Home Instead is an excellent service for anyone in Marin who needs caregiving at home, be it temporary and light, or permanent and complex. I broke my foot badly and realized I needed extra care to live independently while I healed. Home Instead, which is based in San Rafael, came to my home and explained their services. They were amenable and flexible to a schedule that met my needs and my budget. All of the caregivers they sent to my home were outstanding. Cleaning, cooking, driving, wellness assistance at any level. My elderly Mother also uses Home Instead in another region of California, so they have a good track record. If you get a caregiver who isn't a good fit, you just call the Home Instead office and they immediately find another caregiver. Licensed, insured, and highly professional, I can recommend Home Instead for caregiving. I also find it comforting to know that if I have a health emergency in the future that requires caregiving at home, I have an established relationship with Home Instead for quick service. read more

I was recommended to Home Instead from By the Bay Health. Christy came to my house right away and set me up with Rudney. Rodney came in the afternoon and worked with the hospice nurse to take care of my husband in his final hours. He was great. read more

I'm so happy that my family selected Home Instead. Selecting a Care Team can be a difficult process and working with Christy was wonderful. To the team at the office and to the caregivers thank you for your service. read more

I'm so pleased that I selected Home Instead Marin 6 months ago to provide relief care for my mom who has Alzheimer's. It's clearly a very well run organization with thoughtful, rigorous approaches to the needs of their clients. Everyone on their staff has consistently been phenomenal (professional, courteous, understanding, efficient, responsive) from the very first interaction. And, the two caregivers assigned to us have been marvelous. My mom was adamantly against any outside care, but now loves her caregiver and appreciates the extra help. Best of all, I feel that Home Instead Marin is a total partner in my mom's care; they work closely with me to manage shifting needs and schedules and they always go the extra mile. I feel I can completely relax on my days off, knowing that my mom is in great hands. This means everything. read more

Home Instead to the rescue! I first contacted Home Instead Marin to take care of my mother with Alzheimer's. I could no longer trust her by herself at home. Home Instead came to our home and met with us so they may know exactly our needs. They were able to give us advise on what would be best for my mom and also other resources we could look into as well. They took such great care of my mother. Unfortunately my mom is no long with us, but now my mother in law is in need of some extra help. Guess who I called first. Home Instead earned my trust over 5 years ago and I felt confident that they would take very good care of my mother in law, and they have. Again they came in to see exactly how they can provide the best help for Mom. They contact me when there are any concerns. They are very flexible and accommodating. We are very grateful for all they do. read more

I needed a caregiver for my mother that had moved to assisted living and awaiting dementia care. I emailed home instead and I met with Catherine and Christine the next day. Catherine was very transparent on costs and that their only caveat was they needed a 24 hr cancellation notice. A caregiver was with my mom the next evening. I got routine updates on my mom's care and concerns. And when an open spot in dementia care was available caregivers worked with her until she was settled. HomeInstead is a life saver! read more

If Yelp had a 10-star review option, I would give that to Home Instead. We had to find caregivers for a dear friend under hospice care who wanted to be able to die in her home. Home Instead Marin was recommended by a friend of 20 years who has had them caring for her mother in San Rafael for the past 5 years. In short, the service Home Instead provided was absolutely perfect. The owners of the agency were personally involved the entire time, helping us to select the ideal "fit" for our friend from a personality and skills perspective. One night when we were having a medical crisis, they calmly walked us through the correct steps to take with hospice, and were in constant text / voice contact with us, inviting us to call them at any time during the night. Mind you, this is an agency with 70 care givers so I was extremely impressed at this offer. The caregivers who came were just what we wanted -- gentle, quiet, knowledgeable and interfaced well with the hospice nurses. One of the caregivers helped during her final minutes and I don't know what we would have done without her. Home Instead provided this kind of service knowing that this would not be a long-term situation. I had to coordinate care for my own parents back in another state, and we had a lot of disasters with caregivers. I therefore expected some hiccups with Home Instead but it was flawless. We had intended to interview three agencies, but after my friend and I met with Home Instead she said "I do not need to see anyone else. This agency is the one for me." And she was right. Highly, highly recommended. Feel free to private message me on Yelp if you have any questions. read more

My father-in-law was in need of 24/7 care and ultimately Home Instead out of Novato was hired. The owner followed up, answered questions, and seemed to care about my father-in-law's well-being. Home Instead would send a care worker for every 12-hour shift (we needed them for approximately 2 weeks). We ended up working with 4 different care workers, all of whom were skilled and very professional. They were all soooo friendly and did a great job in caring for my father-in-law. They were sensitive and caring for him, as well as for the family. They took care of all of his personal needs without any hesitancy. They did very light cleaning and some dishes. So glad they were there for him and for us. I would use them in future. read more

