Optimal Home Health Ext Care

Pros

• Natasha and Janna have been helpful, understanding, and compassionate to their family's needs.
• They have been on their game with keeping them posted on all stages of the medical equipment required.
• They have bent over backwards to see them through the situation.
• The reviewer would recommend Optimal Health Care to anyone facing hard times with an ill family member.
• Therapy was fine when it actually happened.

Cons

• They are described as always no-shows and as lying to customers on the phone to appease them.
• They show no follow-through and appear not to care about their patients.
• They are unorganized and unprofessional, canceling visits and failing to notify patients of changes.
• They fail to coordinate therapy services, with PT and OT not calling or scheduling properly.
• There are weeks of delay before any services are provided.
• Therapists sometimes refuse to assist with safe transfers or perform tasks they're asked to do.
• Staff make unprofessional, disrespectful comments about patients or payments.
• They misrepresent service length, promising an hour but delivering only 30 minutes.
• Communication between staff is poor, leading to confusion about who is coming and when.

Review

Across a troubling spectrum of experiences, Optimal Home Health Care and its affiliates appear in the accounts as a company whose performance ranges from deeply helpful to utterly frustrating. A number of reviewers describe a pattern of long referral delays, missed calls, and poor follow-through that left seriously ill patients waiting weeks for assessments, therapy, or even basic coordination. The overarching impression is that, for some families, the lack of timely contact and dependable scheduling created real health risks and added stress during already difficult times.

Several comments focus on weeks of inaction after referrals were issued. One reviewer cites a four-week wait for an optometry referral to translate into actual care, accompanied by the absence of a phone call from the agency and the burden of having to initiate every step themselves. The same narrative recurs with a five-week gap before any service or follow-up occurred, leaving a patient who was already in fragile health - post open-heart surgery and stroke - with no home health support during a critical period. The frustration centers on a sense that the company forgets about patients, offers little follow-through, and seems indifferent to the consequences of leaving someone unassisted at home.

Scheduling and communication errors are highlighted in several accounts. Patients report that visits were canceled or rescheduled repeatedly, with no proactive notification to the patient or family, and that office staff or therapists sometimes contradicted one another about who would be coming and when. The result is a perception of a disjointed operation, where "the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing." In at least one case, a therapy appointment was shortened without justification, and another instance involved a therapist who failed to show up for an evaluation or later appointment, followed by delayed callbacks. The predictability of care, which is crucial for patients undergoing chemotherapy or coping with serious health issues, appears compromised in these narratives.

The quality of therapy itself is described as uneven. Some reviewers note that therapy could be effective when it did occur, but the inconsistency - late arrivals, unkept schedules, and last-minute changes - made it extremely difficult for patients to benefit. One family reported that a spouse facing chemotherapy could not tolerate the erratic timing and preferred not to have care delivered on such a capricious basis. There is also a sense that some therapists may be uncomfortable or unable to fulfill patient requests for assistance with daily activities (such as help getting on and off a scale or assisting with mobility), which only compounds the patient's frustration when other tasks on the same visit are expected.

Professionalism and staff conduct are recurring themes. A number of reviewers recount unprofessional or discourteous behavior by employees, including offhand remarks about payment and discussions that should have remained private. In one instance, a staff member reportedly said, "I hope that guy doesn't expect to get paid," a remark that strikes reviewers as deeply inappropriate for a patient-facing role. These episodes contribute to an impression of a company culture that some patients perceive as indifferent to patient welfare and dignity, especially when patients are already navigating serious health challenges.

Even amid the negative experiences, there are notable positive moments that some reviewers emphasize. A few patients recount individuals within Optimal who stood out for their compassion, responsiveness, and dedication. In particular, Natasha and Janna are singled out by one family for being helpful, understanding, and proactive during transitions in their loved one's condition. Another reviewer praises staff for staying "on their game" and keeping the family posted at every stage of medical equipment provision, noting that those efforts were a genuine help during a serious illness. The most hopeful comments come from families who felt that, when supported by specific individuals within the agency, the care and communication could be reliable and compassionate - enough to surpass expectations in a challenging time.

