When they first cared for my father, I was in love. They took incredible care of him. I told them that I would give glowing reviews for them in Yelp. Then he fell and broke a vertebra in his spine. I do not know the circumstances of his fall, or where the caregiver was at the time. I'm sure they were nearby and just could not stop the series of events that led to my fathers injury. Because he ended up in the hospital, we stopped Home Instead services. When we signed dad up with Home Instead, I gave them a credit card for the deposit as I did not have any checks with me. A one time administrative fee of $75.00 was added to the charge and that was fine with me. It was just to set him up in their system. I was asked for my home address so an invoice could be mailed. At that point my thought was that I would pay them by check when I received the invoice. I don't remember at any point if it was mentioned that they do not accept checks or even if it was in all the small print on the paperwork I signed. I received an invoice in the mail and paid the invoice by electronic check through the bank. At the sometime they charged the amount on the invoice to the credit card on file and added an $80.00 fee for using the credit card. After a number of phone calls they eventually reversed the amount on the credit card by the amount I paid by check but the $80 remained on the credit card and I was told by Home Instead it would NOT BE REMOVED!!!! They explained after I had the check sent that their policy is that they do NOT ACCEPT CHECKS! Apparently they only charge on credit cards and add a fee of whatever percentage to the charge. I am finding that this is common. HOWEVER....They should have reversed the $80 fee as the bill was paid by check which they DID accept because it was electronic and the funds were removed from the checking account once it left the bank. So I could not cancel the check. But the $80 sat on the credit card and I finally just paid it to get this whole mess behind me. They only accept payment via credit card and charge the fees back to you. Absolutely no checks allowed....that is unless they are reimbursing YOU then it's okay to be in check form. They sent me a check for the deposited amount as we did not use them on the final night minus the $75.00 administrative fee. So they kept the administrative fee of $75 AND and a credit card fee of $80. I would recommend but only for their care, NOT THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES. Beware of the fees! IF I ever get my $80 back, I'll update my review. UPDATE: I have received a check for the $80.00. I have changed my review to 4 stars. Again, I loved the Caregivers and the folks behind them. But my feelings on how I was told that Dr Greg would absolutely not reimburse the $80 causes them to lose a star. read more

My grandmother recently entered hospice with limited time remaining per her doctor's assessment. We sought professional caregiving services, and in interviewing agencies over the phone, we were clear and direct about the services required. A significant, and common, part of her hospice care would entail administering meds, and we inquired about this directly over the phone. We were assured that this was a service that Home Instead provided, and we moved forward with scheduling an in-home assessment. At the appointment, the service professional said that they, in fact, do not administer meds. I would have hoped that an agency that provides care during such vulnerable times would be direct and sensitive in answering questions related to caregiving before moving forward with services. The misleading information presented to us over the phone has resulted in wasted time and further delays in securing care for my grandmother. I sincerely hope that this review is considered and practices are refined to better inform potential clients, holding more respect and awareness of the stress, time, and emotional energy required to secure care at end of life. This could have been avoided had our direct questions over the phone been answered accurately. The unnecessary time spent at the at home assessment would have been better used enjoying the precious moments remaining with my grandmother. read more

Generally speaking caregivers we've had from Home Instead were caring and efficient - exceptionally so. The agency's communication skills could use improvement. We have repeatedly made 1 staffing request which has been ignored - not only denied but never addressed. Agency policies regarding client confidentiality need to be clarified as well. My husband and I have enough extra challenges to face without hearing that our living room furniture is being reviewed among Home Instead care providers. read more

I have been using Home Instead for five years. They have assisted me with my personal goals, mobility, transportation and ensuring I am safe during my seizures. I am thankful for their helpful and 24 hour care read more

This agency changed the rate quoted to my mother. Anthony, the agent was late by 25 minutes to her consultation. When my mother attempted to get into contact with him, it took 3 days for him to respond. Thank goodness she has 2 adult children to advocate for she and my father. This is disappointing knowing established agencies think it is okay to do business this way and to treat elderly people in this manner. Do better. read more

I would like to say a huge thank you to Nicole At Home Instead who has gone above and beyond to put together a quality care team to help us before and after a major surgery. She has coordinated with Regional Center so we received more care and made sure the caregivers are trained and a good fit. Nicole made this very stressful time much easier on the whole family with her genuine concern to provide the best for us. Caregivers Jackie And Marilyn made long drives in L.A. Traffic to continue to care for our family member while they were in the hospital and rehab. Thank you Nicole, Jackie and Marilyn, we appreciate all you do. read more

I enlisted the help of Home Instead after my mom had surgery. Anthony came out to meet my mom and was so kind. Ruby personally worked on my mother's schedule and sent an amazing caregiver, Martha. I would highly recommend Home Instead to anyone in need of home care for themselves or a loved one. read more

