in home caregiver

caregiver

licensed practical nurse

direct support professional

home health aide

Help at Home

I have been avoiding writing a review for Help at Home, but after working here for over a year I felt it was time.

If your'e looking for life/work balance this company isn't too willing to help you with that. I don't want to trash it completely but, they don't care about your personal problems in your life, your family, or concerns (for the most part) . They see you as a body, a body that is there to cover a shift.

One of the most frustrating things for me was the unprofessional managers within the company. The unwillingness to communicate was a huge issue. They threw me into a house without any training, only a packet that gives you information on the consumer/client. I was never told that some of the consumers were totally unable to transfer themselves, walk, bathe or feed themselves. Their home was filled with roaches and mold, the smell of urine/feces would hit you in the face when you walked in.

There needs to be more welfare checks on these clients, a lot of the time staff is so overworked or under trained that they neglect these people and their homes.

We are lead to believe the people help at home provides for are there to learn how to live independently.That is a not true. It was hard for me to work with people I had to dead lift with absolutely no training, information, or equipment! I can't tell you how many times I would cry out in pain as I lifted a 170 pound person from the floor with nothing to help, No person should ever have to RUIN there back and life just to transfer a client. IT ISN'T worth life long pain! My back would ache for weeks, some weren't so lucky and were left with permanent damage.

Help at Home needs to understand that their employees are not equipped to handle people who can't move, feed, bathe, or communicate. If we were given the proper training and equipment for people that were 100% dependent then it would be much different!

I could go on and on about the frustrations of never being thanked, never being told I was doing a good job, being called everyday including days off and harassed and bullied into coming in, having your schedule changed without notice, being put into unsafe and filthy living conditions, but I won't.

The only upside to working here is that SOME of the clients are friendly, well mannered people who try to live a normal life. You develop friendships with some of them, and that was always nice.

My advice to Help at Home is if you want people to STAY stop biting off more than you can chew... stop taking more and more client's without enough staff to care for them.

Your biggest issue is staffing, people quit because they are overworked and unappreciated. Stop throwing new people into houses ALONE to fend for themselves. Provide cleaning products to your staff because 80% of the time there is no disinfectants to clean feces, urine, and blood unless you go out and buy it yourself. And thank your employees. Send birthday cards, tell them they're doing a good job to keep them motivated. A simple thank you goes a long way.

Flexible schedule and at your availability which is great. But since every client is different at what times they want a worker with them and how many hours a week they have been given to have a worker, it can be difficult to fit every client that is in your working area into your work schedule. Sometimes you have to wait to get the client that fits perfectly and also meshes with you and so you don't end up having all the hours that you are wanting. Most of the time you are part-time. And for a lot of people these days, that is not enough to pay the bills. You get one hour of PTO time per 40 hours that you work. You also get free health care which they never mention to you. I happened to hear it from a co-worker. You have to call the Union representative to get the information. Yes you are in the union when you get hired on. You clock in and clock out on your phone with GPS location on to make sure you are actually there. You mostly do housekeeping type of work, but at times you are doing other things such as getting clients in and out of a chair or in and out of a shower, giving them showers or baths, taking them on errands or running the errands while they are at home doctor's appointments, Etc. All depends on the client. Sometimes all they really want is companionship . You do get paid weekly which is every Friday. You get hourly pay, paid per mile from client to client and paid per minute from client to client. A negative: Your mileage and minute pay aren't always paid to you every week, sometimes they get paid to you every two weeks or even 3 weeks.  But the hourly is always paid every week. Job is very easy. Just do what you would normally do in your own home, and for them. You don't have to deal with other coworkers, as you work alone. You get paid for holidays up to 5 hrs even if you take off for those days, and you get double pay if you work those days. 
Other negatives: if a client has some sort of mental illness such as bipolar, dementia, memory issues, they can say you weren't there even though you were or they can say something that didn't happen and then there is an issue because you don't know if your supervisors are going to side with you or them. Even though the location on your phone says you were there, you can still possibly get in trouble. And they will never fire you, because they do not want to pay unemployment to you. So they will suspend you and you either wait until they let you go back to work while not getting paid, or you just quit. Then you never get unemployment but you better not forget to tell them that you quit, and make sure to ask for your PTO to be paid out to you or else they will just have you in suspended status with PTO time just sitting there. You can ask the union for help if you need it for these type of situations, but it's not always promised that you will overcome the issues with their help. And this all depends on who management is and who they decide to side with. 

