General Question

janbb's avatar

Can I get help with a personnel dilemma?

Asked by janbb (62859points) September 14th, 2019
19 responses
“Great Question” (5points)

I have home help and PT coming to the house for a few weeks from a visiting nurse service. It is paid for through Medicare. I was not crazy about the home help person who came – she was bossy and too chatty. However, I don’t want to get her in trouble particularly since she did a decent job. My PT person whom I liked now scheduled for the same time as the home help comes. I am trying to reach the scheduler to try to change the home help to other days and request a new person. Should I just mention it is a schedule change or should I voice my issues? I don’t want to hurt anyone’s job status.

Putting this in General. Anything snide will be flagged.

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Answers

YARNLADY's avatar

Definitely say schedule change with a casual mention that you prefer a (quieter) (older/younger) or something like that, maybe explain you have personality differences.

KNOWITALL's avatar

Your home is your safe space so you must be comfortable there. Dont feel bad please.

If they came at the same time, the chatty cathy can just work and leave. It would leave you with less hours of disruption.

Or do as you said, no guilt, its business. And your choice.

chyna's avatar

Definitely ask for a different person. I know you want to be polite, but you have been through a very rough time and need to worry about yourself, not someone else’s feelings. You are going to be spending a lot of time holed up in your house with her, so it has to be someone you are compatible with.

Zaku's avatar

Yeah, just say it’s a personal preference and not that she wasn’t very professional.

janbb's avatar

Oh – just thinking more. There is a race issue; I wouldn’t want them to think it was about that at all.

Inspired_2write's avatar

“I was not crazy about the home help person who came – she was bossy and too chatty. However, I don’t want to get her in trouble particularly since she did a decent job. ”
Just say that.

jca2's avatar

I would avoid comments about her being bossy and chatty. I’d emphasize more what I like (“I” meaning “you”). I’d say I’m pretty laid back and my house is quiet, and I’d prefer someone who’s more laid back and subdued. This way, it’s not critical of her, it’s more about what you’d like in the next person who comes.

Yellowdog's avatar

Nurses and attendants request changes in their charges, too.

I once took care of a friend from a church, Joy Lynn White, where I drove the van for the disabled. When I was shot in a robbery in 2011, I had to find alternate help for her through various agencies.

Although she was especially close to one particular Personal Care Attendant the year she (Joy) died, this seemingly devoted and caring PCA requested another client just 5–6 weeks before she (Joy) died.

Joy (the disabled woman) was heartbroken when she was given another PCA and I think even tried reaching out. Joy’s new PCA did share with Joy that the former PCA deliberately requested another client. They seemed very close so neither Joy nor I have any idea why.

It could have been anything and probably was not personal. People make choices all the time and no one thinks anything bad about it. Unless someone wonders if they did anything wrong to make the person leave.

ragingloli's avatar

“she was bossy and too chatty.”
I see those as positives. Keep that one.

JLeslie's avatar

If it were me, if she is only coming a couple more times I’d probably not mention anything. When she visits I might say to her, “I’d prefer not to talk too much today,” or something like that.

If she’s coming several more times I’d say something to the person who schedules. I’d ask if it’s possible to try someone else, that she was good, but the rapport wasn’t great, or something like that. You can go on to say you prefer someone less chatty and a little more laid back if possible. I’m not sure how to word it, but you can make it more like a favor if it’s not too much trouble, rather than a demand.

If you change the day and time you might get someone different anyway.

stanleybmanly's avatar

I think the focus should be on your satisfaction. You should be as comfortable with the people being paid to work for you as you are with your shoes. You’re not an unreasonable bird, and you won’t cause trouble if you tell your worker’s employer that the quality is good but the fit isn’t right. Remember this lesson for next time. Everyone’s better off if you “try them on” before you buy.

mazingerz88's avatar

Give your honest assessment concerning the home helper. A good supervisor with enough experience would know how best to proceed in order to meet your needs.

The supervisor might not have someone else ready to replace the bossy and chatty helper and could request you to give chatty another chance after she talks to him/her about it.

A wise supervisor would know how to talk to the helper explaining your need without causing complications.

But if the supervisor has someone she thinks would work out better with you she would just make the switch I assume.
And if that happens, good luck on that new helper. :)

janbb's avatar

@stanleybmanly There’s no lesson to be learned about trying and buying. The agency sent her.

Patty_Melt's avatar

I had a similar problem with home help. I got a switch made. She was no better, but in a different way.
It seems to me that home visits are done by people who can’t qualify as a nurse.
One time, my regular girl was injured, so they sent a substitute. She really seemed like a crack addict.
So, maybe the agency you deal with has better employees than mine, but it could be you get what you get.
It all boils down to do you feel up to the potential switch?
If you do ask for a replacement, it helps if you can describe what qualities you seek.

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Sagacious's avatar

You should tell the company why you want a new helper in my opinion. If I owned the company I would want you to. Don’t worry about job status. I would tell the helper too if I was not happy with him or her.

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