Gentiva Personal Care - San Rafael, CA

Jane

My husband is being cared for by Gentiva Personal Care (Formerly Kindred at Home) for three years now. The service overall has been very good. There are times when a caregiver is not able to come and they seek out another caregiver. That doesn't always take place, but most of the time, scheduling is well done. People are on time. In some cases, some people have more skills in attending my husband than others, but overall, we are pleased to be in the program. It ranges from four hours to eight hours, four hours three days a week, eight hours one day a week. Early in the morning, the caregiver helps him into his routine of getting up, showering, dressing, getting his breakfast prepared, medication, vitals taken, assisting him in the toilet area whenever that is happening, meals, and other duties of cleaning up after the meal, doing light housework, and assisting him with any activities going outside with a walker.

Provider Response

ClaireElise

My father has dementia, and I was worried about his discomfort with strangers coming into his home to help him with everyday tasks. Fortunately, we have had ample communication and thoughtful placement of home helpers. It has been great to find multiple “good fits” for him through Gentiva. He is able to live in the comfort of his own home, and receive assistance with tasks which have become too physically demanding or cognitively confusing. My dad now feels safer in his home, thanks to the caring companionship and support of his home helpers.

Provider Response

Fank

For one thing, the caregivers are VERY reliable So we can completely count on them to be here. They are on time and if they are held up for some reason, they let us know. Even if it's just 5 minutes! They are also always cheerful, kind and respectful which is appreciated. Furthermore, the office staff is always understanding when we have last minute needs or cancellations, which is also very much appreciated! It's amazing at how up-beat they always are, as well. We are totally happy with these services and would highly recommend them to anyone.

Provider Response

SausClient

I am a former client writing on behalf of my husband who has very recently had to move into a skilled nursing facility. Hence,our status as former clients. I will deeply miss the companionship of the round the clock caregivers who have been an intimate part of our lives for the past eighteen months. Make no mistake, it is such a challenging task to accept the need for in home care, welcome strangers into your home and try to balance the needs of your family member with your own personal needs as a caregiver. One of the principle strengths of Kindred was to LISTEN and HELP to find the right match.Flexibility was at the top of the list as well. There will always be a few bumps along the way but eventually we ended up with a crew of helpers who instilled confidence and gave my husband and me real peace of mind. For this I will always be grateful. Thank you to Charles, Will and my wonderful group of caregivers.

Provider Response

Tori S

Kindred at Home has been a great addition to the caregiving team for my dad. It took a few tries, but Will and Charles took the time to find the perfect fit for us and our needs. Now they are part of the family and helped celebrate my dad's 99th birthday! We are very thankful for the great service they provide.

Provider Response

Etremely Grateful

We went through many caregivers/agencies before finding Kindred. From the beginning Charles has heard our very unique needs and has worked wonders in finding matches for my husbands mother. Will and Charles together, work tirelessly and have provided great caregivers. They also understand Alzheimer’s and the difficulty in navigating care as it is ever changing. Don’t hesitate to call if you are looking for caregivers. This is a hard enough process in life and we are very grateful to Kindred, Charles and Will.

Provider Response

Paul

It is excellent. We have been using them for six weeks now. We have two different care people, for me and my wife. Both of them have been just really neat people. They have done some errands, and we have gone out to some art galleries, so we have done a bunch of different things. The caregivers are very friendly. They are great and really enjoyable people. We have had two different guys and both were fantastic, but there are some turnovers. Billing and scheduling are fine.

Provider Response

Lucy

It is excellent. We were matched with someone so perfect, it was an incredible experience for us. The person that we got matched with was just everything you would want in someone to take care of your father. She not only made sure he did his exercise, she cooked for him, she did small cleaning, and she made sure he was safe. We had no concerns. She basically became a family member. The person who came to do the intake was the one that matched us with the person that we had that did such a great job. We had no dissatisfaction with what we got with Kindred. The billing was fine. Everything was great. We had an excellent experience with them. We had the service for eight months until my father passed away just recently. It took a whole lot of burden off of us. We knew that every day (except for the weekend) that this person would be there, this person would provide whatever was needed for him. My sister and I were mainly the ones taking turns in taking care of my father, but bringing in Kindred for four hours a day allowed us that relief of time that we felt comfortable. Everything was great. I would recommend Kindred anytime. The staff matched us so perfectly, I know that that doesn't always happen, but for us, it was a perfect match.

