Not being familiar with this industry and needing home care for an elderly, ill relative, Senior…read moreAlternatives far exceeded any expectations. Not only were they totally responsive and flexible to our needs, the caregivers they sent out were professional, hard-working, and so compassionate. I can't say enough good things about the company and the people who work there. Home health care isn't cheap, but it is essential to ease the burden on family members. Senior Alternatives was very reasonable for the high quality of service they provided. My thanks to Anna, Veronica, the staff, and all the wonderful caregivers who helped my unlce during his last days.

Very responsive. All of the caregivers that have been sent to me have been really wonderful.read more

I occasionally receive an email from Yelp HQ telling me that a review has been removed for a…read morevariety of reasons. I deleted review involved the Hospital I was born in, for lack of personal experience! Another was an Italian review when a subsequent repost (including a light critique of the Yelp removal), landed me an email threatening not only my Elite Status, but my overall presence on the platform. Even my CM at the time agreed that the Yelp HQ reaction (of unknown identity) was little thin skinned. I just received notice this morning from Yelp HQ informing me that my previous review of Jewish & Community Services of the East Bay was removed as it wasn't clear that my review described a first hand experience. This review was an oldie from many years ago (maybe around 18 or Chai) which makes me wonder who flagged it and why. At some point, letting sleeping dogs lie regarding review QA might be a better way to go. A few points (now that Yelp HQ opened the door): 1. Maybe I got too clever (or nerdy) with a Star Trek analogy that was difficult for Yelp HQ to fully understand what I was trying to say. 2. My review very much had to do with personal experience. And since Yelp HQ didn't honor privacy considerations this time around (yes I know, on a public page), here's a few more details. It specifically, in involved marriage counselling (over multiple sessions at the Berkeley office) with my ex-wife (J). The 2 star review reflects my still held opinion that these sessions neither hurt or helped our marriage, and that at the time I wasn't all that impressed or comfortable with the services received. But maybe long-term, JFCS did me a favor. 3. I realize that writing reviews on marriage counselling can run hot and cold, depending on the outcome. However, that doesn't distract from certain painful recollections regarding therapy quality. 4. I since remarried up (with Gayle) and therapy isn't always the only choice towards a successful relationship. And we just celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. 5. See below for the original review. I still recommend Hot Yoga. _______________________________________________________ Gayle and I are big fans of "Being Erica" a Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) series about facing life's regrets facing those previous situations in "real" time. Things don't always turn out as one might expect, but lessons are learned and growth opportunities are offered. Erica's Therapist and Guide is Dr. Tom who at the beginning of the series presents her with a Business Card that says: Doctor Tom. The only therapy you'll ever need. Results Guaranteed. Ha! If only that were true in real life! My occasional experience with Therapy has been closer to a dialog that occurred between Captain Picard (me) and Q (a Therapist) in the "All Good Things" Episode of Star Trek - The Next Generation: Q/Therapist: The trial never ended, Captain. We never reached a verdict. But now we have. You're guilty. Eric/Capt. Picard: Guilty of what? Q/Therapist: Of being inferior. Seven years ago, I said we'd be watching you, and we have been - hoping that your ape-like race would demonstrate *some* growth, give *some* indication that your minds had room for expansion. But what have we seen instead? You, worrying about Commander Riker's career. Listening to Counselor Troi's pedantic psychobabble. Indulging Data in his witless exploration of humanity. Eric/Capt. Picard: We've journeyed to countless new worlds. We've contacted new species. We have expanded our understanding of the universe. Q/Therapist: In your own paltry, limited way. You have no *idea* how far you still have to go. But instead of using the last seven years to change and to grow, you have squandered them. My Therapy experience at or through Jewish Family Services has sometimes had some of these moments. Unfortunately, privacy considerations prevent me from saying much more. And those same privacy concerns can also be used by a wayward Therapist as a shield against any consequences of her actions. I'm just saying. My Learned Advice? - Try Bikram Yoga....

I don't know where to start. So we were contacted by Jewish family service few months ago to accept…read morean Afghan family case to resettle in California so we said yes and we starts receiving some paperwork where it outlined the tasks and responsibilities between us and Jewish family service. When I picked up the family from the Airport the contact person for the Jewish family services change and new face come to play where he keep saying I don't know and I don't know or it's out of my service area and we can't do anything, so we had to find them a house, job and do all the paperwork and still it's been almost 2 MONTHS they have not been able to pay the welcome money to the family, so I think they are a joke and this has to be reported to the Government to stop working with organizations like this even they are non profit. It seem they take as many case as they can and don't give a f... about it later. We are very frustrated with them.

