet too. …That’s obviously not the right thing to do.

Every time she does something ‘ daft’ she says ‘ I am a woman, I don’t understand these things ‘

I need a woman that doesn’t think being female is a justifiable reason for doing something badly.

She’s just walked into the window, forgetting it was there.
It doesn’t help that she can’t see properly close up ( yes I am a 30 year qualified Specsavers ophthalmic director – so I can tell )
Yesterday she asked my girlfriend to assist her in getting my socks on. Really?
My girlfriend was taken aback.

I dare not ask her to drive me anywhere. I just don’t think we’d get there.
After all – she ‘ is a woman ‘ … right?

Wow – she has just walk into the SAME window – this time really hard.
Have you ever walked into a window? Probably a few times in a lifetime?
Have you walked into the same one you just walked into though?

Almost certainly not.

WANTED

My name is Russ and 5 years ago I had a cycling accident resulting in paralysis from the chest down.
There is a fair bit that I cannot do for myself, and need assistance with
I need a live in assistant who can job share so that there is a break, as life with me is very busy.
I do far more than most people who are not paralysed, and want someone that is up for a laugh, fit enough to keep going ( as I do ) and wants to do different things every day of the week.
I’m definitely unique in my needs, and basically a capable person who is able to use their initiative and live life to the full.
You’ll get plenty of sleep, but I can absolutely guarantee that it will not be at the same time every night.
I need someone that is young enough to keep going, yet old enough to appreciate life and its complexities.
I don’t need a ‘ carer’ – I need a help, that wants to live an active and varied and fun life that they get paid to do. If I wasn’t actually the paralysed one, I’d love the job myself!

I live in West London in a very cool place, and you obviously get your own room and own bathroom.

Dream Job and Great Pay for having a laugh.

Blimey

So the most important thing- ALWAYS carry your phone.

We go to the car and I say I’m going somewhere.

Wheres your Phone?

In my bedroom, why?

2 Hours later I call her – 6 times.

No answer.

She eventually calls me.

Why didn’t you answer the phone?

I was talking to my mother. She worries about me.

I think she’s lost sight of who is supposed to worry about who?

Ffs.