This company has a long way to go. The organization is not ready for the growth that has already taken place, but they continue to grow without proper systems, processes, or leadership in place. There is no sense of urgency around accuracy of information, only to keep going and get things done. There is a lot of emphasis on completing projects, but no emphasis on proper staffing, software, or funding for those projects. All pay is well below market, but the work expectation is you work to get everything done no matter how much time it takes. People are praised for overworking and those people are burning out fast. Turnover is very high because the C-suite and VPs refuse to focus on compensation and headcount for the right roles. There is a perception that corporate employees are taken care of because they work remotely, but that is not true. Most of the remote roles are not truly remote, but require heavy travel. Even when expected to travel for 75% of the time, there are often 8 ours of meetings scheduled in a day. Every department leader wants to be the priority, but does not want to be the ones to do the work. The whole organization is held together by Excel spreadsheets, recordkeeping and data is a disaster. The people are nice and well meaning for the most part, but that does not help to alleviate the hours of extra work you have to do everything manually. I do not recommend accepting a job salary based on 40 hours, because you will likely need to work over 60 hours per week to meet a minimum of goals, which means if you are an over achiever this place is going to kill you. If you like things done in excellence, you will be disappointed you will have to accept that you can only get things done at a subpar level. If interviewing ask how long the person before you was in the position and if you can speak with the previous person in the position, do so. Most people are leaving due to resignation after under a year. I have only been with the organization 14 months and almost every corporate role has been filled 2-3 times. Until operations starts valuing the support teams they will continue to turn over and the culture will continue to suffer.

During my tenure with Help at Home as an acquisition employee, I encountered a disheartening lack of professionalism, respect for employees, and integrity within the management. The concerns began with the CEO attempting to pressure my HR counterpart and me into onboarding an individual with a felony 1 conviction, citing perceived unfairness and a completed legal case.

The organization's disregard for mental health and insistence on an overbearing level of control became increasingly apparent, leading to my decision to resign. The lack of flexibility and autonomy in managing workdays, despite consistently delivering quality work, added to the challenges.

Despite facing constant nitpicking and disrespect, my clients consistently praised my diligence and expressed loyalty, even considering leaving the organization if not for their commitment to working with me. An incident involving a supervisor switch and a mishandled onboarding process resulted in the loss of a significant case.

My experience, both in direct HR roles and as a graduate with dual degrees in HR and Management, highlighted numerous workplace issues that could potentially lead to legal consequences. Critically, the managerial choices, particularly the Branch Manager and Area Lead, showcased a lack of essential leadership qualities, contributing to a toxic work environment. The inadequate training post-acquisition, coupled with a profit-centric approach, led to punitive actions for utilizing unpaid time off and a complete disregard for employee well-being.

The high turnover rate, the lack of acknowledgment for efforts, and the organization's emphasis on profit over people underscored the abysmal work culture at Help at Home. The micromanaging approach, reflected in constant nitpicking, encapsulates the company's priorities, as observed during my tenure.

It used to be a good place to work!! The management of the last 6 months is awful. There is NO leadership and NO communication from office to staff. You will be taken off schedule with no notice then you will be ignored  (calls screened - call from a different number and they will answer) and given no answers or clarity as to why or what you need to do moving forward. You are expected to be at training meetings with only a few hours notice by text message. If you cant make it you will be off the schedule. They will plan to close houses for weeks and then tell staff the day of the move that the hours will be cut. You will NEVER get a raise. I worked here for over 4 years and constantly asked for reviews to get a raise they were always working on it or behind in other work. If your pay is messed up you have to constantly call and try to get it fixed. After being paid wrong it took 6 weeks to get the back pay!! If you are at work and the next staff doesn't show up they expect you to stay until they find someone regardless of how long it is or what you have to do! If you attempt to bring the client to the office they will threaten to fire you! Even though you were scheduled to be off almost an hour before!! The only good thing about this job is the clients you work with. Sad to say even they are not treated with respect here.. In just the past 4 months I have encountered mice, no food in the home, terrible looking old homes, no blinds(or broken ones) on the windows, broken couches, no dishes/forks/spoons, they keep couches/mattresses after having bed bugs, client putting mattress on the floor to sleep because the bed is broken, no cleaning supplies in home, clients receiving NOTHING for Christmas although they have for each of the past 4 I worked with them! The Bowling Green location should be shut down!

Do not work for Help At Home!! Very Unprofessional! 
Managment is horrible you get yelled at and called out in group meetings and constantly given (new) work to do when you’re overwhelmed with the abundance of work that is still waiting to be completed.  The over abundance of work is not fair to the clients. They should be Help At Homes #1 focal point!! There are boat loads of files that are overlooked due to the fact they can’t keep staff, and then throw someone new in. There is no way one person can keep up with ALL  clients, ALL home care aides plus doc every file and make sure red boxes are fixed (so employees get paid) most supervisors do their red boxes from home (without PAY) so they can stay caught up. Face to Face/phone call employee evaluations, call offs, scheduling, and so much more!! some of the people are so loud, and rude it was hard to focus in that atmosphere. I do not recommend this place of employment to anyone! I would NOT trust a Loved one in the hands of Help At Home. I heard they have new owners, and I’m hopeful they realize what’s happening and clean house! Horrible pay & management! They were always to busy to train the proper way, so you’re basically thrown in while more work is added on a daily basis, and get reprimanded for things you didn’t complete that you weren’t even shown how to do because the person that sat there before you didn’t complete it. Very UNORGANIZED and wondering why they haven’t been audited by the STATE??