Beacon Home Care seriously takes pride in caring for their clients and choosing the right…read morecaregivers that suited to the clients. The agency deserves high praise and continuous patronage. Its mission and motivation are highly recommended and appreciated.

Beacon is excellent! High quality!…read moreAll staff are approachable and reliable! Beacon caregivers are educated to their loveones or clients condition! Kudos to Beacon Home Care!

Elsie is a great house cleaner and she is very nice too! She has done some cleaning for me and I am…read morevery satisfied with her house cleaning skills. She is very affordable and gets back to me in a timely manner when I call or text. She is punctual and has a very patient and helpful manner which makes talking business a pleasant experience. You cannot go wrong using her service and I am glad to see her on Yelp!

From the owner: Caregiving for elderly. Taking clients to doctor appts, cooking, cleaning, companionship. House…read morecleaning, deep cleaning. I can mend, iron, garden and enjoy it. If you need reminding to take medicines, I'm very aware of how important medicines can be. I help touch up areas indoors that need painting or do some gardening. I am willing to help you with computers or IPads, a bit of experience. Happy to help with personal care. If house cleaning or organizing is what you need, I'll put to use every minute I'm working with you to the best use.

I would just like to give great appreciation to CSS, especially Nick who worked diligently to make…read moresure my mom got the best care possible! He was always easy to reach and quick to respond. There was never a time that I ever felt alone. The team he put together was magnificent, kind and caring! If you are looking for someone to oversee and care for your loved one, please don't hesitate these are the right people! Thank you again Nick for everything

Meredith Caplan and her team are amazing. After a bad accident, when I broke bones in two place,…read morethings were totally chaotic--ranging from intense pain to my husband being completely stressed. An hour after Meredith came, everything fell into place. The next day the first caregiver came, Meredith came with them, and she solved another problem. I've been a therapist, so-as sick as I was--I was still aware of f Meredith's impeccable ability to organize and make sense of, a complicated situation while still being human : ) Everybody who came was aware and compassionate and did the kind of second-guessing that people who are immobile rely on. I felt this when I was sick and now that I'm better my impression is stronger. I totally admire Meredith and Nick (the coordinator) and her team. I'd give them a hundred stars if I could.

Just graduated from this program and passed both written and skills state exam with no issues. The…read moreinstructors here really all want you to succeed, they give you study materials to study for the state exam and one of the teachers even made us flashcards to study from (which was very helpful for me when i was trying to refresh memory for skills). When taking my skills exam i got to speak with students from other programs and noticed they were very unprepared and some were unaware for the materials they are going to be tested on. Iam grateful to have taken this program. During the program we got presentations for job opportunities as well as scholarship programs. Highly recommend this CNA program to anyone that may be interested. Goodluck!!

This is the place to go if you want quality and state of the art health care courses like CNA, I…read moretook classes here and the experience was top notch, from the Director Veronica to the tutors miss Davies, Mr Vern, etc. they have a very nice lab room equipped with everything needed for skills training and the cleanliness of the facility everything just sits right for a healthcare school. Thanks Nightingale for all you do. 80% of the CNA,s I meet around the Alamda county have always said they passed through here and have positive recommendations of you guys.

My fathers caregiver Jeannie Taylor has been a blessing. We could not have gone through our…read morefather's passing without her.

My caregiver Carolina Figueroa is the best of all caregivers she brightens my morning every day and…read moreno task is too small or too big for her! Definitely a keeper!!!

I am an independent professional caregiver with a lot of experience watching local agencies provide…read morepersonal care, and I have the utmost respect for Senior Helpers. They are a company with a sincere mission of providing skilled, dependable care. A well-run company with both brains and heart. Both my own experience with them, and the experiences others have reported to me, have been outstanding. I highly recommend talking to owner Susan Grant at the El Cerrito Senior Helpers' office about your caregiving needs for yourself or a loved one. I do not hesitate to refer potential clients to them when my work schedule is full, and I love visiting their office in El Cerrito Plaza, because it is an oasis of calm and peace... full of friendly people who really want to engage and help you. I would encourage anyone thinking about getting into this field as a professional caregiver to talk to Susan about a career with Senior Helpers. They are a fair and equitable employer, and care as deeply about their employees as about their clients. There is no other agency I know of that I would make any of these claims about. Nor is there any other agency I would recommend working for. In my observation and based on my research, most are exploitative and poorly run. Save yourself time and energy and start with the best when you are looking for a caregiver, or for work in the field...call Senior Helpers in El Cerrito.

