Over the course of two days, a caregiver assigned to my home ignored clear instructions,…read moredisrespected my property, violated my privacy, and behaved in ways that made me feel unsafe and unable to trust her in my home.
I used Comfort Keepers, 1400 Lake Cook Rd., Suite 110, Buffalo Grove, and had a very troubling experience with the caregiver assigned to me.
I personally showed her all designated trash disposal locations in my building, including a secured trash room on my floor and outdoor dumpsters. Despite this, she removed my household garbage from the property and transported it to her vehicle and later admitted she took it to her home without my permission. This was a serious breach of trust, privacy, and safety, and raised concerns about identity theft.
I intentionally folded back a large living room rug so it would not be walked on and clearly explained this to her so it would remain clean. Despite this, she walked across the rug with her shoes on (2X), sat on the other side of the room with her shoes on the rug, and only asked whether this was acceptable after already doing so.
Because it was snowy and wet outside, I provided an entry rug for footwear. Upon entering, she removed her boots and placed them directly on the floor near the entrance, leaving visible water. She then moved the wet boots into the closet behind the front door, leaving water inside the closet area. This created a slip hazard and introduced moisture that could lead to mold or mildew.
While preparing to leave, and while I was present and observing, she dropped hangers onto the closet floor while removing her coat. She acknowledged that she dropped them after noticing I saw them fall but did not pick them up and instead left them on the floor as she exited, creating a walking hazard.
Prior to showering, I prepared mop water using a strong lemon-scented cleaning solution and instructed her to vacuum and mop only. While I was in the shower, I heard drawers opening and closing. Her assigned tasks were strictly limited to vacuuming and mopping, and there was no reason for her to open my drawers.
After cleaning, there was no lemon scent present on the floors, despite the strong odor of the solution I prepared. Refrigerator cleaning was incomplete, as items were not removed and visible food residue remained. During paid work hours, she spent extended periods on multiple personal phone calls and left me to handle laundry tasks myself.
She also provided false personal information, stating she was 63 years old when her government-issued identification showed she was 69. After I introduced her to a building staff member to inform him she would be present, she spoke to him in Russian. The staff member later informed me that she made negative statements about me and said the name she gave me was not her real name.
These inconsistencies raised serious concerns about honesty, transparency, safety, and proper vetting.
When I reported these incidents to Comfort Keepers, my concerns were dismissed rather than addressed. I spoke calmly with the Owner of Comfort Keepers, who repeatedly interrupted me, emphasized agency vetting procedures, and did not allow me to fully explain even one incident. Despite my stating that there were many issues, she continued talking over me, defending the caregiver's years of service, and ultimately said she had other matters to attend to and needed to end the call.
I informed her that since she did not have time to listen or address the facts, I was canceling services with both the caregiver and the agency and did not want further contact. Despite this, the owner continued contacting me multiple times afterward, including leaving a message stating she now had time to talk. I did not respond.
Regardless of any vetting the agency claims to have conducted, it does not change what occurred in my home or excuse the refusal to listen to documented concerns.
These events represent serious failures related to safety, privacy, professionalism, honesty, and agency oversight. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend Comfort Keepers.