I have experienced significant frustration with my current employer due to their disorganization and lack of support. Despite my patience over the past two months, I have not been assigned any working hours and have witnessed a lack of effective communication from management. The training provided was inadequate; during my only office visit, I was unable to concentrate on the essential first aid videos due to the distraction of filling out paperwork. This further exemplifies the company's operational inefficiencies. Additionally, after submitting my documents, I received a call ten days later citing an inability to open a PDF file, which raises concerns about their professionalism. As a single parent with financial responsibilities, I cannot afford to wait indefinitely for the company to resolve its internal issues. I have since secured a new job opportunity and feel compelled to move on from this company.


Dear Managers and Branch Managers, 

To improve your company's ratings and overall workplace satisfaction, it is essential to prioritize the well-being of your employees. Transparent communication is crucial; if there is a lack of work, it is vital to be honest rather than misleading employees, as this can lead to frustration and disillusionment. When employees feel valued and informed, their morale and productivity increase, ultimately benefiting the entire organization. By fostering an environment of trust and support, you can enhance employee engagement, retention, and company reputation.

They take advantage of single people knowing you don’t have kids to call in. When you say No they get upset with you and give you less hours. During the peak and still now of the pandemic THEY ARE NOT TELLING EMPLOYEES AT THE HOUSES THEY WORK AT RESIDENTS HAVE COVID despite having to wear masks and follow procedures what about people that don’t even work at that house and their just picking up a shift. ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS COVERING SHIFTS. THEY BLAME EVERYONE ELSE before they admit they are in the wrong. It takes a lawyer or the union for them to back off. The office is very messy. They also get mad when you ask them to do things as part of their job. When you ask for supplies to do your job better they also like to throw a fit but there’s other houses that have nice furniture or new pots, but some houses can’t even get a dish scrub,broom etc. SOME CLIENTS should not be at help at home. They belong in a mental hospital, but since they get paid from the state they don’t care they’ll take them in. Over all it’s nice to work alone but they also like to take advantage and mix clients into houses. Which I feel like you should get paid more because you now have 5-6 residents on your watch instead of the 3, and sometimes the other residents they bring are more eyes on then your regular residents. Residents that LIE all the time, they believe their statements instead of yours. They send you on so many trips and when you are done they’ll send a text to people saying “I did this for your house” when really you did all the work for them. Overall this company’s management is POORLY DONE. 

Well if you're starting out as a CNA and need some work experience I guess this would be a "foot in the door" kind of work. I have worked here for almost 1 year now, The only downfall of this job, is the management. I think it's pretty funny that they go over how your schedule will be like in Orientation, but will ask you to WORK the days you request off permanently. OR ask if you can fill in someones shift and call your phone about 5 times until you answer. If I have something planned and I can't make it, they will make a guilt trip and hang up. 

Second, they obviously DO NOT care about there patients. I've seen things in their homes that should be taken care of immediately, and I feel like horrible coming home and knowing they're living in that disgrace and no one is saying a thing.

Also the DRIVING. get ready, it's not easy. I think its hilarious that they give you a certain amount of time to get somewhere from client A to client B and it's WAY over the amount of time they give you, meaning you're not getting the hours you were told to getting on your schedule. They also pay for you to drive, but it's not worth it only 35 cents a mile....


I guess the most enjoyable part of the job is learning. Being fresh out of CNA school, I was never able to find a job in a nursing facility so I decided to apply as a home health aid ( because that's pretty much what you are) other than you DO NOT do any vitals or chart their input or output of food intake. 


Honestly, it ain't worth it

A typical day of work for me involves helping my clients out with chores, daily personal care, reminding them to take medicine, making sure they eat and have fluids, and sometimes taking them on errands. There's a lot of driving involved since you're going from house to house and also on errands, but you are paid for mileage and travel time. You may also find yourself communicating with family members of the client, and you may even be considered part of their family yourself.
I've learned a lot working at Coastal, mostly from my clients and the training seminars we do every so often. I learned how to cook, how to communicate better, and most importantly, I learned that kindness pays off. I'm thankful for the experience I've gotten here. The most enjoyable part is seeing how happy my clients are, and it's also great that you can make your own schedule and choose where you want to work.
That being said, the hardest parts of the job are that the pay is awful, there isn't always work, and the office doesn't always communicate with the clients or its caregivers. There's also not much room for advancement unless you want to become an RN. In short, don't work here if you want a nice paycheck unless you're very frugal or you're one of those people who can handle working 50 hours a week. It's better as a side gig or a way to get experience in the field. At any rate, I'd say that my experience has been rewarding in every way except pay.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
In home caregiver 1 salary reported	$19.25 per hour
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Direct support professional 25 salaries reported	$11.60 per hour
Home health aide 4 salaries reported	$300 per day

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