Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

Comfort Keepers Review

Tuesday, March 19th

2024 Senior Care Service Reviews

Comfort Keepers Review 3.5 Star Rating

Comfort Keepers

3.5 Star Rating
  • Provides non-medical care such as hygiene, bathing, and grooming; transfers and mobility assistance; incontinence care and toileting; feeding and meal preparation; light housekeeping and laundry; and more
  • Private duty nurses available in some locations
  • Available in 45 states
  • All caregivers undergo DMV record/national/local criminal background checks, personal and professional reference checks
  • All caregivers are bonded and insured
  • Can do a virtual or in-home assessment to determine needs

Comfort Keepers was founded in 1998 by a home health aide who wanted to offer more than just medical care to seniors and others in an in-home setting. The company has expanded so much that it became a Halifax brand, with 700 independently-owned and operated franchises in 12 countries. You can trust that any caregiver you work with through Comfort Keepers has had extensive background checks (including local/national criminal and DMV records), their personal and professional references have been contacted, and they are bonded and insured.

Locations in 45 states

We recommend that you start by pulling up the Comfort Keepers locations that serve your area. This senior care provider operates in all but five states, so chances are good that you'll have a franchise near you. Make sure to click over to the website specific to the Comfort Keepers branch serving your location: it makes it much easier to find out more.

Virtual and in-home assessments at no charge

One way that Comfort Keepers stands out is by offering both virtual and in-home assessments. It can be challenging to determine exactly what help is needed, so why not benefit from a professional's experience? The virtual aspect is particularly useful: maybe your elderly loved one would feel uncomfortable having someone come over at first, and so it would be an easier transition if the assessment is done remotely to get started.

Offers the typical senior care services

When Comfort Keepers provides non-medical care, there are many ways that they can support your loved ones. Some of the services your caregiver can offer include:

  • Companion care: planning and preparing meals, transportation to and from appointments, errands, medication reminders, and light housework
  • Personal care: hygiene, bathing, grooming, transfer, mobility assistance, incontinence care and toileting, feeding
  • Alzheimer's disease and dementia care: activities that stimulate memory and cognitive function

These services are available both in-home and in-facility, as a long-term arrangement or for respite. Comfort Keepers' caregivers can also be hired for 24-hour care, post-hospital help, or end-of-life care.

Best Senior Care Services

Private duty nurses available at some locations

Also, if you do need medical care, some Comfort Keepers locations offer private duty nurses. You would need to ask your local franchise to discuss your care needs and find out if that level of service is available.

Has won some awards

What about reputation? That's where things get a little more mixed. We took a long look at feedback from both caregivers and clients, and it wasn't consistently good or bad. True, anytime you're dealing with a company that has independently-operated franchises, a lot will depend on the location itself: the people who run the office, the caregivers they hire, how many carers are available compared with the demand locally, and so on. It's encouraging to see that Comfort Keepers rated higher in customer service than any other senior care provider for two straight years, according to a survey done by Newsweek. And yes, there are some clients and caregivers who have nothing but good things to say about their experience with Comfort Keepers.

Caregivers and clients aren't always happy here

On the other hand, we also found a lot of complaints. In some areas, caregivers report that their office is managed badly, that they're being asked to work on their days off because the demand is so high, and that they're only being given 25-cent raises once in a while. That's not a way to keep good people, in our experience. We also found clients ranting (and rightly so) about caregivers who never showed up, leaving their loved ones without food or medication - for hours or for days. There doesn't seem to be a standardized accountability method implemented by Comfort Keepers: no online check-in to report a visit, no requirement to turn in care notes after every appointment, and so on.

Good but not the best

Unfortunately, no senior care service is immune to the problems we found with Comfort Keepers, and the company's affiliation with Halifax is an indicator that you can probably get help if something isn't going the way you expected. In other words, there's a corporate headquarters and oversight of some fashion. And, Comfort Keepers' background and reference checks are a little more extensive than some of the services we evaluated, which is another plus. Still, we encourage you to look at the higher-rated senior care options on our list first, and then circle back to Comfort Keepers if you don't find what you need elsewhere.

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.

