More people paying for private home care

We are more and more becoming a user pay society.

While I am not altogether against this as I think people have more control over who they employ. If they are not happy with the care or service, they can terminate the contract and shop around for someone more suitable. It is not as easy if you have been referred to a service provider.

What my concern is the level of training the caregivers receive and the supervision. There is no one checking on the care being given on a day to day basis and is right for the person. Nor do we have a "watch dog" to see if the person is being treated fairly and respectfully.

Vulnerable people, whether they are elderly or not, are not known to speak out if they are receiving respectful or indeed the correct care. They take what is being dished out to them by the caregiver and don't want to risk being victimised or being left to fend for themselves if they do speak out.

So how do you address these issues? It is a difficult one but training is one way. It is not a panacea to fix all but it does deliver some understanding for those who are willing to learn. It does work for those who generally care and want to deliver what is right for the person or what the person wants.

What does need to happen is the caregiver has to understand they are employed by the person they are delivering care to regardless to who is paying the account. When this happens there should be a change in attitude towards their work and the important job they do. Training is part of this process.