A couple of years ago my mother's dementia began to get harder to deal with. I was never able to feel safe leaving her by herself. Consequently I was increasingly staying at home more and more. It was a difficult time. Home Instead was one of several senior care places we tried. And they were the one we ended up staying with. Their management folks are great and their caregivers too. I trusted them to help my mom as she became increasingly disabled by her dementia to know what to do to put mom at ease, help her with hygiene, and keep her relaxed and well tended. They were very helpful through a difficult time. read more

In February I had just started researching home caregiver agencies to help with my wife when a 2pm Saturday night emergency call to fireman lift assist forced me to contact the top agencies on my list the next, Sunday morning. Todd responded immediately and a caregiver was at our house that day. I feel very lucky that they were the first to react. They have been indispensable in helping us through a tough six months. As my wife's needs have changed, I have put new and difficult demands on Jackie to adjust the schedule. She has always cheerfully met my needs. What I like about Home Instead is its flexibility, reactivity, and the quality of the caregivers assigned us. They often have other options for employers but say they prefer working through Home Instead, which I think is an important factor in the high quality of its caregivers. read more

My experience with Home Instead has been nothing but amazing. From the owners, administrative staff and caregivers, they have been the most helpful, thoughtful, caring people. When I needed someone on short notice, they were always able to send a caregiver who was compatible with my husband's needs. When my husband eventually needed 24 hour care, I was a little apprehensive about having a stranger in my house overnight. That stranger soon became part of our household and took such good care of my husband and me. I would recommend Home Instead to anyone who asks. Thank you so much. read more

In early October, my wife went into home hospice care. I knew nothing about this kind of care and it was truly a gift from above. However, it was obvious that we needed additional help in our home, especially during the night when we all needed rest but found it almost impossible while caring for my wife. We found Home Instead by asking various medical caregivers. We called and they came to the house immediately. They gave us detailed information on how they could help and what it would cost. The staff who helped us were all wonderful, caring people who rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They looked carefully at what needed to be done and simply took care of it and then some. I heartedly recommend these nice people to assist you in the care of your loved one. read more

Home Instead has been providing 24/7 care for a memory and mobility-challenged woman who has a strong desire to remain in her own home. The care givers they have assigned to her have been, without exception, sensitive and supportive of the client. When different challenges have arisen, Home Instead has stepped up to respond efficiently to changing circumstances. The care givers in the field and the administrative staff in the office have both been a pleasure to work with. read more

We recently hired a 24/7 live in caregiver from the Home Instead agency in Novato. Before the caregiver arrived he was interviewed and shown around our home. He was told he would be sleeping in the same room with the client. When he arrived for the job he informed me that he was not accustomed to sleeping in the same room with the client and was concerned that he would be required to do so. On the morning after the first night he complained that the client had kept him awake all night snoring and tossing and turning in his sleep. The client usually sleeps well at night .. perhaps waking once or twice to be helped to the toilet ... and rarely snores. I suggested that the client was possibly kept awake because he sensed the caregivers anxiety. The next night the caregiver was able to get his "5 hours of sleep" and more. I do believe the fault for the first night lies partly with Home Instead for sending this person in the first place because they knew he had not previously slept in the same room with a client. However I was billed time and a half for the 12am-8am "live-in awake" shift for a total of $312 (that's $39/hour). That's in addition to the regular live in fee which averages out to $16.62/hour. I realize the "live in awake rule" is part of the new law that live-in caregivers should have at least 5 hrs minimum of continuous sleep during the 24 hour period. And I agree that they should get adequate sleep. But we have had live in caregivers for 8 months now and this has never been a problem. I am disappointed that Home Instead did not attempt to resolve this issue in a more conciliatory manner. They should have been willing to take partial blame for sending me the wrong person for this job. I also think the California Legislature should take a good look at this new law. A payment of $55.62/hour for one 8 hour "restless/sleepless night" is unsustainable for those of us who are attempting to care for our loved ones at home. read more

It is with the greatest enthusiasm that I recommend Home Instead. My husband was diagnosed last year with terminal cancer so I interviewed several in-home care services. From the initial phone contact to his final days, Home Instead went above and beyond. Their great yelp reviews, background checks, professional quality caregivers (many of whom were nurses), reliability and flexibility are outstanding. The staff coordinator, Jackie, adjusted quickly to our ever-changing needs, schedule and even matched personality types to my husband's. Each caregiver was attentive, on-time, knowledgeable, sensitive and not only cared about him as a person, fit into our family. Trips to the beach, shopping, movies, massages, housekeeping and fun meals all contributed greatly to his quality of life. As my husband declined, Home Instead easily switched to the much greater caregiving demands required. We are so very grateful to Home Instead! read more

Home Instead Senior Care is a well-run facility. This a "hands-on" operation in which the family watches everything to assure that their clients receive flawless care. Their employees appear to be well-trained, and of importance, in my experience, are treated well by, and happy to be working for, the company. Home Instead has provided us with a number of different aides and every one of them was excellent. Administrative personnel are also exemplary with positive and caring attitudes. It has been a pleasure dealing with these people. read more