The Best Senior Care Services Compare Senior Care Services Compare Senior Care Service Reviews What are the best Senior Care Services Best Senior Care Service Reviews

Senior Care Service FAQ

As people age, it becomes more difficult to do tasks like housework, driving, cooking, getting up and down stairs, or following a medication regimen. Senior care is when a team or individual assists with fulfilling the needs of an elderly person. They help keep them safe and able to continue living a fulfilling life.
Someone is normally considered a senior by the time they reach the age of 65. This is mostly because 65 is when many people retire and when government benefits kick in. Most people don't consider themselves or loved ones a senior until they are at least 70 years of age or older.
Senior care can include anything that will benefit the individual needing assistance. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis, but might involve doing laundry, running errands, home organization, housekeeping, transportation, and more. Almost anything that will help the elderly live a productive life can be performed through senior care.
If you or a loved one are suffering from an inability to take care of yourself and your home like you used to, it's time to get help. It is a wonderful thing for family and friends to step in and do what they can, but over time this can become burdensome and may not always be reliable. Hiring a senior care service ensures that help is always readily available when needed without having to rely on other loved ones all the time.
Every person's needs are different, so you will be the one who decides how often a caregiver is needed. Sometimes they might visit a couple times a week to take care of grocery shopping or other essential duties around the house. Other times you need round-the-clock assistance and would hire a live-in caregiver to be there 24/7. There are many professionals with a range of flexibility who are available when you need them.
Most of the time, senior caregivers are over the age of 21. Depending on the agency you go with, the requirements they set for their candidates may differ slightly. You are able to set your own criteria for a caregiver and find someone who matches that. Some examples of qualifications include being CNA certified, first-aid certified, passing a company's senior care course, a nursing degree, experience working in a healthcare facility, and others. There is no such thing as a senior care license, so you'll find that the backgrounds and qualifications of candidates vary from person to person.
When hiring a caregiver, you will usually be able to choose from a range of professionals with different backgrounds. For experienced caregivers who will be performing regular duties, the cost will be higher than a new CNA looking to get started in their career field. Most senior caregivers come with their own hourly rate, which will play a part in deciding who you choose to hire. It's not uncommon to see hourly rates between $10 and $30.
Senior care companies make it easy to narrow down the list of available caregivers in your area. Using their online website, you'll be able to choose how soon you need to find a caregiver, your desired qualifications, the hours you need assistance, where you live, what you're willing to pay, and other important factors that will help filter through the pool of candidates. From there you can read bios of different caregivers and get a feel for who would be a good fit for you or your loved one. Some companies let you meet the caregiver or give them a trial run before hiring them on.
Compare the Best Reviews

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.

Compare Senior Care Services

Select any 2 Senior Care Services to compare them head to head

best-senior-care-services
  • Right at Home
  • Visiting Angels
  • Home Instead
  • BrightStar Care
  • Home Helpers
  • Comfort Keepers
  • Always Best Care
  • Great AuPair
  • Synergy Home Care
  • Care
  • Sitter City
Right at Home vs Visiting Angels Right at Home vs Home Instead Right at Home vs BrightStar Care Right at Home vs Home Helpers Right at Home vs Comfort Keepers Right at Home vs Always Best Care Right at Home vs Great AuPair Right at Home vs Synergy Home Care Right at Home vs Care Right at Home vs Sitter City Visiting Angels vs Home Instead Visiting Angels vs BrightStar Care Visiting Angels vs Home Helpers Visiting Angels vs Comfort Keepers Visiting Angels vs Always Best Care Visiting Angels vs Great AuPair Visiting Angels vs Synergy Home Care Visiting Angels vs Care Visiting Angels vs Sitter City Home Instead vs BrightStar Care Home Instead vs Home Helpers Home Instead vs Comfort Keepers Home Instead vs Always Best Care Home Instead vs Great AuPair Home Instead vs Synergy Home Care Home Instead vs Care Home Instead vs Sitter City BrightStar Care vs Home Helpers BrightStar Care vs Comfort Keepers BrightStar Care vs Always Best Care BrightStar Care vs Great AuPair BrightStar Care vs Synergy Home Care BrightStar Care vs Care BrightStar Care vs Sitter City Home Helpers vs Comfort Keepers Home Helpers vs Always Best Care Home Helpers vs Great AuPair Home Helpers vs Synergy Home Care Home Helpers vs Care Home Helpers vs Sitter City Comfort Keepers vs Always Best Care Comfort Keepers vs Great AuPair Comfort Keepers vs Synergy Home Care Comfort Keepers vs Care Comfort Keepers vs Sitter City Always Best Care vs Great AuPair Always Best Care vs Synergy Home Care Always Best Care vs Care Always Best Care vs Sitter City Great AuPair vs Synergy Home Care Great AuPair vs Care Great AuPair vs Sitter City Synergy Home Care vs Care Synergy Home Care vs Sitter City Care vs Sitter City
Compare the Best Senior Care Services
- VS -
Review the Best Senior Care Services
The Best Reviews of Senior Care Services