It states that registered managers are missing from 1,000 care homes. I can understand this as you must be a masochist to take on this momentous task.
No longer are care managers able to operate hands on care - for they are bogged now with mandatory paperwork! Duplication is the name of the game! Local authorities now demand the same paperwork (if not more) than the CQC and do their own inspections.
This must be in place and that must be in place for innumerable agencies! Risk assessments are there for everything, including possible toxic vapours from photocopiers!
Local authorities now demand their own induction for new starters! Managers must now sign off over a hundred and twenty questions relating to the care that new carers and nurses provide. Nurses must now state on Mar Charts why they administer analgesia, anti-emetics, meds for constipation and creams! I don't know - why do we?
There are so many mandatory training requirements - that you need to employ more staff than the home needs - purely to cover staff that are attending training. Staff are so dazed with all these training requirements that they cease to listen - they are tired of it! I am! I truly believe that repetitive training videos are a sure fire cure for insomnia - as I certainly fight sleep! Doctors - pick up on this!
Employment laws now mean that carers or nurses who don't care, can no longer have their employment terminated - unless gross misconduct is involved. Their rights are paramount and stuff the residents! I would think that a caring attitude is essential in these roles - but not so!
It is well recognised that some of those newly pregnant seek out roles in care. They declare their pregnancy not long after starting and the law entitles them to 'soft options' and their fellow carers have to take the brunt of this. There is also a knock-on effect to the level of caring offered to the residents.
On top of this, there is the antagonistic approach of some GPs - but after reading an article in Pulse - I understand this a bit more and will write about it later. GPs - talk to us as we do not realise that care homes put pressure on your practice!
If care homes are breaking the law by not having registered managers in the home, what are the CQC going to do about it? Provide saints or people teetering on the edge of insanity to fill the posts? At present - you have to be one or the other!
Care of residents will suffer. It is inevitable. Managers cannot manage a home if they are swamped in paperwork!
Anna :o[
3 comments:
The paperwork and beaurocracy issues around care home managers are symptomatic of the same things in the rest of the NHS. Nurses on hospital wards now do paperwork, dressings and meds, mainly from the nurses station - the 'nurses' the patient sees are in the main nursing assistants. Good people but not nursing trained.
We've had nurses apply for work at my own sons care home, when faced with being asked to do one to one personal care, saying 'I don't do care, I'm a nurse, the care assistants do that.' They didn't get the job - but obviously thought it was OK to say this.
The CQC registration rule changes now make it impossible for care service providers to tailor their services to the patient. They force a tick box culture on Care Managers which is directly at odds with Person Centred Planning.
These changes are actually affecting us right now, and will probably result in a service reduction for my son if left unchallenged. See blog at http://nedluddcarer.blogspot.com/
Hi Ned.
Apologies for the delay in response.
Beaurocracy and paperwork has gone mad and is now deemed to be more important than the care it purports to monitior. There is no time to care as people are spending their time ticking the damned boxes!
Visit the New Statesman here: http//www.newstatesman.com/pdf/20101011socialcare.pdf There is an interesting article "Ending indecision" which is an interview with Paul Burstow.
Here is a wonderful quote: "Personalised care is key, which means starting with the person as an individual, with their own strengths, preferences and aspirations. As we take critical steps to reduce the deficit, the right response is for the pace of transformation to increase, maximising the penetration and performanse of services such as re-ablatement, intermediate care and telecare".
What a load of meaningless twaddle!
I am saddened to hear that it will probably not be possible to have your son home for Christmas.
It is not right!
Anna.
We will be having him home for Christmas. I've two months to get this turned round. Even if we 'fail' and have to do without any nursing support for the whole period of his visit, we will 'win' in real terms. Worst case we may have to do 2 or 3 days of 24 hours continuous care unsupported but our rules concern him as a person, not an object of 'services' as the NHS regards him. We will have 'lost' a battle but the NHS will pay in the end - they will be adding a PR nightmare threat to our armoury. I don't like this but I have little choice but to be cynical and ruthless in this.
Post a Comment