Together, these accounts sketch a company with significant variability in performance. For some patients and families, Optimal Home Health Care delivers timely, attentive support and compassionate staff who can make a real difference in a difficult health journey. For others, a lack of coordination, repeated scheduling disruptions, and inconsistent follow-through create dangerous delays and deeply frustrating experiences. The strongest, most consistent praise tends to focus on particular staff members who demonstrate empathy, responsiveness, and practical help with equipment and care planning. The more damaging criticisms center on system-level problems: no-shows, delayed referrals, miscommunication between office and field staff, and a pattern of leaving patients to chase care themselves.

In light of these divergent experiences, families facing a referral or ongoing home health care need to weigh several factors carefully. Insurance referrals can help identify alternatives if a provider proves difficult to coordinate with or consistently unreliable. It may be prudent to confirm anticipated visit times, establish a clear point of contact, and request a dedicated case manager who can align therapists, nurses, and equipment deliveries. However, it's also worth recognizing that there are individuals within the organization who receive praise for their dedication and patient-centered approach, suggesting that a successful engagement may hinge on the particular staff members involved and the strength of internal coordination at any given time. Ultimately, the message from these reviews is clear: timely communication, dependable scheduling, and respectful, compassionate care are essential when the patient's health is at stake, and achieving those standards appears to be the area where outcomes most strongly diverge.

This part of Bakersfield, California, offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to the needs of seniors looking for a convenient and comfortable living environment. With several restaurants nearby such as Hodel's Country Dining and Little Caesars Pizza, seniors can enjoy a range of dining options without having to travel far. Additionally, there are multiple parks in the vicinity like Emerald Cove Park and Jastro Park where residents can relax and enjoy the outdoors. The area is also well-equipped with healthcare facilities such as Kaiser Permanente Medical Group and Memorial Hospital - Bakersfield, ensuring easy access to medical care. Pharmacies like Greggs Pharmacy and Rite Aid are conveniently located for medication needs. For entertainment, there are theaters like Fox Theater Events Line and SMG Bakersfield within a short distance. Overall, this part of Bakersfield provides a well-rounded community for seniors seeking a comfortable and convenient living arrangement.

Restaurants

• Hodel's Country Dining (1.5 miles)
• Jack In The Box (1.5 miles)
• Little Caesars Pizza (1.6 miles)
• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• Panda Express (1.8 miles)
• Young's Drive-In (2.1 miles)
• McDonald's (2.4 miles)

Parks

• Emerald Cove Park (3 miles)
• Jastro Park (4.2 miles)

Physicians

• Ashraf-Alim Muhammad MD (3.3 miles)
• Ishimori Tetsuo Md FACC Facp Faha-Central Cardiology (3.4 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Medical Group (3.4 miles)
• Mehta Anil MD (3.5 miles)
• John Raymond Owens (3.5 miles)
• Envista Medical (3.5 miles)
• Premier Medical Associates (3.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Physicians Plaza Surgery Center Healthsouth (3.4 miles)
• Golden Livingcenter (3.6 miles)
• San Joaquin Community Hospital (3.9 miles)
• Memorial Hospital - Bakersfield (3.9 miles)
• Jun, Daniel S DDS (4.5 miles)
• Kern Medical Center (4.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Greggs Pharmacy (3.8 miles)
• Save Mart Supermarkets (4.1 miles)
• V & G Collective (4.1 miles)
• Rite Aid (4.1 miles)
• Walgreens (4.1 miles)
• Rite Aid (4.5 miles)
• Faast Pharmacy (4.5 miles)

Theaters

• Fox Theater, Events Line (4.2 miles)
• SMG Bakersfield (4.9 miles)

Cafes

• Dutch Bros Coffee (4.5 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.6 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (4.7 miles)

Transportation

• BNSF Railway Co. (4.5 miles)
• Bakersfield college, New Get Bus Transit (4.6 miles)
• Amtrak (4.9 miles)