When you have come to the stage that a loved one needs a bit of care, you have to start the search for a home care provider. That can be daunting task. Not all health care providers are aware what constitutes good social care. Nor do they know who the good home care companies are. That is why they are not always the best ones to turn for advice. An internet search can be daunting too. Often there are so many that advertise. They all claim to be the best. Who to believe?
Price happens to be not a bad indication. If you go for a very low hourly rate, chances are you will receive inadequate care. Why? Because it usually means that the care company pays there carers badly, even to the point that they pay less than the minimum wage. How else would they keep their business afloat? Those companies cannot pay a decent wage if they charge so little from the client. And the experience is that that creates a lot of job-hopping. Carers constantly looking for better wages. And who can blame them? Nationwide carer turnover is 60-70% At Visiting Angels that is 15-20% because we remunerate well. That is why we can provide continuity and consistency in care.
Any good self-respecting carer will not work for such a low hourly fee. However, foreigners coming on sponsorship may. Sponsorship means that companies facilitate visas for overseas care workers. The UK has such a scheme in place because – as the narrative goes – there are not enough care workers in the UK. What this really means that there are not enough locals who want to work for such a low pay. And who can blame them? That is why so many foreigners from Africa and Asia are being imported into the UK with a care visa. Some of them work in dire circumstances. And some care companies who employ overseas workers and treat them so badly, are found out as described in this article by the BBC.
The morale of this story is that you do not really want to hire such care companies. Chances are that the quality of care is compromised. Is that what you want for your loved one?
Below a BBC horror story what sponsorship with bad intentions can lead too, Click on the link