home care aide

special needs advocate

caregiver

social services manager

case manager

First Choice In-Home Care

On boarding for this employer is fast and easy because they have a high turnover rate with their management staff as well as their caregiving staff.  Human resources here on absolute joke and do not look out for the best interests of their employees. They do not care anything about their caregivers. They put you in hostile work environment and expect for you to perform at your top best, when you try to do things and perform at your top best you are not recognized or appreciated for it.  There were several clients that I was working for through firsst choice and even those clients experienced negative attitudes and services coming from their management staff.  The clients would express to me that they are not feeling like their love ones needs are being heard or that they were being cared for by the management staff or the DSHS.  Often times I was told by the quiet that I should leave 1st choice and consider working privately for them. Of course I did not do so but it was a sign for me to listen. I took it upon myself several times to complain to the management staff about hostile work environment and unsafe work environments, I working with faulty assistive equipment  In client's homes that 1st choice knew about and did nothing to reinforce that  The clients families get these equipment in assistive devices maintenance to for the safety of the client as well as the safety of the caregiver. I was put under lifting restrictions because of a car accident in those lifting were subscriptions were not being acknowledge by the 1st choice human resources office even with doctors notification.  Become less management staff would still staff me with clients that needed hands on assistance. The time that I spent their consisted majority of me being bounced around throughout the East Side serving clients that were only temporary, not  long -term  Or they'd be cases that I had to leave because of hostile work environments. I served these clients and I served them to the best of my ability,  As if they were my own family. I have over 8 years of caregiving experience, and I take my career very seriously, and I was very proud of the working with clients that I have served in the past,  but coming here to 1st choice changed my perspective entirely of what  these caregiving agencies are about. I felt like 1st choice used me for everything that I can give them but when it came time for me to make a complaint about a client and their family had to make APS investigation complaint. First choice turn their back on me,  They notified the family that I was making several complaints which the violation of my confidentiality and my rights as a mandatory reporter. That client and it up retaliating against me by staging false allegations against me as a care provider. First choice was supposed to keep me protected as their  employee but instead they through me to the wolves and allowed that client to make false accusations against me. Now I'm fighting to keep my licensing because of false allegations and poor management decisions.  Now I'm currently going through court proceedings and having to prove that these allegations and accusations are false just because a family felt bitter that I was doing my job and reporting that their loved one was being abused and neglected. 1st choice turned their back on me stopped offering me clients instead of them terminating me they placed me on suspension without me even knowing I had to call them to find out that I was suspended and it was not even my immediate supervisor who notified me of being suspended it was someone who worked in the payroll department. This agency is absolutely disgusting and in all honesty they should be shut down. DSHS to just continue to open up investigation's about care givers who have stellar integrity and no priors is ridiculous.  Washington State really needs to work on this because it's  Becoming a serious issue people need care givers who are like myself who do this work because it's  Genuinely in their heart to care for others but instead DS each us approves of agencies with high turnover rates because it generates revenue for them it generates more funding from the state when they have caregivers to fill these positions in people's homes. They're hiring people with little to no experience and because of that people do not feel they need to be caring as possible. There is a very dark side to this industry and I don't want any parts of it. I'm sick of being retaliated against by clients when I make APS reports and I'm sick of agencies turning their back on employees when we are supposed to be protected.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The management team at this company is extremely organized and supportive. They helped me get into the classes I needed and provided the training necessary for me to become certified. From start to finish, they guided me through the entire process and made sure I had everything I needed to succeed in my job and complete my certification.
The communication from my supervisor and the entire staff was outstanding. Anytime I had questions about books, classes, parking, or anything else, they responded quickly and were always willing to help. Even while I was out in the field working with clients, the office staff was available to answer my questions and provide support whenever I needed it.
With their support, it was easy for me to get certified as a Home Care Aide (HCA). Thank you all for your guidance, support, and dedication. 


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working at the company is managing multiple responsibilities at once, especially while balancing training, classes, and client care. However, the support from management and staff helps make the challenges easier to handle.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment at the company is supportive, professional, and welcoming. Management and staff work together as a team to make sure employees feel comfortable, prepared, and supported. The culture encourages learning, communication, and growth, which creates a positive atmosphere for both new and experienced employees.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day at the company involves checking on clients, assisting them with their daily needs, and making sure they are comfortable and well cared for. I also communicate with the office regularly if I have questions or need support. Each day is busy but rewarding, and the staff is always available to help when needed.

