AgingCare 2

Our interview with this home care agency with very well.

It's been okay, but if you don't have a lot of hours to offer it seems that it can be difficult to get a consistent caregiver to come on a regular basis. Even with a couple backups, it doesn't always seem possible to get one that you have worked with before. It can also be a little difficult to get a hold of the office, or get them to return calls. It was a bit of a bumpy start, though things seem to be coming along okay now, for the most part.

The staff sent by Guardian Home Care was very kind. They offered good companionship and took good care of my mom. It became difficult at times because they could be unreliable.. Sometimes a staff member would call in sick and they didn't offer a quick replacement. We were left at times to care for her alone which was very difficult.

My experience with this home care was fairly decent. The care givers were good, but there were times when I had to remind them of things to do. The agency owners were kind and friendly. It was a decent experience.

My mother had a short visit with this community. It seemed maintained and staff did what they are supposed to do. After some time we had noticed that Mom was not cooperating so we decided it was not time for her to be at Comfort Keepers. The staff did light house keeping, sat with her, and took her for walks. In the end I felt everything went well and I probably would not go out of my way to recommend this community. The cost did not equal to the care.

I interviewed with them, but when they came out it was just one person. It felt a little stand offish, and just a little less comfortable. It didn't feel like the best fit for me.

Mom has been using the agency a little over a month and I'm not too sure how I feel about the agency. Mom complains that Cantina (the caregiver) doesn't do anything. She was hired to serve not only as a companion but to help with the tidiness of the place as well. Since I haven't been there to experience it for myself I will be going down there to reevaluate. I'm hoping that things aren't as bad as they seem.

Options for Senior America is not a very reliable, does not show up when needed. They also could not provide staff consistantly. I will be looking into other options for my mother.

Average

Overall, they tried to be responsive to our needs, but there were too many different caregivers assigned and not enough notice regarding who would be coming and when. New caregivers were introduced at 10 pm. This was too late at night for people with dementia. Most of the caregivers were good, but there were a couple who did not provide adequate care.

Working with Senior Helpers was a positive experience although it could have been better. Rather than taking care of simple house duties the caregiver served more as a companion which wasn't really necessary. She was very nice and I do appreciate what she did do but I feel it could have been better. She definitely doesn't compare to the cleaning lady that I've had for years! Overall it was an alright experience.

Working with Preferred Care at Home wasn't a complete disaster. One of the caregivers was great. She did her job efficiently and I really hated to see her go. Her replacement on the other hand just sat there and talked on her phone the majority of her shift and I did not appreciate that at all. The case managers were good. They were very proactive with solving any issues we had. I did appreciate that but would not recommend them.

I'm not really sure what to rate them at this point. The caregiver has done some cleaning but isn't as helpful as she could be. One day she read a book the whole time she was there. She has been more of a companion although my mother in law isn't the easiest person to get along with. Overall she did okay but I feel she could do better.

Helping Hands sure did help me with bathing my husband and dressing him. The problem I had was helpers not getting to the house, or getting there late.

Our experience is mixed. We have been with them for about five weeks, and they would provide someone for four days during the week, and the three day weekend would be a second person. We have had the same person for the weekdays so far, however in four weeks we have had four different weekend people. In general most of the people have been fairly professional, and friendly. The weekend people have had a difficult time with the tasks, and particularly at night. We have not had an issue with scheduling,

There have been some challenges. It has been difficult to find the caregiver who is the right fit. We made up a plan for what the caregiver is supposed to do, and they are having trouble implementing those things. We talked about some dementia care, and doing puzzles and things with my loved one, but they don't have any of those resources available to them. I thought that they would. We have had trouble getting the schedule worked out, however the director did come out and stay with our loved one himself when the caregiver couldn't be there. I have a good rapport with the manager. Some of the caregivers that have come through, I would consider to be unprofessional, in appearance, and attitude. There are also so expenses, I didn't expect to budget for, like extra groceries for the caregiver, when they are there. I will say that they have always responded to my call when I have had to, even after hours.

We had some trouble with them. I love the manager (Maria?) but we had a lot of turnover. They'd set up one person, then have another, etc. It would have been better to have had one or two people that knew her and her needs rather than a different person every time. With so many people coming and going, my sister had to be available 24/7 to express my moms needs. Honestly I wasn't super happy.

When the caregiver was there they did a good job. They came for a week when I was out of town, and when I asked them to come again, and tried to schedule more hours, they didn't want to come. They were rude to me, I felt, about why they didn't want to come. My loved one was difficult, and they didn't have suggestions for me on how I could make it better, they didn't offer solutions to the issues, or help. They were rude and I felt, unprofessional about the whole thing.

They have done a pretty fair job. They are what they say they are. The caregivers haven't been as consistent as we would have liked, but some of the hours we needed have been difficult to accommodate for, some weekends and evening shifts. They have been pretty reliable though, and we haven't had any problems with people being late, or not being able to get a replacement if someone calls out.

Overall I think they are doing a relatively good job. Everyone is very friendly and nice. They need to work on being more assertive, I think. I don't have to worry about people not showing up, they are pretty good about getting a timely replacement if someone is sick. We mostly have the same couple of people that come out to help, unless someone is sick. I just think there is some confusion about what needs to be done, that is where I think they need to be a little more assertive.