Provider Response

Marrie

I thought it was fine. My friend was a very difficult person. Some days he was very happy with the care, some other days he wasn't. But he is 82 years old and a little confused at times. My friend liked one of the gentlemen who gave him some care, and he seemed to like him and got along with him, which was difficult to do. They would check how he was doing. My friend had ambulation problems, so they would get groceries for him, gave him rides to his medical appointments including an eye surgery in San Francisco. So it worked out well. I think their communication was great, too. Faye, who was the woman I was in contact with, would be in contact with me regularly, and if I had any questions I would text or email her and she would respond immediately. She was great.

Mary

I'm very happy with them I have Stephanie coming 4 hours on Wednesdays. So far their care plan is working very well. Every time I talk to Kaye, she's the supervisor I've always had a good relationship with, and she's always very helpful. The caregiver I have right now is very good. She does light housekeeping and laundry, too. They have been very helpful and very understanding. Everything I asked them to do, they're just wonderful and very cooperative.

Tom

They were great. I love them. They did anything my mom sort of needed, like supporting her at home because she wasn't very mobile, helping her with everything from hygiene to getting stuff for her, running errands, showering, and helping her get organized. We used them for at least a couple of years. She was really comfortable, but she is now in a different assisted living facility, so she is not able to use them anymore. Nevertheless, they have been great.

Gail

They were wonderful. I'm no longer using them because my husband passed the day after Thanksgiving. I was very pleased with Kindred. They were great. My husband ended up wanting to have a man because he felt that he really thought he was going to be able to get up and walk, and he just thought a man would be able to give him more support physically. Everyone that came from them and from hospice was exceptional. They provided help mostly with bathing and helping to exercise my husband's legs. What happened to him was that his legs gave out. He had a coronary condition and so that's mostly what they helped him with. They helped with feeding; I didn't have them do any cooking or anything like that. They kept him company just because he got bored laying there. I think he was very comfortable particularly with the first lady that came; he really enjoyed her personality. The only reason that she couldn't come anymore is I needed somebody more often and she already had somebody she was taking care of. I was very pleased with the service they gave.

Paige

I have been using them for my mom since December 1990. They're awesome. They're great. I love them. They help us with pretty much everything we need. They're hired for various specific reasons. My mom requires tons of care, so it's a lot of personal care. You name it, there's a long list of care she requires. We love our caregiver. She's awesome. I would totally recommend them. I would be happy to talk with anybody that would like to discuss it. I would highly recommend them.

Phillip

I have been using them since March. They provide me help mainly with driving me to places where I have to be like banks, post offices, grocery stores, etc. My caregiver comes two days a week and on those days, she fixes me a little breakfast. I'm ambulatory with a walker, so I don't need any help there. I don't need any help with dressing, showering, shaving or anything like that. I'm very comfortable with her, a pleasant, personable, and intelligent individual. We get along.

Pat

We have been with them since August. It's a very unique situation because my sister lives in one city in San Rafael, CA and I live in Winters, CA, and I do not drive, so everything that is done for my sister by other people is just tremendous. I've found Faye, the lady who has been working with me. There was a time that I was just worried about my sister, and the phone rang and there was Faye, 'Want to let you know your sister is OK, she made it to her appointment. She is fine. She is home' and I broke down and cried. I'm the caregiver but I'm not the caregiver because I'm not there, and so the different services and things that I received from other people are phenomenal to me. I'm very pleased. I'm very, very pleased. My sister has a young lady for the last month and she likes her very well. My sister is in stages of dementia, I don't know which stage, but it's not good. She is a very pleasant lady, but for some reason, she seems to think this woman is the cleaning lady. She has gotten my sister to go and change her sheets and help her with her laundry. She lives in a second-floor apartment, she walks with a cane, and so now my sister waits to have Katya there with her to do her things. That's my goal! I'm very, very pleased. They have accommodated us because my sister does not have a credit card, and so I had to pay a deposit because we're doing it by checks, but that to me, was a really big thing. We had to take everything away from my sister because she was a subject of fraud, so she has no accounts in her own name. The first payment check that I made, I don't know, didn't make it, and so tomorrow is supposed to be my call to them. Other than that, I'm pleased. I think their rate is reasonable, I feel like the people do what I need for them to do. My sister is very happy. I needed someone to take her to an appointment, there wasn't a caregiver available, and Faye, who is our lead person, made time in her schedule, took my sister and made sure she was safe. You can't ask for more than that.

