This article is a review of Home Instead Senior Care. The company provides at home caregivers to needy seniors or others in need of help. Their chief goal of the company is to provide help so that the senior citizen can stay at home and be as independent as possible. If you are looking for care options for your senior, then I think you will find this review helpful.
Introduction
Home Instead Senior Care is a US based franchise. They do have franchises around the world, according to their website. They state they have over 1,110 franchises in 13 countries. See this link for a map of the countries they currently serve. These locations are current businesses that provide at home care. But those countries are also where a franchise could be owned.
Having taken care of my Mom while she was on Hospice, I wish I had known about this company. We were fortunate enough to find a lovely woman who became like family to us, but that is not always the case. Home Instead should be an option for you to consider.
There are horror stories of families hiring someone who abuses or steals from the senior citizen. Having an agency behind your decision should help you avoid that scenario.
| Pros | Cons |
| Helps the senior to stay home | Not available in all countries |
| Affordable | Unable to determine actual cost |
| Adaptable to individual circumstances | Some negative reviews from former employees |
Why Do You Need Home Instead?
I imagine every single day that a family must make some tough decisions regarding the care of a senior in their family. If you are that family, I hope you have support from each other and are in touch with the primary care physician for their input. A geriatric care nurse is also invaluable, if you have that option.
If you are in this challenging situation, many criteria must be evaluated. Some questions to ask are:
- Does the person want to be home?
- How much help does the person need?
- What kind of help do they need?
- Is the home a safe place to be?
- Are their cognitive issues involved that require special care?
You can add to the list. Home Instead claims they can help you evaluate the needs and recommend how they can help you. Recognize that the situation may change along the way. Home Instead should be able to work with you if this happens.
Because this is such a difficult time, you want an agency that truly understands your situation. The people at Home Instead claim to do just that.
Their motto is: To us, it’s personal.
Here’s a video of a news report promoting Home Instead.
How Do I Pay for This Service? What Does It Cost?
First off, from my research I found a sample post on their website that gave a quote for $98.00 for 3 hours of service. Keep in mind the cost will vary by location, so you must call your local agency. Comparatively speaking, Home Instead is a great cost effective option to taking care of your senior citizen. See this link to review the information and comparison.
Medicare will probably not cover this expense, based on these guidelines I found from the Medicare website. They list who is eligible for a caregiver paid by Medicare. The guidelines are:
- You must be under the care of a doctor, and you must be getting services under a plan of care created and reviewed regularly by a doctor.
- You must need, and a doctor must certify that you need skilled nursing care.
- You must be homebound, and a doctor must certify that you’re homebound.
I would recommend that when you contact Home Instead and ask them if they are Medicare certified. Apparently some organizations are. If you want to check out the Medicare site for further information about Medicare payments, here is the link.
Who Would Use This Service?
Most studies show that the elderly want to age in place, which is a fancy way of saying they want to stay in their own homes. I read one study that reported that up to 93% want to stay home.
However, if you are a senior that needs help with household chores, with dressing, or whatever challenges you, then Home Instead seems like a good fit. They advertise that their employees are compassionate and caring. If the match is a good one, then the two could even become friends!
They also have trained personnel that can help with people who have dementia, and other cognitive issues. They are trained to help in circumstances like seniors with Parkinson’s or arthritis. Whatever the unique situation, Home Instead seems prepared to rise to the challenge.
The service is for seniors that need help but want to stay home. In this time of COVID-19, staying home can help us to stay well. It can mean we stay safe also. Having a person that is approved by Home Instead and practices hygienic measures provides the senior with companionship, assistance and safety.
What I Like About Home Instead
- Driven by compassion and caring
- Adaptable to individual circumstances
- Affordable
- They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (May be specific to just one location, so you should check out your location. Click here to go to BBB.)
- Free in home assessments to evaluate care needs
What I Don’t Like About Home Instead
- Not available in all countries
- Was unable to determine exact cost unless I contacted an office (Which I was unwilling to do as I wasn’t a potential customer.)
- Some bad reviews on Indeed from former employees (See this link for some information.) and some unhappy customers on the Consumer Affairs website.
How To Contact Home Instead
This is the link to take you to their website. Or you can call them at 888-331-1023 to find the nearest office to your location.
I do not receive any referral fee if you should contact them. It is my goal to provide you with some helpful information as you navigate the emotional situation life has presented you with.
Conclusions
What do you think about this information? Do you have a question? Was the information helpful to you? Have you used this service? If so, please comment about your experience. Your information may be very helpful to someone else. You can also comment about this article itself, as I am always seeking to improve on the information I provide.
