- Have written instructions, if necessary, to save your energy. (The district nurse can help with this.)
- Ask for a list of anything the care staff aren't allowed to do.
- Telephone the office if there are any problems at all.
- If you are unhappy with a care worker, you can request a change.
- It's your home - if a visit goes badly, you have the right to ask them to leave.
- No service is perfect, but enjoy the care that is given from the good hearts of the workers.
- If you feel that you can't cope with an aspect of the care, be honest about it. Phone the social worker, discuss the problem and ask if there is a solution. (If that is too difficult, you could ask someone else to phone on your behalf.)
- Ask for regular care meetings to review matters.
- Finally, if you are not being given the help you need, you can make a formal complaint :
- Firstly, write to department stressing your need. Ask them to reconsider, then write to you explaining their decision. (The Citizen's Advice Bureaux or an advocacy service can help with writing letters.)
- If you are not happy with the outcome, you can ask for a copy of their complaints procedure and send in a formal complaint. This might make you unpopular but it might have some positive results too.
- You might also get support from your local MP or Councillor. (Your library will be able to provide contact details for your MP and Councillor, etc..)
- If the complaints department etc. cannot resolve the situation, there is a social services ombudsman which can look independently at the whole issue.
Remember that it's just the first step in a journey...
There are alternatives if the situation doesn't feel right...