Provider Response

Debbie

I hired them for my husband. I started with them in January, and then I had to stop in March because of the pandemic, and started out last month again. So it's been on and off. It's excellent. The manager is always very responsive to my request for people to come in. Whenever I say, 'Well, I don't need somebody quite as long tomorrow,' they immediately call people and say, 'You don't need to be there from 9 to 7, you only need to be there from 9 to 3.' Whatever it is, they're always paying attention to what I ask them. My husband has Alzheimer's, so he kinda wanders, so they sit with him and make sure that he is not getting into any trouble. I'm very satisfied with them. They're very responsive, which is so helpful. They have been very supportive because when a family member is ill and you're not used to how to deal with that illness, they step right in and have your back.

Provider Response

Angela

My sister has been using them since April. They are just marvelous. They have been thoughtful and helpful with us. As my sister has begun to improve, we have cut back some hours, but they have been extremely cooperative in every respect. They got right back to us, answered our call, and the people are wonderful. The caregivers are absolutely marvelous. My sister is working in particular with Alison right now, who seems to have more regular time during the week. She is extraordinarily helpful in a careful way. She is reading the situation really well. This was a difficult situation for my sister and she isn't necessarily inclined to welcome people into her house, so this is a leap for her, but she is extraordinarily fond of Alison. They have been that way. They have been very helpful and very nice. There is one caregiver, who is a weekend person, Mary, and she is adorable. She is friendly and she has made her way in very nicely. She has perked up the place, which was very helpful. She is very welcoming and very easygoing. I can't say enough for the people. The people have been wonderful. When my sister was still in the hospital, we didn't know if she would put in a place when they released her. We had a very wonderful conversation with the owner of Kindred at Home, she spent a great deal of time with us and she sold me just because of her own assets, i.e., she was extraordinarily friendly and thoughtful. That made a big difference in our choosing them and we're very glad we did.

Provider Response

Rick

We have been working with them for four months now. It is for my mother and it has been good. The director has been very nice and very responsive. She came out the first time that the in-home support came and she helped facilitate our first meeting. She calls me back when I call her. I haven't had any complaints. I asked my mother how it is going, but she is 92 years old and has some memory problems, so she is not the most reliable historian. Nevertheless, my mother mostly has been happy. I have called her a few times when the caregiver has been there, and from what I could hear on the phone, the worker seemed pretty responsive.

Provider Response

MO

We have been using them for three months now. It is just fine. Right now, I have a caregiver that comes 4 hours in the morning and then another that comes from 3 to 8 in the evening. I'm comfortable with them. They're easy to work with. If you're not connecting with the caregiver, they will do their best to send you a new one. They're very accommodating.

Dan

I have been using them for six weeks now. It is for my father. So far, so good. It is great actually. They are helping my father. It is pretty much companionship. His caregiver is concerned. It is pretty solid. I would recommend them very well. I'm very impressed.

jodyreese

Our experience with Kindred At Home was overall positive. Faye M., the Branch Manager in San Rafael was always available and answered our questions. We had a challenging situation and they were challenged to meet the physical demands we required, sometimes on short notice, so there were a couple of missteps in that area. But if a caregiver didn't work out, they worked hard to find a solution. If I had one criticism it would be the timeliness of the caregivers showing up when expected. I can appreciate traffic.... but 30-60 minutes late when the patient is critically ill and family is not sure they could handle a medical situation but the staff going off duty can't stay or is inconvenienced by staying, was not good. Overall, Kindred At Home offers a well-run service and as mentioned, the communication was very good. While the caregivers were hit and miss, it was partially due to the demands we needed physically for my Dad. There were a couple of caregivers that were absolutely perfect with him and for that I am so very grateful! I would recommend Kindred At Home and hope this review has been helpful.

