One star. We hired BrightStar Care of Carlsbad for a specific, time-sensitive postoperative nursing visit to remove my 87-year-old father-in-law's stitches following two Mohs surgeries. Although the appointment was confirmed the week prior, the afternoon before the confirmed appointment, the owner, Dan, texted that their nurse had a "personal matter" and could not come. He offered to have the same nurse come two days later, but BrightStar apparently had no other qualified person available to honor its commitment. The nurse's personal circumstances are not the issue. The issue is that a home healthcare company accepted and scheduled a time-sensitive medical service but was not ready, willing and able to provide it and had no backup coverage when its assigned nurse became unavailable. This created unnecessary last-minute stress for my already-stressed father-in-law and our family. BrightStar was going to charge $250 for this visit. My godson, who is a physician assistant and unfortunately moved, advised that removing these stitches should ordinarily take less than 10 minutes and certainly no more than 15. The assisted-living facility was also so close to BrightStar's office that Dan specifically said the nurse could walk there. Although the price seemed extremely high for the service involved, we agreed to it because we needed a dependable professional to handle this promptly and conveniently. BrightStar nevertheless canceled at the last minute without providing a replacement. Our earlier communications regarding the agreed all-inclusive $250 charge were unnecessarily frustrating as well. After I clearly confirmed that the $250 included any applicable credit-card fees, Dan nevertheless revisited the issue and said that approximately $7 was "not worth fighting over" and that BrightStar would eat the credit card fees, as though BrightStar was doing us a favor rather than honoring the all-inclusive price that had already been agreed upon. We never had an opportunity to evaluate BrightStar's clinical staff because BrightStar failed to provide the scheduled service. I therefore cannot comment on the medical competence of its nurses. However, based on the owner's communication, the lack of reliable backup staffing and the failure to follow through on a time-sensitive commitment, I would not feel comfortable relying on this location for the care of a vulnerable family member. read more

Since it's been many months since BrightStar Home Health has been caring for my dad, I want to update the review I previously submitted. I am very happy to report that BrightStar's 5-star rating still stands! Our family has never been let down by this company and the wonderful staff they employ. They are professional, caring, dependable, and everything you would want to take care of your loved ones. Rarely do we find such wonderful consistency these days, but our family is absolutely thrilled with the service provided by BrightStar. read more

I wanted to share how much Yesenia from Brightstar Cate means to me and my family. Today she was with me during such an important moment, the second to last step in getting my service dog, and I am so glad it worked out for her to be the one to take me this Friday. It truly felt like it was meant to be. Yesenia is not just a caregiver. She is a friend, a mentor, and a steady presence in my life. She helps me with my own care and supports my kids with such love and grace. She is very protective of me and my children, not only in terms of safety but also emotionally and in the way she shows up with steady encouragement. Her care extends beyond her hours with us, leaving me with more energy and peace for the evenings with my kids. We are so fortunate to have her in our lives, and I am deeply grateful for her heart, her kindness, and the way she supports and shows up for our family. read more

Hiring Brightstar Care to help augment our mom's care at her resident facility was an exceptional decision! We were away for a period of time and needed to feel comfortable that our mom had extra assistance. This was the second time we were fortunate to use Brightstar Care for assistance. Each time, we have been blessed to have incredible caregivers from their team of outstanding professionals! Estrella, Camryn, Sandra and Sophia went above and beyond with their level of care and dedication! We could never be more grateful or appreciative and will always come back to Brightstar Care for help for our mom! Thank you to the entire Brightstar Care team! read more

I have been a patient receiving homecare and the care was wonderful. Rachel Fitzsimmons was my nurse and was great. She was thorough and compassionate. I also had Bella as a HHA who was very caring. I'm grateful to the entire company for helping me through this very trying time Sincerely Lisa goguen read more

Hiring BrightStar Care was the best decision our family ever made. Dan Sweiger and his team spent a lot of time really getting to know mom and then matched her with the most perfect caregiver we could ever imagine! Lorena, mom's caregiver is so brilliant, educated, responsible, bubbly and fun. We are so lucky to have her and look forward to days she is here. I love hearing mom and Lorena laughing downstairs. Mom says "She is perfect. She follows everything she is asked to do and remembers everything about my medicine, exercises, doctor's orders. She knows everything 100%. She really cares. You can tell she really cares about me and her other clients. She is so happy to be helping. She is so sweet and has a wonderful personality. I wish all my friends my age could have a Lorena in their lives." She is such a blessing to me and my sisters and has really made a difference in our lives and the amazing care for our mom and giving us some relief and the possibility of me going back to work. We are so fond of Lorena - she's like family! Mom has so much fun with Lorena - they go for walks in the park, do exercises, dance to 50's music, go out to lunch and do other fun things together. Mom is so much stronger and happier with all her increased activity. We are so grateful to have BrightStar and Lorena in our lives and hope to have her here even more often in the future. XXOO Betty & Family read more