Home Instead is an immense help to me. My caregivers and their supervisors adjusted scheduling to meet my changing needs and appointments. Working with this agency is a pleasure. As an elderly woman living alone it's reassuring to know I can call them. read more

After interviewing several agencies, I selected Home Instead to provide temporary (non-medical) care when my 96-yr old mother came home from the hospital. Because I live out-of-state, it's challenging to know what's going on. This agency (front office, caregivers and managers) has done an outstanding job of keeping me posted on Mom's care. They have processes in place to accommodate schedule changes and are respectful of her stubborn, independent streak. Would I recommend Home Instead to you? YES! read more

We needed someone in a pinch to care for my father when the normal care was not available. Home instead came through. We are currently scheduled to use them again this week. The staff seat is very professional. read more

I researched many providers before selecting Home Instead. I absolutely made the right choice. Mom is 97 and bed bound. She is hand fed her meals. She has moderate dementia. The onboarding process was not perfunctory... it was establishing a sincere rapport, understanding Mom's needs, and learning her likes and dislikes. The case manager is involved and available when needed. Julie sees Mom twice a week, giving me a couple days off. She is very professional, knows how to give focused care and she is compassionate. She is scheduled for vacation and I have just met her substitute. Betty is everything Julie is. It is obvious that Home Instead hires good people and trains them well. This is a solid, reliable organization. Nicole is our case manager and knows my Mom. She is hands on. Save yourself a lot of research. Go with Home Instead. read more

Poor quality of professional medical skills. Staff is always late!

Home Instead cared for our father for nearly 3 years. They were extremely communicative and flexible with regard to our father's increasing care needs as his neurodegenerative disorder and old age progressed. They endeavored to develop consistency of caregivers which was very difficult due to Covid and understandable variations in caregiver employment. We don't know where they found such caring and capable people to provide difficult in-home care but the caregivers were terrific! From reading some of the on-line reviews is interesting to note Home Instead received wither either 5 stars or few starts. I think that the poor reviews are due to misunderstanding what services are provided and who is providing them: nursing and complex health care is not something Home Instead delivers, but they work very hard to coordinate this care when needed. Home Instead granted our father's final wish: to be well-cared for at home, and to avoid institutionalization (nursing home) and the hospital. Thank you, Home Instead! read more

This company truly cares about individuals. They ensure their caregivers are well-supported so that those caregivers can then love your loved ones! read more

We've only known about Home Instead for about a week - We vetted them against other providers, have had them over to our home, and have gone through the initial process to have out Uncle cared for short term. We have to say how impressed with are already with the company and how caring, reassuring, and knowledgeable, both Rita and Amanda where when they showed up at our house to do their meet and greet. We really appreciated Rita's many years (I think she said 14) as a Hospice Counselor and Amanda's background/expertise with Dementia. I'm not sure how or where you could find someone better to take care of your loved one. I read another review from a person who used the word "extraordinary" when describing the folks at the Pasadena office - Yep, that's the right word! read more

An elderly relative needed home care so Home Instead was hired. She also used other agencies. She complained about stuff missing, that only happened on the Home Instead shifts. Then we had another Home Instead caregiver losing her fake fingernails throughout the house, even finding one of the nails in the freezer. There were three wonderful caregivers that assisted the relative, so I will give credit where it is due. I was real sorry to lose those three ladies because they provided excellent care. Things got weird at Home Instead when a man who worked in the office would show up unannounced to give "updates". He showed up to say a caregiver "quit", and a few days later the same caregiver weirdly showed up to work like nothing was wrong. Her work was shoddy, even leaving black scuff marks on the kitchen floor, and left the stove dirty. She seemed like she was rubbing our noses in it with the filthy way she left things. In any event things went totally south. We have a new agency and things are progressing well. read more

My wife had back surgery. They came for an evaluation the day after she was discharged and began services 2 days later. Kelly and Rene were terrific, providing the help dressing and bathing that my wife needed at the beginning. They also did the dishes, laundry and ironing. Anything we asked them they did cheerfully and well. My wife enjoyed chatting with them; they engaged her in talking about her interests and experiences. I had a respite from being a caretaker AND after my respite, the housework was all done so I could be my wife's husband, not her housekeeper. read more

This place is a joke. I spoke to Ruby and she was very unprofessional. She wanted to cut cost for my grandmother's care even though we had told her we need care for 12 hours a day. She thought that we could just have family members change my grandmothers diapers so the care taker could not work as long. I understand her trying to help but maybe then she should listen to what a potential client is ask for. She did not even want to come out to the house to give suggestions, like a ramp or bars. Overall a very unprofessional conversation and I would not suggest using the Monrovia office of this company. read more

We hired Home Instead to stay with my mother while she was in the hospital after surgery. When I arrived in the morning the regular nurses told me that the H.I. worker had slept through the night, and that they had been in several times to respond to her pain and to help her while the HI worker was snoring away. When I called H.I. and asked not to be billed for the night shift, their response was that their policy is not to refund. When I said I didn't think I should have to pay for her sleeping, they offered to discount 2 hours. I will never use them again. read more

