Couple's anger at care row

A couple say they were forced to dismiss their home care provider after being let down by the company time and time again.
Photo Neil Cross
Ron McAndrew and his wife Jenni, who suffers from MSPhoto Neil Cross
Ron McAndrew and his wife Jenni, who suffers from MS
Photo Neil Cross Ron McAndrew and his wife Jenni, who suffers from MS

Ron McAndrew says his wife Jennifer, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was left distressed on more than one occasion due to the
 ‘inadequate’ service from Sevacare.

Now the couple, of Poulton Road, Blackpool, have cancelled their care package which had been provided through Blackpool Council, and are paying for private carers instead.

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Mr McAndrew, 69, said his 68-year-old retired post-mistress wife needs help to get dressed and showered.

He said: “She has care morning, noon and at night time.

“Some six or seven months ago the situation changed somewhat with several carers coming, young and old, that did not provide an adequate service for my wife’s needs.

“One carer could not get her out of bed into the wheelchair and into the shower room.

“We had another carer who complained of a bad head after a night out.

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“Another time we were expecting the carer at 8am in the morning, and she didn’t turn up until 9.45pm that night.

“She said she’d done a 16-hour day.

“There are some really good carers, but many are over-worked doing very long hours.

“I want to highlight this situation not just for Jennifer, but for other families who rely on carers.”

Mr McAndrew said he was unhappy with the response after making complaints, and so has ended his care package which is paid for from his wife’s welfare allowances.

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He added: “We told Sevacare not to send carers any more and we’re now paying privately until we can get another provider through the council.”

But Sevacare defended the care it offered.

Sevacare chief operating officer Daren Stapelberg said: “We can confirm this service user and her husband are well known to us.

“We have been working with both of them and the local authority in order to address the concerns they had raised. Unfortunately following numerous discussions, we were unable to accommodate the extensive list of unreasonable requests regarding care workers’ age and gender.

“This coupled with a number of concerns around the safe moving and handling of his wife meant we could not provide the service he required.

“Together with the local authority it was agreed that he would find an alternative arrangement.”