Carer shortage: Newport woman left without home visits

Jenna Kearns was visited by carers four times a day

A disabled woman says she is "angry and upset" after her care provider stopped her home visits with a week's notice.

Jenna Kearns, 30, from Newport, has rheumatoid arthritis and was visited by carers four times a day to help her with medication and personal care.

Right at Home Cardiff and Newport said it faced recruitment challenges and had asked the local authority to take over the care of a small number of clients.

Newport council said three companies had done the same in recent days.

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It described the situation as "unprecedented".

'Really upset'

Ms Kearns said she "panicked" when she was given the news and has since spent three days without care.

"I cried," she said.

"I was really upset over the weekend, I couldn't even get out of bed. They do a lot for me - it's my independence.

"Then I went through a phase of being really angry because I was like, hang on a minute how do you expect me to cope? How do you expect me to manage day to day?".

'Worrying'

Ms Kearns said she was on her fourth day with no care and the council had not told her when it would restart.

She said family and friends had stepped in to help but it was difficult because her mother Melanie Kearns works full-time in Bristol.

Jenna Kearns said she cried when she was told her home visits were stopping

Melanie Kearns said: "You don't want to burden anyone else but it's a case that we can't cope on our own.

"I'm just worrying - is Jenna ok?

"It's not just about the care, it's about you having a companion as well. Then I know she is safe."

She said the family were given a week's notice of the change but the company had told them they only had to give 72 hours' warning.

Jenna Kearns said she was taking action by starting a petition calling for companies to have to give a minimum of four weeks' notice before they withdraw care.

"Things need to change," she said.

"Everyone's care package is so different and some are much more complex than mine. How can you just leave people in the lurch like like that?"

Right at Home Cardiff and Newport said it was "sincerely sorry to the individuals affected".

Ms Kearns says she is on her fourth day with no care

"Due to the well reported recruitment challenges faced by the whole social care sector, and the impact this has had on our own staffing levels, we made the difficult decision to ask the local authority to take over the care of a small number of our clients," it said.

It said it had provided "twice much notice as is required so that there was ample opportunity for a new provider to be installed".

"This decision was not taken lightly but was sadly required so that all our clients could continue to receive the safe, high quality care they deserve and expect," it said.

Newport council said it had found "alternative solutions" for most people, adding: "Our staff are working tirelessly but this is proving incredibly difficult given the current crisis."

Cllr Paul Cockeram, cabinet member for social services, said: "We are putting everything we can into finding solutions and our teams are working as hard as they can to ensure continuity of care and new packages of care wherever they possibly can, but we are in unprecedented times."

Dr Jane Townson, CEO of the Homecare Association which represents homecare providers, said there was a serious problem nationwide.

"Demand for homecare is rising at the same time as we are experiencing the worst shortage of homecare workers in memory," she said.

"Employers are struggling to retain and recruit staff and national data show vacancy rates steadily increasing.

"Our members fear for the safety of older and disabled people unable to access the care they need."