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July 1, 2024
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FirstLight Home Care is a leading in-home care company that offers both senior and respite care. Instead of hiring contractors, they hire direct employee caregivers that offer personalized and compassionate care.
If you’re a senior with a disability, or you need assistance after an injury, FirstLight Home Care can help. They offer services such as personal care, companion care, respite care, and specialized care for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Additionally, they provide caregivers with unique memory care training to help boost overall brain health and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
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FirstLight Home Care Pros and Cons
Pros
- Professional caregivers: While most home care agencies hire contractors, all of the caregivers at FirstLight Home Care are direct employees who must pass a rigorous background check and screening process.
- Senior rehabilitation services: FirstLight Home Care offers assistance to seniors following illness, injury, or surgery. Some examples of rehabilitation services include assistance with personal mobility or light housekeeping.
- Travel companion services: If you have a loved one who needs special accommodations with travel, FirstLight caregivers can help with carrying luggage, medication reminders, and bathing on the go.
- Day-to-day assistance: In addition to assisting aging adults, FirstLight Home Care also offers daily assistance for busy families. Services provided can include running errands, organizing mail and paperwork, and grocery shopping.
- Specialized services: In addition to personal and companion care, caregivers offer unique and customized care programs for individuals with dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
Cons
- Higher costs: At up to $35 per hour for care, FirstLight caregivers cost a bit more than the average rates for home care.
FirstLight Home Care Review
Background
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, FirstLight Home Care is a non-medical home care company co- founded by Jeff Bevis and his son in 2010. The mission of this company is to nurture and create personal connections with a “people-first philosophy” to home care. As a leading provider of home care services, FirstLight Home Care is committed to providing essential services to aging seniors and those recovering from an illness or injury.
Services
FirstLight Home Care Services offers a variety of essential home care services for aging seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those with busy schedules who need a little more help around the house. Some of the services they provide include companion care, personal care, dementia and Alzheimer’s care, respite care, and travel companion care.
- Respite Care: FirstLight Home Care Services offers respite care for family caregivers to ensure loved ones are taken care of while they rest and take some time off to recharge. Services include assistance to family caregivers and elderly loved ones by taking on tasks such as laundry, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and meal preparation.
- Personal Care: FirstLight Home Care provides a variety of personal care services to help a client maintain dignity and independence. Services include bathing and hygiene, walking and mobility assistance, toileting care, meal prep, and eating assistance for adults with physical and emotional challenges.
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care: FirstLight Home Care takes a personalized approach to specialized dementia and Alzheimer’s care. Their unique programs are intended to help create one-on-one care plans that help your loved ones feel comfortable.
- Travel Companion Care: If you have a loved one who needs assistance during their travels, then a FirstLight caregiver can accompany them. FirstLight is one of the few at-home care agencies that offers this service.
Customer Experience
While each FirstLight Home Care office will have slightly different prices and policies, you can expect the following from your local branch.
- FirstLight caregivers will cost between $30-$35 per hour.
- Patients must book services with a minimum of four hours per visit.
- Care is booked through a service agreement (rather than a contract), meaning you can cease or pause care at any time.
- To begin care, a FirstLight representative will conduct an in-home assessment.
- Despite national shortages of caregivers, FirstLight has plenty of caregivers (skilled and unskilled) on staff.
Third-Party Reviews
Based on online reviews such as the following, in addition to our research, we can glean that FirstLight Home Care provides high-quality, personalized services to its clients. Many of the reviews emphasize how compassionate, patient, and prompt caregivers are. This is particularly true when providing quality assistance following an injury or health condition requiring an extended caregiving stay. Here is a selection of online reviews.
“I had major surgery and they were awesome!!! They were very caring and came to my home, took great care of me and drove me to my doctor appointments. I would recommend them to anyone needing assistance!” – Los Angeles, CA
“Currently, my grandfather is doing great and tells me that the staff truly accommodates his needs. I cannot even express the appreciation I have for Charles and the team at FirstLight. Orange. 5/5 stars most definitely and will certainly be recommending this organization to anyone who is in a similar situation as me.” – Orange, CA
“Our experience was great, they were very attentive, responsive and have great communication. We needed them at such short notice and we felt they were able to get it done quickly and efficiently; we would use them in the future.” – Pasadena, CA
“We have had FirstLight caregivers for about a year now and just yesterday my husband went into hospice care and I extended our caregiver's hours to help us. There is nothing like having a loving, trusted, and dependable friend to help in a situation like this. Cynthia is family now. My husband doesn't want her to leave when it's time and is so glad to see her when she arrives … Thanks, FirsLight!” – Woodbridge, VA
Care.com connects families with local qualified caregivers.
Cost & Pricing
FirstLight Home Care services cost between $30-35 per hour, depending on level of care and location. In comparison, the average hourly cost of home care in California is estimated to be $30.77 in 2022.
Although the price range at FirstLight Home Care tends to be on the higher end compared to other home agencies, the price is still justifiable because of the consistency of caregivers and quality personal and companion care services.
Areas served
Based in Ohio, FirstLight Home Care offers local at-home care services in most parts of the country. To find a location near you, you can use the locations feature on their official website and enter your city, state, or ZIP code to view all FirstLight Home Care locations.
To learn more about our favorite home care agencies, be sure to check out our home care agency reviews:
FirstLight Home Care – Frequently Asked Questions
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How much does FirstLight Home Care cost?
FirstLight Home Care will likely cost you between $30-$35 per hour; however, these prices will vary by region and the specific FirstLight location.
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Does FirstLight Home Care accept Medicare?
For eligible health and therapy services, FirstLight does accept Medicare; however, this insurance cannot usually be used on custodial home care.
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Does FirstLight Home Care offer 24/7 care?
Yes, FirstLight Home Care offers 24/7 care as well as short-term care options.
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Does FirstLight Home Care require a minimum commitment?
FirstLight requires a four-hour minimum for home visits.
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Does FirstLight Home Care operate in California?
FirstLight Home Care is based in Ohio, but has several local chapters in California. Examples of some coverage areas include Orange, Newport Beach, and Fullerton.