HORRIBLE AGENCY

I've been trying to get issues resolved for weeks with this agency and keep getting told the CEO would get in touch with me....... No issues resolved. No follow up. Weeks passing. So a review of my honest feelings and experiences it is!

I have a long history with this agency. My initial impression a couple years ago was very negative and I spoke to the CEO Mark Ross, who listened to my concerns and temporarily made things better by having the agency send more tenured caregivers..... So we stayed for a long time and found some great caregivers who genuinely cared about my dad. But sad that it always seems to take causing a big, public stink to get the services everyone deserves all along.

Fast forward to now. My dad's condition has changed, and there seems to be very few competent caregivers who can expertly handle a bedridden patient and a very noticeable drop in competency in the staff. Firstly, the scheduler Shakira Blanding does not need to be in any people facing capacity. She is WILDLY unprofessional and unpleasant to interact with. A simple schedule change provokes an attitude from her, and I have gotten into several verbal altercations with her. I asked to only work with Grace, who is much more competent in customer service.

Second, we have struggled to find a caregiver skilled in repositioning my imobile dad in his bed and changing him, despite this being a requirement for their state certification. Where do they find these incompetent people?? For $21/hour I feel I should be able to call their agency and get an expert who will be able to come in and handle him with efficiency and diligence. But that has very seldom been the case. There are a few caregivers that have come out who have had facility experience and have been EXCELLENT, but the sad truth is that they are few and far between. I have gone in and his bed has been soiled and the caregiver sitting down playing with her phone.... I have gone to clean him about 30 minutes after a caregiver left only to find him covered in dried stool. I have been asked by a caregiver how to turn him.... Tonight the caregiver who was supposed to come out was irritated that our house was far back in the woods, got 3/4 through our driveway to the point that I confirmed I could see her car, then she turned around and left in irritation..... It's absolutely ridiculous and unprofessional. The RN, Robin, is very kind and empathetic and goes the extra mile to try to rectify my issues, but it is much larger than her. She is just one person at an agency full of staff who just don't give a crap.

Third, their record upkeep is terrible. My dad is bedridden and has a feeding tube, but on some caregivers' agendas it still says to prepare his meals and monitor him on the toilet..... so these caregivers come in completely unprepared for what is actually needed. They come in and I ask what they know about my dad's needs, and they say nothing even though I have explained it numerous times to the staff before sending someone new out. So what was the original assessment for if it wasn't to pass the info to the people that would come in and care for him.....?

Several of my coworkers are searching for caregiving agencies for their loved ones and ask me pretty frequently who I would recommend. Sadly we live in an area with very few options, so I explain that if there are any other options, don't choose this agency because they only care about collecting the $21/hour without making sure they can provide $21/hour quality. They are constantly increasing their prices while decreasing the standards of who they hire. I am completely disappointed and will take the tens of thousands of dollars we would normally spend with them elsewhere the first chance I get.