I am writing this review to document serious concerns regarding the care my family received from…read moreSenior Helpers while providing in-home assistance for my mother, who was terminally ill with glioblastoma brain cancer. It has taken me over a year to write this, as the experience was emotionally draining and deeply upsetting. Senior Helpers was originally recommended for light assistance, but my mother required hospice-level care. Management represented that caregivers assigned to our home would be trained for this level of care. Based on our experience, this was not consistently the case. Multiple caregivers demonstrated limited training in personal hygiene, patient mobility, medication handling, and overnight monitoring. I personally had to step in or assist on numerous occasions. Some caregivers stated their training consisted primarily of instructional videos. While several individuals were kind and well-intentioned, they did not appear adequately prepared for end-of-life care. There were several patient safety concerns, including: A medication administration error in which more than the intended dose was given, despite clear instructions that caregivers were not to administer medications at all. Improper assistance with patient mobility, even though appropriate equipment was available. Overnight shifts where required monitoring did not occur. Specific instructions regarding my mother's physical limitations being ignored, resulting in a fall (thankfully without serious injury). Caregivers sleeping or using personal phones for extended periods during scheduled shifts. Additionally, a member of management charged me cash during a home visit that I was later told was supposed to be free. When I raised this issue, it was denied despite the interaction being documented on in-home cameras. These incidents were documented and shared with management. Responses generally focused on staff replacement and billing rather than addressing broader concerns related to training, supervision, or systemic issues. Staffing reliability was also inconsistent. Some caregivers arrived late, some shifts went uncovered, and continuity of care was limited. A small number of caregivers were excellent, but they were the exception rather than the norm. When I raised concerns with management and ownership, communication was difficult and unprofessional, and many questions went unanswered. Contractual notice requirements limited our ability to immediately discontinue services despite ongoing safety concerns. We eventually transitioned to another care provider. After doing so, my mother's care stabilized, and the overall stress in our home decreased significantly. Based on our experience, I would urge extreme caution when considering Senior Helpers for hospice-level or complex medical care. Families in similar situations should carefully evaluate caregiver training, supervision practices, and escalation procedures--and read the contract closely. Update: 1/7/2026 In response to the owner's reply requesting that I reach out by phone, I did so today. I left a message stating that I was returning the owner's request for contact and noted that I preferred not to speak with the manager due to prior communication difficulties. Approximately 15 minutes later, I received a call from that same manager. She was polite, expressed surprise at my experience, and stated that she did not recall our prior interactions. I responded calmly and professionally. The call lasted approximately three minutes. The conversation was brief and respectful on both sides. Later this afternoon, I was contacted by my local police department and informed that a complaint had been made alleging that my call involved threatening language or profanity. Those allegations do not reflect my recollection of the call, which was professional in tone and made solely in response to the owner's public request for contact. I explained this context and was advised not to contact the company again. I agreed. Thankfully both conversations were recorded by my security cam with time & day stamps. The officer said I could file a false police report, but decided I just needed to more on... and so should you.

I went to Chapparal House after a back surgery and having Guillane Barre syndrome. I couldn't walk…read morewhen I got there. I strongly recommend this place. The nursing staff comes quickly when you call them. They are very attentive. The physical therapists worked very hard with me and after a month I left there walking on my own. The social services there are also very good. The kitchen serves a very varied menu and the food is tasty. There is some amazing artwork on the walls. And there are wonderful grounds and gardens. I heartily give Chapparal House five stars.

I'm living there now and mostly it's fine. Today I knew I was laying on something that gave me…read moreextreme pain . One aide tried to lift me off the folded blanket and it still hurt . He responded to my yelling . And he's a sweetie . That's all I have to say now .

Awesome, friendly staff, Noah is patient, communicates clearly, and is extremely knowledgable. Came…read moreaway from my appointment with actionable insights. Highly recommended!

Fantastic place! Josh and Amy were just great. I'm well on my way from extensive shoulder surgery…read morethanks to their help. Highly recommend.