Every day is fast paced, detail oriented, and emotionally demanding. First Choice is a great place for people to learn a lot about the home care aid social service industry and a variety of wrap around services.

I think that I struggled more than a number of coworkers during my year here though I definitely outlasted plenty of new hires. I wish that I had the opportunity to use more of my Flex Time, that was unclear. I felt that I worked hard daily but made little growth regarding my caseload staffing, it just gained and lost about the same amount of staffed hours at best. The tools to connect clients with caregivers are presented as simple and the failing to staff a client is often presented as a personal failing, as if you were not trained well enough or were not paying attention during training. Not meeting staffing quota results in retraining that reviews these simple tools. It failed to address the complexity of difficult to staff locations/clients and being overwhelmed with the current caseload issues. That said, I think I took this too personally. The reality is that if you are fired for performance issues, unemployment treats it as a failing on the part of the company for not providing enough resources. My first manager wasn't a good fit, but they transferred me to another team that I felt genuinely cared about me. All of my supervisors and team leads were great, hardworking, dedicated people. That said, I wish I wasn't the only male case manager during my time there. I felt relieved when I quit, but I do miss the clients I served and former team mates. If I could offer any critical feedback that I think still applies: it would benefit employee wellbeing if there were additional staff during the rotating weekend shift & the compensation for the week of being on call 24/7 should increase with the cost of living.

I recently quit after having an awful experience with first choice. After giving my 2 week's notice they took me off the schedule without my knowledge or permission to start giving trial shifts for potential replacement caregivers on days I was still supposed to be working. I found this out through my CLIENT. When I confronted them about it I was given no apology or understanding whatsoever. They tried to justify it by telling me "the reason we ask for a 2 weeks notice is so we can find a replacement". So basically my time and money doesn't matter at all as long as THEIR time and money is okay. I told them they would need to worry about replacements for ALL my clients now because this would be my last day and I'm not coming back after they pulled this stunt.
Don't work here. They don't care about their caregivers. They make it clear that you are a number and easily replaceable to them. The supervisors have NO communication skills and will frequently let clients and care staff know things the last minute or not at all. They forgot I was approved for days off for a vacation one time and called me while I was busy having lunch with my family to ask why I wasn't at work. Most of them haven't actually been to the clients' houses so not even they know what kind of situation you're going to be walking into. Supervisors fail to let the clients know the can's and can'ts of caregivers so you will often be roped into work that isn't in your job description and above your paygrade. Even the clients know how bad this company is. I wish I would've listen to everyone who warned me about this place.

if you are a new employee at FCIHC.   You will find out that the opportunities are vast and cover the Puget Sound region. 
Follow the plan of care for each client. Engaging and communicating with the client is very important.  Good listening skills. Asking if there is something special they would like from the store or to go to a place that they may have attended.
Helping with cooking their favourite meals.  Organising papers or photos that they have collected for many years.  Keeping yourself busy, will give you job satisfaction. 
Management is always there to answer questions.  They have many years of experience.   If the supervisor is not available to help, many others in the office are there to help.  They can be very busy, so leaving a voice mail, for them is very important.   They will return you call, asap.
You will more than likely find out that many clients live near or close to your own home.  Driving to and from your home will not be a long commute.
If you know the community, that will be to your advantage, as you will know where to go for groceries, social events, and driving the client to have fun in the neighbourhood. The hardest part of the job will be finding a  good match for you
The best part of the job is getting matched with a client that you see eye to eye with.  Finding joy going to work on a daily basis or if looking for a few different clients.  Many clients are in need of human contact on a daily basis.

A topical day at work, as a caregiver you have to get more than one client in order to skip living in your car , yeap, raw reality! So that means there no topical day, never de same, there’s good days and crazy days but never a bad day, as a caregiver we are committed to our clients nd no matter what the goal is to take care of them make them feel like human bean and know what is in their mind and make them happy because you never know if they will be there the next day.
In 19 years of caregiving I learn that there’s no rules, I work for my clients I wear there shoes for 10 MINUTOS every time I see them and try to feel the pain and restrictions and I learn that the most important is listen, be there for them, make them feel human bean again and never ever give up, because sooner or later we’ll be in that side , as a “client” I learned to be humble and strong at the same time to defend your client. I had everything you can imagine, I got kicked, pushed, y got hot soup in my face and learn to love all that!
What we get from the office???? I don’t know what to tell you, when I had emergencies nobody was at the  office, Jajajaja, leave messages they say, will call you back, hahahaha, that is something I learned , so I became resource and self skill person who doesn’t expect anything .
Hardest part of this job.........the end of the month to realize you don’t have enough to pay your rent
The best part of the job  a laugh and hug from a client