I first started working with Home Instead four years ago when my mother was 88. She passed away a few days ago, and Home Instead has been an invaluable part of her life throughout these last four years. Most of that time, she had a caregiver one day a week, and since I don't live very close, I was comforted knowing a caregiver was helping her and acting as my eyes and ears. Then, following a recent cancer diagnosis, we started 24-hour full-time care at home. I was also living at her home during those weeks, so I got to see firsthand the extraordinary attention she received from each of the caregivers from Home Instead, right up until the moment she passed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each of the caregivers, and to Catherine and Todd Vaughan, and to the entire Home Instead team. read more

I've been a client of Todd and Catherine's since 2012 and they are spot-on. At various times, I've required transportation and in-home assistance, and my experiences have been 5-star every time. As an example, an early release from the hospital, following a procedure, made it necessary to change my pick-up time by two hours. Approximately 20 minutes after my phone call, Todd rolled up to the patient discharge door. He explained he had no drivers immediately available and didn't want to hang me up. If all the folks with whom I do business went above and beyond like these folks, my life would be a whole lot easier. They're that good. read more

Outstanding! We needed an in-home care giver for my mother with one day's notice. Catherine and her awesome team were ready with absolutely flawless service. Catherine listened carefully to my mother's needs and fufilled them all, no small feat! Every care giver has been kind, caring and absolutely professional. I am so grateful to have found such an excellent orgainization, I can't recommend Home Instead highly enough. read more

I was in need of some 24/7 post-operative care, and called to find out if they would refer me (since this was not senior care specific). To my delight not only did Home Instead/Novato provide this service, I was sent a true angel of a care-giver. My three day's turned into almost 8 days of care, and I cannot begin to express my appreciation for the quality of care, and for the fact that both the owners pitched in on my behalf as well! I was fully supported during my recovery and had some in home half-day assistance for the next two week from the same care giver. Quality and caring seem to be their hallmarks and I would HIGHLY recommend them for senior care, post-op care an the knowledge that the owners take a personal interest in every client! Wonderful experience - I am now 4 weeks post-op and fully back into my life and so appreciative of the care I was given! read more

I can't say enough about what a wonderful agency this is. The owners and their staff truly go above and beyond for their clients. Our family situation was complicated, with my father developing several physical difficulties and his wife, my step-mother, developing Alzheimer's Disease. Home Instead has been with us every step of the way, from a few hours of companioniship for my step-mom early on, to stepping up gradually to 24 hour live-in care when my father deteriorated, to coordinating with hospice care at the end of my dad's life. The caregivers are professional, kind, and responsible, and often knew what our parents needed before they did. They worked with us around challenging schedule and needs changes, and helped us through several medical emergencies. I recommend this agency to anyone who asks. read more

These people provided wonderful support for our parents. Both our parents became terminally ill at nearly the same time. Their daily care put a terrible stress on us. Our parents wanted to remain in their home. Home Instead helped us and taught us how to care for them. I was impressed how the people at Home Instead cared for our parents and us ! They were always available, even on short notice as our situation changed. read more

Two weeks ago I had Hip Replacement surgery and needed someone to help watch over my recovery. Home Instead provided a woman named Marsha as my helper for five days. Initially I didn't think i would need the care, but my family could only cover me for certain times, so I am very happy they had this service available for me. As it turns out, I had a reaction to some of the drugs given and was really quite needy for this time period and I'm so grateful for the help. What a wonderful service. read more

My family has been using Home Instead since 2015. I've found them to be very responsive, even when we had a couple of short notice crises. Todd and Catherine Vaughn are good at what they do, and their staff are caring, concerned and empathetic. The caregivers were reliable and unfailingly kind to my parents. read more

I was so impressed with Home Instead when we needed help for our 94 year old mom following a hospital stay. Catherine and Todd Vaughn run the most caring and attentive organization and I often felt they treated my mom as if she were their only client .... when of course she wasn't! The personal attention they give every detail is amazing and the caregivers are fantastic. We were so happy to find Home Instead. read more

I was in fairly urgent need of an immediate caregiver for my father, and Home Instead provided simply everything I needed in this stressful and emotional situation. The owners and staff immediately jumped in not only to find good, caring caregivers, but also to attend to all manner of things associated with the transition to full-time care and making sure the house was house safe, prepared, and secure for him. The owners even came to the house to help move furniture for a hospital bed, ran errands for us as we were getting everything in place, coordinated with hospice, gave me a ride to the Airporter when I needed a lift, and kept in frequent contact with me so that I always knew what was going on. All of this was a part of their overall, professional approach to care. The caregivers were kind, supportive, and caring. I'm truly grateful to Home Instead, would use them again for other family members, and highly recommend them. read more