Finding care for your elderly parents is just not anything they train you for. You're not even sure exactly what you're looking for. In my case it was something we kids wanted, but that my Dad wasn't ready to use. My first call to Brightstar ended with Dan saying, "Whatever you decide, even if it's not using us, feel free to call with any questions. I know this area so well, I'll be happy to point you toward the best people for whatever your needs are." That stuck with me. We didn't end up even getting my dad to look at home health care then. But we kept in touch and 2 years later, after much effort, an injury forced our hand and Dan was back with the same approach. "Well," I thought, "Dan's great and all, but it's not like he's gonna be in my parent's house. It comes down to the caregivers." So we started to go through the process. The initial meet and greet with my parents and sister (I wasn't there) got a glowing review. We weren't an easy fit for them. The schedule we needed meant that we couldn't always have the same caregiver. Is this ideal? No. But it's real life. They tried oh so hard to make sure we had as much consistency as possible, and they never made us feel like we were creating problems. They were just there, ready to adjust in the best way for my parents and I. Is that the best way for Brightstar? I doubt it. But they never made me feel like an inconvenience. Kudos to everyone in the office for that. So... back to the caregivers. I thought we were bringing in folks to help them around the house... you know, do the mechanical stuff... help them move or move for them in the same way that I did when I could be there. But what my parents were getting was more than that. The added value that Brighstar provides alongside the basics is that these caregivers come into the house and genuinely seem engaged with my folks. They are interested in them as people, not as patients. As I've said, our schedule precludes us from always having the same person (not that they don't try) but there has yet to be a caregiver who my folks have disliked. When I ask them they never talk about the basic things I was worried about. They say things like, "We love visiting with them." Or "they're so interesting" or "they always have so much to talk about." I doubt that everyone in the industry works like this so it seems that Brightstar has decided when they hire someone that being a qualified aid is important, but that only gets you the interview. Being interested in the people... that's the brand. I feel good knowing that not only are my parents having their needs taken care of. I also feel like they are being attended to in a very personal and human way. That is Brightstar, from the top ownership through the office staff right to the boots on the ground. With every interaction everyone seems to be in this to make sure we all (my parents and my siblings and I) are carefully taken care of. When you're looking for a company to help take care of your parents, this is what you're looking for. read more

Brief summary: Thorough, professional, friendly, knowledgeable, communicative, genuine, goes above-and-beyond to work with our schedule, demonstrated that our relationship is above, and more than just a business transaction. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we needed to find a homecare companion for our father in under three days. After speaking with a couple of companies, my gut told me to continue searching. That is when I called BrightStar Care in Carlsbad. First off, the actual owner, Dan, answered the phone. For me, the tone of voice, in the initial call tells me everything about a company. Or at least, sets the tone. From the first "Hello", it felt like I called the right company. Dan and his staff patiently answered all of our questions. And, they were clear and up front with availability and pricing. Refreshing! Part of their service is a home visit prior to "signing up" with their company. I believe this is essential not only for us, but for BrightStar as well. This allows both parties to assess the real needs, take into account personalities, depth of care, and to develop a sense of trust. To sum it up, they found the perfect fit for our dad. Geoffrey S. who has a theater background, found common ground with our dad, who was also in theater...they sing along when they're in the car together. We couldn't be happier and at peace knowing that Carlsbad, CA BrightStar Care staff and its owner, Dan, are always available for us. read more

I am so grateful for Brightstar and the excellent staff they provide for my clients care. Leslie & Angelica have stepped up to take multiple shifts to give my clients stability and routine to their schedule. They are friendly, engaging and willing to adapt and learn to this particular house environment. I appreciate that Brightstar is always on top of filling shifts when I need it and providing me with quality caregivers to do the job! read more

I recently had the good fortune in meeting Dan Sweiger, President & Owner of Brightstar Care of Carlsbad. In attempting to respond to a very short notice patient discharge from skilled nursing, BrightStar proved to be an invaluable care partner. Dan had immediately coordinated home care for a complex patient discharge and his team provided the only in-home point of contact that was available. It was a blessing and a relief to learn that Dan, along with his director of patient care services Tina, had already gone above and beyond to provide home care and an immediate safe environment for an at-risk patient. This was an amazing rapid response home-care effort made on behalf of a patient in need! Dan and his whole team absolutely cares about the welfare of their clients! I would highly recommend using Brightstar of Carlsbad for any home care services you or your family may require! John Cooney Interim Healthcare of San Diego County read more

I was treated so disrespectfully by their office staff when I was having an issue with a nurse who was not showing up to her shifts on time. She made untrue claims about me to the office and instead of calling me to confirm the story and get my perspective, they instantly blamed me and cancelled any care. I have an infant on a g tube with complex needs but that didn't seem to matter to them. Susie specifically was the one who treated me in such an disrespectful manner. I had good luck with the nursing staff on the whole and had no issues with them other than this particular one. But their office staff don't seem to have any concern for listening to their customers needs or finding any kind of conflict resolutions. They'll just cancel your services and go on with their day apparently. To say I am wildly disappointed in this company is an understatement. read more