Alright, let me walk you through this whole business with finding home health care. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, let me tell you.
So, my mom, she had this surgery, nothing super major, but the recovery, you know? The doctor said she couldn’t be totally alone for the first couple of weeks. Needed someone checking in, helping with bandages, making sure she’s eating right, stuff like that. And me? I work full time, couldn’t just drop everything. Panic mode started setting in a little bit.
First thing I did was hit the computer. Searched for home care agencies around here. Man, there were a few. Some looked real corporate, others kinda small-time. I stumbled across one called Heaven Sent Home Health Care. Honestly, the name made me roll my eyes a little, sounded a bit much, but their flyer thingy I found online seemed okay, listed the services we needed.
So, I picked up the phone. Called them. Got put on hold for a bit, typical stuff. Finally talked to a coordinator person. She sounded nice enough, asked a ton of questions about Mom’s situation, what the doctor ordered, our address, insurance details – the whole nine yards. Felt like I was giving my life story. We set up an initial assessment visit.
Getting Started with Them
A nurse came out a couple of days later. She seemed competent, you know? Checked Mom’s vitals, looked at the surgical site, asked Mom how she was feeling. Very thorough, I’ll give them that. We talked about the schedule, what needed doing each visit. She explained how their aides work, what they can and can’t do. It all sounded pretty straightforward on paper.
Then the actual caregiver started coming. First one was named Brenda. Seemed okay at first. Showed up on time the first day. Helped Mom with her shower, reminded her about meds. Basic stuff. But then, the next week, Brenda calls out sick. Okay, happens. But the agency, Heaven Sent, they didn’t call me right away. I had to call them asking where Brenda was. They were like, “Oh yeah, she’s sick, we’re trying to find a replacement.” A bit frustrating, you know? Left me scrambling.
They did send someone else later that day, a younger girl. She was alright, but clearly new. Didn’t seem as confident, and Mom wasn’t as comfortable. This happened a couple of times – different faces showing up. Made it hard for Mom to get used to anyone.
The Day-to-Day Stuff
Look, when the regular person (we eventually got mostly assigned to a lady named Maria, who was pretty good) was there, it was generally fine. Here’s kinda what happened:
- Check-in, see how Mom’s feeling.
- Help with washing or dressing if needed.
- Make sure she took her medications on time. This was super important.
- Maybe fix a light lunch or snack.
- Tidy up the kitchen or bathroom a little.
- Just chat with Mom for a bit, which was nice for her.
But the communication thing with the main office? That was the sticking point. Getting updates, confirming schedules, sometimes felt like pulling teeth. And the billing wasn’t super clear initially. Had to call them up to get an explanation for one of the charges. They fixed it, but still, it was extra hassle when I was already stressed.
So, overall? Dealing with Heaven Sent Home Health Care, it wasn’t exactly heavenly, haha. But was it terrible? No. It filled a gap when we really needed it. Maria, the main aide we had, was genuinely helpful and kind to my Mom. The initial nurse assessment was professional. But the office coordination and caregiver consistency could have been way better. It did the job, mostly. Took some pressure off me, which I desperately needed. But man, finding good, reliable help like that is tough. It really is.
