Complain about a product or service

Home Instead Senior Care

Lois of Voorhees NJ (02/10/07)
They sent a companion for my 86 yr old mother. The woman spent 3 -4 hours with my mother Monday and Friday. Her job was to drive my mother to her friend's home, take her out to lunch, etc. The woman was discharged from the agency because she alledgedly was found intoxicated while working in a nursing home. The agency never told me this.

This companion called me to tell me she was fired. Her words were slurred and she sounded drunk, during this phone call. Again, no explaination was given nor was I informed by Home Instead about the companion's discharge.

My issue with Home Instead is what type of screening to do they do before hiring? After all, the companion was driving my mother around possibly drunk.

Other issues - lack of communication regarding my mother's care (I live out of state and despite many requests regarding my mother's care, their was little communication). Their billing is also confusing and they keep raising their rates.

Kim of Tucson AZ (12/26/04)
I worked as an employee for Home Instead Senior Care and saw things that should be considered illegal. Being that Home Instead is a Franchise, there are company rules, but Mr. Ersahm decided to mock employees by charging $3.00 counted against their paycheck each time that they did not call in their daily hours. The office of Home Instead had the hours recognized for the employee working, both in-house and with the client, yet they made this rule possible, only for profit.

This company also has also kept an employee working under their roof in a situation where an employee was told by a member of a family to drive him to the bank, whereby, he attempted to withdraw his Grandmother's funds. This employee instead of losing her job, was retained as an employee, but taken off the case and given even MORE HOURS (40 plus) then I was offered!

Julie of Pittsburg CA writes (3/22/02):
My 96-year-old grandmother contacted the Home Instead agency to get information on their services. She contacted the agency for information only because she was concerned that she may need some help in her home if she became ill.

The Agency immediately sent a representative to her home who pressured her into signing a contract for services she did not need. Also, the representative told my grandmother that her insurance policy would pay for the agency's services, knowing that they are not a licensed agency and most insurance companies will not pay for services from unlicensed agencies.

After Home Instead tried unsuccessfully to bill my grandmothers insurance company they started calling her and requesting payment. When they called they would threaten to attach a lien to her house if she did not pay her bill and also threatened to attach service charges.

Finally, my grandmother paid for the services herself. However, she overpaid the agency. I have called Home Instead twice and requested that they mail my grandmother a check for the overpayment, they have told me that they "are sending the check today", however my grandmother has yet to receive it.

My grandmother paid over $800 for services she did not need. Home Instead owes my grandmother $397 and they have not paid her.

There are many services that help older adults remain independent. To find one in your area, check the Eldercare.gov or CareGivers-USA.org.

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