Wednesday, January 15th
2025 Senior Care Service Reviews
BrightStar Care
- Can provide both non-medical and skilled nursing senior care
- 365 office locations in 39 states
- Joint Commission accreditation for many locations
- Personalized care plan supervised by an RN, even for non-medical care
- Full client oversight and comprehensive case management
- All caregivers undergo in-depth interviews, background checks, drug screening, and licensing/certificate verification
- "A+” rated by the BBB
- In business for 20+ years
BrightStar Care offers in-home and in-facility help for people of all ages, and especially for seniors. In business for over 20 years, the company offers four kinds of help: home care, senior living communities, care homes, and medical staffing. There are approximately 365 franchised BrightStar offices in 39 states across the US.
See feedback specific to your location
One thing we really appreciate when searching for senior care on the BrightStar site is being able to go to a specific franchise's website, see the services offered, and best of all, read the client reviews for that office alone. With many franchised senior care companies, it can be tedious to try and sort out which reviews (if any) apply to a given location, but BrightStar makes that easy. Just be aware that it will depend on where you're looking for care: for example, when we looked at a second location in another state, we were only given a contact form and phone number, with not much detail about the senior care offered at that office or customer reviews.
Extensive caregiver screening
Another aspect of senior care at BrightStar that is noteworthy is their in-depth screening of caregivers. All applicants have to undergo detailed interviews, background checks and drug screenings, and verification of all licensing/certificates. That's one reason why the Joint Commission has accredited many individual BrightStar franchises: another great sign that this is a senior care provider you can trust.
All care designed and supervised by an RN
We're really impressed by the fact that every personal care plan implemented by BrightStar caregivers is developed and supervised by an RN - even if your loved one is only receiving non-medical assistance. Both types of care are available through BrightStar, and we think it shows an admirable commitment to clients to have all of it carefully planned and monitored by someone with medical expertise.
Plenty of praise from clients
It shouldn't be a surprise that BrightStar Care's overall reputation is excellent, given how much effort the company has put into what it offers. The Better Business Bureau gives BrightStar a perfect "A+” grade, and across multiple franchise locations, the ratings from clients are equally high. People say that their BrightStar caregivers were kind, attentive, and helpful, even when they needed to increase the care to round-the-clock service. Caregiver feedback for BrightStar isn't always as enthusiastic, but still averages about 3.5 out of 5 stars across 4000+ ratings. The most common complaints? Low pay and difficult clients.
Fantastic choice if it's available in your area
The only thing keeping BrightStar from being at the top of our list is availability: with franchises in only 39 states (and no list that we could find to say which states aren't included), there's still a good chance that their senior care wouldn't be an option for many people looking for it. Other than that, we really love everything that BrightStar stands for, and we encourage you to see if there's an office near you.
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Where Can You Find the Best Resources for Senior Care?
Let's face it: as our loved ones get older (or as we do!), it can be hard finding the right resources for care. Most people resist the idea of going to an independent or assisted living facility, preferring instead to "age in place”. In fact, that's what two-thirds of Americans surveyed have said they plan to do, year after year.
There can be some challenges to making that happen. We all know that as we age, physical decline is to be expected: our balance falters, our memory gets a little fuzzy, and we may need to use the bathroom more often. Also, older people often struggle with daily tasks, like cooking and doing laundry, and they need someone to lend a hand from time to time.
Senior Care Service FAQ
Continued from above...
Plus, when friends and family aren't available, it can make it harder for everyone to feel comfortable with an at-home arrangement. Fortunately, senior care services can fill that gap, for everything from simple companionship a few times a week to more in-depth services like bathing and transferring from bed to chair and back again.
Having a care provider you can rely on is invaluable, whether you're the one receiving the help or the one getting the updates that yes, your beloved family member really is doing fine from day to day. But, we're all too familiar with some of the horror stories in the news - about senior citizens being taken advantage of (or worse) by those who were supposed to be there to help. It can make choosing a senior care service pretty nerve-wracking.
However, there are some amazing services out there with fantastic reputations. How do you sort out the good ones from the bad? Here are some criteria that can guide your decision-making:
- Care provider screening process. What is done to evaluate the people they hire? Background checks should be the bare minimum.
- Reputation. Look at what other clients have said about the senior care service and the individual carers (when available). Does the service have a good track record? See if the company has been rated by the Better Business Bureau, if it has industry accreditations, and above all, if previous and current clients have positive things to say about their experience.
- Availability in your area. The best senior care platform in the world isn't much use if they don't have carers near you. Double-check that their services are offered in your area before you get too involved in the process. Once you've determined that it's available, be sure to ask how long you can expect it to take to be matched with a caregiver: in some areas, it can happen quickly, but in others it may take a month or more.
- Rates and contracts. It's fairly common for a senior care service to have a minimum number of weekly hours, and pricing tends to start around $15-$20 per hour. Find out if your contract can be canceled or modified whenever you want.
- Multiple caregivers. Ask if the service will pair you with the same caregiver from visit to visit or if you would possibly be working with multiple individuals. If the senior requiring care is sensitive to change, it might be a deal-breaker if you could possibly see a new face every time.
While it can feel a little sad or scary to look for senior care, it's well worth the time to get the help that allows you or your loved one to keep living life to the fullest. The experts at here at Top Consumer Reviews have done a deep dive into some of today's most popular services, so that you can connect with a reliable service and compassionate caregivers as soon as possible.
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