I was a Direct Care Supervisor/Case Manager with First Choice for 1 1/2 years, and I cannot say enough about this company. As an employee, I was treated like a valued member of the team each and every day. It is very clear that the Owner/Executive Director makes it his daily mission to provide a great level of training and support to the staff, and ensure that each Client of First Choice is offered the highest quality of care, and I was so proud to get to represent that culture every day. Aside from the major aspects of being employed with First Choice (great benefits 100% paid, great raises, promotional opportunities, generous vacation/sick time, etc), I appreciated the smaller benefits (homemade soup on Thursdays, catered breakfasts, daily positive affirmations from Management, 1st class company functions, etc). If you are looking to work with a company that rewards hard work, appreciates your time and effort and reminds you of your value each day, First Choice is the company for you! At First Choice, I also got the opportunity to learn so much about the inner-workings of the State and how DSHS works. They also afforded me the opportunity to REALLY HELP so many disabled and elderly people within our community. That was an amazing feeling to take home each day!!! Thank you First Choice!

First Choice is very flexible with my schedule and my supervisors have been nothing but supportive. I feel comfortable in telling them any situations that arise with my clients and I feel like they really understand my POV. The pay could be better but the benefits are good.

 The hardest part of the job is the emotional baggage from clients and First Choice has been so helpful in providing caregivers with online self help tools to reduce burnouts. 

The best part of the job is watching your clients flourish and knowing that your supervisors have your back and your schedule is flexible  

Workplace culture: I always feel comfortable talking to my supervisors and I feel everyone is professional and understanding. On rare occasion, a supervisor might not respond to me for several days because they are busy/on vacation and the task at hand can’t be completed without that specific supervisor but they almost always have someone else on the team who can take care of the situation. 

First Choice has taught me how to be independent and set boundaries in my personal and professional life especially with younger clients whose parents might try to take advantage of you and make you do their tasks. You have to learn to stand your ground and my supervisors have helped me through that.

I have worked here for over a year and I have had nothing but problems with first choice. When trying to pick up shifts I would often call and email and never have any response. When I first started I was not properly trained and could not even clock in on my first day. I've been shorted hours on my check more than once but it's hard to tell how many times since no one taught me how to check my pay stubs. I was also blamed for not having my health insurance on time when they never submitted my paperwork that I filled out before I ever even started and then they told me that it was a problem with the union and when I called my union they told me it was actually first choice's mistake so I called back there to which a manager proceeded to yell at me and say it's my own fault. Vacation hours are accrued for every 40 hours of work so in order to get a single day off of work I would need to work full time for 2 months and the vacation does not roll over to the next year you must ask for it to paid out or they will not pay you for it. The time keeping system is terrible and I'm often getting emails and calls about when I have worked. I love the family that I came to work for but first choice as a company is an absolutely terrible place to work and have proved that they simply do not care about their employees.

I would NOT recommend working for this company. If you don't own a vehicle that can transport your clients DO NOT BOTHER. And you better hope you're never injured and out of work for a while, it will NOT end well.

I was told when I was hired that not being able to provide transport for clients "would not be a problem". This was a lie. I am given no hours to work purely because I can drive clients, and am even passed up for hours from current clients when they request I work for them more. There is also mandatory training within 120 days of hire, that is an entire month of 8 hour classes 5 days a week, which you will be paid for; a month AFTER finishing, which means you have almost no pay for an entire month as a mandatory part of the job.

First Choice goes out of their way to screw you over when you're off work due to injury, not telling you they are a keep on salary company unless you file a claim with someone else, and then trying to weasel their way out of paying you the keep on salary payments in the first place.

There is zero support from case managers and HR representatives, just lip service. Do not work for First Choice, find a different company.



Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Home care aide 367 salaries reported	$24.44 per hour
Special needs advocate 189 salaries reported	$22.87 per hour
Caregiver 70 salaries reported	$24.28 per hour
Social services manager 22 salaries reported	$49,659 per year
Case manager 3 salaries reported	$46,000 per year

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