HSE favouring its own staff when providing services such as homecare?

BrianD3

I have left my job to become a sole carer for my parent. We have no other help, no friends, neighbours or family members.

I have been trying to get some help from the HSE for over a year but no matter how many forms I fill in, I get nowhere. I get fobbed off and a blase attitude from everyone from the public health nurses to geriatricians. In general, the HSE is completely useless - staff are great at making suggestions that start with "YOU could...", never "WE will...". Suggestions include getting in touch with Family Carers Ireland, I did that and the nice person there told me that they didn't have any carers in my area.

To add to "You could...", in 2020 there is another go-to line that is trotted out to justify the abysmal service. "Well, with Covid-19....."

However, I do know of a good many people who have homecare packages. Coincidentally, family members work for the HSE and/or the care recipient is retired from the HSE. Some of the care recipients with packages can still drive a car and do some basic shopping on their own.

In contrast, my parent has almost no independence, can barely walk, let alone drive and no help from the HSE.

Is this yet another example of how our authorities are incompetent if not downright corrupt. More snouts in the trough? If I recall, it's not that long ago since there was nepotism mini scandal in the HSE

Nothing would surprise me when it comes to the HSE. As an aside I've also heard of several reports from people in the HSE about time card fraud - basically staff clocking each other in and out and nothing being done about it. Not something that can be picked up with a FOI request or audit. Also, abuse of sick leave.

biko

Is this part of the Home Support Service for Older People?
https://www.hse.ie/eng/home-support-services/

TheBlackPill

biko wrote: »

Is this part of the Home Support Service for Older People?
https://www.hse.ie/eng/home-support-services/

Strongly suggest you contact the local public health nurse, explain the problems and ask for assessment. All home help allocations go via the PHN unless you pay privately

BrianD3

TheBlackPill wrote: »

Strongly suggest you contact the local public health nurse, explain the problems and ask for assessment. All home help allocations go via the PHN unless you pay privately

Not sure if that was addressed to me - I've had plenty of dealings with the public health nurses and other community healthcare professionals. Everyone is outwardly very "nice".

However, before I started this I was warned by someone who had already gone through similar with their relatives that many PHNs are "f*ckin useless".

My experience is not good. E.g. I was in phone contact with the PHN about homecare and advised to fill in the relevant form (not for the first time) Sent it to the PHN to complete her part. I then waited. And waited. Several weeks went by. I assumed inefficiency in the admin dept responsible for processing the form. Eventually I contacted the PHN - "oh sorry, I didn't get looking at that yet".:mad:

Several more weeks have since passed and again, I don't know what's happening. I will probably get a letter at some stage saying that we're on a waiting list (again) and that they have no information on how long it will take to clear. As of now I haven't even gotten that letter.

I've also had problems getting the HSE physiotherapist or occupational therapist to do....anything.

They all clam to be busy and to be fair they probably are. Doesn't alter the fact that something is very wrong here.

I hear cliches from people all the time about how the HSE is a mess but once you're in the system it is fine. I strongly disagree.

Perhaps things would be done in a timely manner if there weren't HSE staff clocking each other in and out, abusing the sick leave system and stealing a living.

A fundamental problem according to my understanding is that there is an uncertain legal basis for the HSE having to provide homecare. The result is a shambles of a system. Also, the provision of homecare, be it by the HSE directly, outsourced by the HSE to private companies or organised directly by individuals , is not regulated by HIQA.

Vic_08

BrianD3 wrote: »

Not sure if that was addressed to me - I've had plenty of dealings with the public health nurses and other community healthcare professionals. Everyone is outwardly very "nice".

However, before I started this I was warned by someone who had already gone through similar with their relatives that many PHNs are "f*ckin useless".