I am not a doctor or a health care professional. I am a senior myself, and find it is vital to stay informed about topics that affect me. I wrote this review in hopes it helps seniors and their loved ones make some important decisions. I do not necessarily endorse this company; I merely hope I have helped you make a decision for your loved one.
If you determine that your senior can not stay home, I reviewed a wonderful agency called the Green House Project. Check out Best Care Nursing Home.
Home Instead Senior Care
Price varies; contact local office
Pros
- Driven by Compassion and Caring
- A+ BBB Rating
Cons
- Not Available in all Countries
- Unable to Determine Exact Cost
14 Responses
Hi, Barbara,
This sounds like a great option for all those interested in staying home instead of moving to a nursing home. In my culture, nursing homes are not that common, so we either care for seniors ourselves or hire someone to do it at home.
I think they should be more specific in their pricing, but I understand they want people to call them and then present them with a sales pitch. Many businesses do that.
Knowing they have a good rating with the BBB gives me peace of mind, although I would also check references from previous clients and employees.
Do you know if they have weekly/monthly rates or just hourly? I imagine they must have different plans to cater to their clients.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for your comments Enrique. It sounds like your culture is more dedicated to their elderly than the current American culture. Although both my kids have told me I could live with them when the time comes, I do want to be as independent as possible for as long as possible. I don’t want them to get tired of me!
I don’t know about other rates. I couldn’t find pricing posted except for that link I provided. But thanks for asking.
Barbara
My Mom was at Home for quite a while, she had a helper that came in 3x a week to help with dishes, washing clothes, giving mom a bath. Mom was mobile but had a walker and an oxygen apparatus.
Unfortunately, she was living on social security and living in a low-rent housing unit for elders. It was sad, to say the least. She barely had enough money to pay bills, medicine, and eat.
She got pneumonia and ended up in a nursing home because she didn’t have the strength anymore to walk on her own. But that is all history now.
One of the big reasons I’m doing this as a side business is because I want options well before I have to stop working. I don’t want to live like my parents did in retirement.
I’m glad you are helping other elderly people, that is very kind of you, thanks!
Thank you so much for your encouragement. I have had concerns for our older generation because of situations like your mom’s. And yes, I am motivated as well to have enough money to not be a burden to my children. That’s why I think Wealthy Affiliate is such a great option. I am assuming that is what you were referring to when you said you were doing this as a side business.
Best to you!
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for the great and detailed reviews about Home Instead. It’s interesting that you mentioned that over 90% of seniors prefer to aged gracefully or rather spend their end of time at home.
Since this company charges $98 per 3 hours, sounds to me like those providing temporary relieved to family who are taking care of seniors, making the company an In-Home Respite care.
Do the company provide services to clients with higher level of medical care or developmental disabilities?
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comment and question. It makes sense to me that people want to stay home. That is where they are comfortable and it is what they know. I think that they could be qualified as respite care but they are also in it for the long term. It really depends on the needs of the family. As far as higher medical care needs, I think that they would provide that; but it would probably be more expensive. However, I didn’t see anything about developmental disabilities on any of their information, so they may not provide that. Again, contacting the local office should answer those questions. Thanks,
Barbara
Thanks for this wonderful article. I was blessed to work some excellent homecare providers when providing support for a family member. They were wonderful people who were there for her until she passed. I appreciate your information very much, It is very helpful in educating others on this important subject.
Thank you for your supportive comments. I agree that we need to be more informed about supporting our elderly population. And we as seniors need to be informed as well! I hope that I help both of those audiences. I am glad you had a good experience with your home care providers. I hope that others will have that same experience from Home Instead and that their loved one will have some happy final years. Barbara
This is the first time I have heard of this program. From the amount of location they have they are doing well in proving good care despite some negative reports and the price that varies.
I understand what you mean about just hearing about this. I think it is important to get the word out about Home Instead, because it seems like a great option for families in need. Thank you for your comment. Barbara
Very insightful information that can be invaluable for all those potentially going to use this service. I have done some domicilliary care in my past work experience and agree a lot of elderly people want to remain in their homes, however, they need assistance and compassion. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for this comment. Your comment has lots of value because you have worked in that field. I hope all our elderly loved ones are treated with compassion. Barbara
Hi Barbara, This is a very informative post thank you, as a boomer myself I dread the thought of having to be placed in a nursing home, I have previously worked in hospice care, so I know that there are people would like to be in their familiar surroundings during this time of life,
It is good to know that this type of service is available for those of us who are capable of living on our own but just need a little help, I have posted this on my social media account.
Thank you so much for this great comment. Your comment is especially valuable since you are a boomer and have worked in this field. Thank you also for posting to your social media. Let’s get the word out about Home Instead!
Barbara