It takes an extraordinary person to be a caregiver for the elderly. The majority of us push thoughts of our mortality as far away as possible. Geriatric caregivers assist their charges negotiate their mortality every workday. For our Dad, Ken Keen, from the Pasadena office of Home-Instead, surpassed extraordinary. Among his friends, our father was hailed for his resilience. A successful theatrical producer in Western NY, he suffered a brain aneurism in his early 60's leaving a glib man with a talent for one-liners, nearly speechless and subject to epileptic seizures for the remaining 30+ years of his life. A conversation with him was comprehensible only after an exhausting effort on the part of both listener and speaker consisting mostly of guesses and repeats. Yet, to the end he was still sharp in there. He dusted himself off, retired and went to work learning how to design and execute stained glass windows and lamps. He went to movies and traveled. He learned to communicate largely with facial expressions. Anywhere he went in town he was hailed by name, his hand was shaken or his back patted. As decades passed his hearing declined. It became more difficult for him to understand what was being said and harder for him to speak. My mother died and he wasn't up to living on his own. At 88 he made the practical decision to move to California to live with my sister and several of her teenage children. No longer a local celebrity he was a granddad in a strange town. He took art classes and did water colors. By age 91 he began having difficulty with his balance. My sister was working so we contacted Home-Instead for someone to help Dad get his breakfast, and lunch, tidy up his room, give him a shower, get him out for some exercise, cover him when he napped find his hearing aids, his hat his jacket his sunglasses and keep him company. We started with a lovely lady named Shirley. When she had family issues, Ken became dad's primary helper. His good humor recharged dad's playfulness. They developed a doggy routine where they would greet one another at the door barking. Ken gave my dad his full attention while he told stories that rambled, faded to inaudible, lost traction, restarted, and repeated. Ken regaled Dad with puns and word play. He brought in a radio that played 40's band music. They began dressing alike in Hawaiian shirts. Dad inherited Ken's too-smalls. Over 4 years, every day would include a march down memory-lane and a visit to the trunk and drawers of scrapbooks, and old photos. Ken found a book with drawings of Victorian men who looked like our father and spent hours annotating it with post-its and bubbles so the figures in the pictures made hilarious and apt references to the stories dad had told Ken as they poured over the pictures. They went to the grocery together. They made a boy's club of the garage (dads studio) where they drank contraband Cokes. (Prone to aspiration pneumonia, all dads' other liquids were thickened. Ken and my sister were complicit in allowing the old fellow a few guilty pleasures he could "get-away-with"). Every day my dad would give Ken a gift from the dollar bins at Target or the 99 Cent Store. Ken was always the delighted recipient of cheap glass vases, children's toys, daffy-duck cereal bowls and dog figurines with springs for a tail. Once, when the gift was a smiling ceramic frog on a lily pad holding a parasol, Ken enthused "Oh, a sunbathing frog! I've never had one of those. This is really going to enhance my collection!" That story has become family legend. Occasionally when I visited, my dad would say something cutting or hurtful to Ken. I watched uncomfortably as the hurt registered. Ken never retaliated, raised his voice or said an unkind word back. He swallowed the hurt and went back to work. Our dad bounced back from loosing his speech, his hearing, his wife, his home and his identity. He'd endured seizures, noisy grandchildren and nosier great grandchildren, dentures, a walker, breathing treatments, headaches, nighttime oxygen and thickened liquids, but when his eyesight failed, he no longer had a creative outlet and he began speaking about his life narrowing down to zero. At 96 he was felled by a bout of pneumonia he couldn't shake. We placed him in hospice. Off the clock Ken and his wife visited repeatedly over the next 11 days. On the 5th evening Ken leaned over to dad and thanked him for all the gifts and the boys-club colas. Dad waggled his eyebrows. Ken was the last person he recognized. We want to thank Ada Wong and Home Instead for their helpful staff, their flexibility, for Shirley, Dad's first helper, and the many others who filled-in when Ken was unavailable. Ken, his fellow caregivers, and the staff at Home-Instead, are the kind of people who renew your faith in humanity with the work they do so generously every day. Thank you, Ken, you . read more

I contracted with Home Instead to assist with my mother's hospice care during the last 3 weeks of her life. I can't recommend them highly enough. Every caregiver was extremely considerate and sensitive, not only with my mother but also with other family members who were in attendance. The Home Instead staff were there every step of the way, bathing, feeding and supplying all types of physical and emotional comfort measures 24 hours a day. Thanks to Home Instead, my mother's end of life was exactly the way she wanted it - she passed away peacefully at home, with loving family, hospice and Home Instead caregivers at her bedside. These people are really exceptional, and they will always hold a special place in my heart. read more