Provider Response

DK

I have been using them for a couple of months now. They are making sure my husband doesn't get into any trouble. I have been very happy with all of them. They're very nice, very helpful, and very responsive, which I appreciate. It is hard to get people to come into a private home on the first time basis but they work to make sure that it is as pleasant as it can be.

PD

We have been using them since January 1st. We got a caretaker coming into the house for my mother. It is primarily personal care, so it is getting her to bed at night, bathing her, changing her clothes, and if she needs help with the toilet, they give her help with that. My mother definitely needs help with clothing; she can't do that by herself at all. She also gets help with brushing her teeth, cleaning her face, having body lotion, and going to the bathroom during the night. I have a private person that has been with us during the day and then the Kindred person is here overnight. The caregiver helps my mother eat, gets her up in the morning, and makes her breakfast and coffee. It is pretty much what you can imagine from 8 at night until 7 in the morning. The caregiver is amazing. I feel incredibly fortunate we got this amazing person. The person who runs the branch here has been incredibly responsive. If I email her on the weekends, she emails me back on the weekends, too. Jasmine, who is the staffing manager, has been super flexible because in the beginning we didn't know what we needed, so she was really helpful then. They're very empathetic, compassionate, flexible and business-like at the same time. It is definitely a business but they're run by human beings.

Charmaine

We have been using them for a few months now. The caregiver is wonderful. We are incredibly happy with everyone that has come by for my dad. The billing goes through the VA. As for the scheduling, they call me and we work it out together. Everyone has been absolutely professional. Their knowledge is great. We have been very pleased. My dad, who is 95, is doing really well. We got him up doing a lot of things. They're very patient, too.

Reviewer12720

My experience with them had been very positive. I had pneumonia and I needed help, so that was when I called them and they came in and helped me. I had used it for two to three months. The caregivers were terrific, very nice, and their English was good. They knew what they're doing, they seemed trained, they could cook, they could do the dishes, laundry, and they could guide me if I needed it. The scheduling wasn't a problem. I would let them know what I needed and they have someone here. The billing was on the credit card monthly, which was fine. I was very impressed with them. I was very pleased with the calibre of their help that they sent. I had recommended them to my friends who were looking for help because I think they're excellent.

Christopher

We used them a couple of times before, but I just had a major surgery at the end of November, so we used them again. They provided me with help around the house. I had a driver as well. The caregivers were good. They were reliable and friendly.

SH

We hired them for my husband. They had a 4-hour minimum. One of the caregivers was a little more proactive than the other. The other one just kind of did the basics and then when she was done, because she had to stay for four hours, she just sat around and watched TV. She wasn't really proactive about doing anything else around the house, even when they had a list of things they could do. It's not that I won't recommend them, but you just kind of accept the quality of individuals that they have for the schedule that you need.

Anonymous

I am very pleased with my care from Kindred at Home. They are very responsive to any of my requests. Their caregiver is very qualified, responsive to my requests and he is always on time and very qualified!

Provider Response

Anonymous154380

We have an outstanding caregiver. She's consistently thoughtful, kind and caring. She exceeds all expectations in providing maximum quality of life. We are very fortunate to have her.

SF2015

My father was recently diagnosed with cancer for the 4th time and I needed a company I could trust to provide in home RN visits after his hospitalization. We are fortunate to have met Mr. T. Yusupov who is the the primary nurse assigned to my dad. He is very professional, he is extremely knowledgeable, has vast experience in the field of medicine and he speaks Russian. His care is beyond what one can expect from a visiting nurse and hence we recommend this organization and Mr. Yusupov without reservation. Huge thank you to Kindred at Home for helping my father during this difficult time.