My experience is not good. E.g. I was in phone contact with the PHN about homecare and advised to fill in the relevant form (not for the first time) Sent it to the PHN to complete her part. I then waited. And waited. Several weeks went by. I assumed inefficiency in the admin dept responsible for processing the form. Eventually I contacted the PHN - "oh sorry, I didn't get looking at that yet".:mad:

Several more weeks have since passed and again, I don't know what's happening. I will probably get a letter at some stage saying that we're on a waiting list (again) and that they have no information on how long it will take to clear. As of now I haven't even gotten that letter.

I've also had problems getting the HSE physiotherapist or occupational therapist to do....anything.

They all clam to be busy and to be fair they probably are. Doesn't alter the fact that something is very wrong here.

I hear cliches from people all the time about how the HSE is a mess but once you're in the system it is fine. I strongly disagree.

Perhaps things would be done in a timely manner if there weren't HSE staff clocking each other in and out, abusing the sick leave system and stealing a living.

A fundamental problem according to my understanding is that there is an uncertain legal basis for the HSE having to provide homecare. The result is a shambles of a system. Also, the provision of homecare, be it by the HSE directly, outsourced by the HSE to private companies or organised directly by individuals , is not regulated by HIQA.

The problem is that you are not in the system, you are just at the window with your nose pressed up against the glass.

Focusing on other people's failings and staff getting things they shouldn't is a waste of your time. Yes staff get help, they know how to work the system, you need to do that as well.

You need to be pushy, get in the faces of the people allocating the resources and be a problem they need to solve. Standing back and just expecting stuff to be done for you (even if that is apparently their jobs) gets you nowhere with official Ireland.

Just filling out a form and expecting a fair shake is rarely how it works here, you need to be approaching as many people as possible and if you don't get anywhere start bellyaching at TDs and anyoone else that can rattle cages on your behalf.

Both my parents worked in this field, in the public, private and voluntary sectors and some of the stories of utter incompetence and fukwittery from so many different areas is overwhelming. Nurses in particular were a regular problem in the area of homecare. I know it is the recievied wisdom to apportion sainthood on nurses in general but while many are fantasticly dedicated workers in hard thankless jobs the truth is there are also plenty of useless ones, particularly those in non-clinical roles. For a long time pen-pushing jobs were cushy numbers for those with connections and also places to keep the incompetents away from working with sharp objects.

There are services available but as you have found out accessing them, particularly for those who are not already in the system, can be very difficult.

A massive shortcut to accessing elderly care and homecare is the hospitals. As cruel as it sounds you leaving your job to take care of your parent is your biggest mistake. Because you are there (and probably being too truthful on those forms about how much support you can give) they can wash their hands of their responsibilities, if you weren't there at all they'd have no choice to provide assistance. You of course can (and should) support your parent but you need to push some of the burden onto the state.

The fact is that priority is always given to the basket cases, the lifetime handout merchants, the families that don't give a toss what happens to their relatives and those who know how to work the system. Honest decent taxpayers get screwed for being honest and decent while the resources of the welfare state are spent on the wasters, spoofers and cute hoors who say what they know will get them the most support.

Approach the HSE penpushers as the enemy, their priority is not helping you but managing their budgets and resources, if they can fob you off they will.

I know it may sound like advocating dishonesty and being a prick but so many people here game the system that anyone who tries to play by the rules just gets walked over.

My advice would be seriously look at going back to work at least part-time, certainly minimise the appearance of the amount of care you are able to provide and don't be afraid to be a bully and a massive PITA with any vaguely responsible person you can approach. Where is your parent's GP in all this? They should be advocating on your behalf too.

If your parent is hospitalised don't just accept a discharge into your care, push back and insist on homecare being in place first and depending on the issuees recuperative nursing home stays can be of great benefit too.

It sounds like an absolute scumbag move but the threat of holding over a hospital bed is one of the strongest bargaining chips you will have. Let the hospital admin advocate for your homecare.

Being a 24/7 365 sole carer is a terrible position to be in no matter how much the person means to you. The relentlessness of it can grind anyone down as well as the emotional toll of caring for a loved one effectively destroying your life.