Absalom Home Health Agency

Pros

• Eunice and Jeanne provided great home care.
• Eunice and Jeanne changed the patient's dressings.
• Eunice and Jeanne adjusted their schedule to better suit the patient's needs.
• The nurse has begun corresponding and brings supplies in a timely manner.
• The nurse is nice.

Cons

• The reviewer says the agency is the worst home health agency in San Diego and would not recommend them.
• They state they were sent home with a PICC line and two weeks of needed support, but the care provided was inadequate.
• They describe delays in callbacks and poor communication, including a 5 pm call followed by a response at 1:50 am.
• They report multiple ER visits due to delays or issues with administering antibiotics and lack of timely nursing visits.
• They claim the nurse could not properly change a bandage or remove the PICC line, leading to unsafe outcomes.
• They accuse the staff of being unprofessional and lacking compassion, including repeated cancellations and poor follow-up.
• They report supplies arriving late, with unusable or insufficient drain bottles, risking the patient's life.
• They recount a nurse admitting "you got the bad company" and describe rude phone staff, with suspicions about expired supplies.

Review

The collection of experiences shared paints a troubling picture of a San Diego home health agency, even as it acknowledges moments of positive, hands-on care from individual aides. On one hand, there is clear appreciation for the kindness and adaptability shown by two caregivers, Eunice and Jeanne, who changed dressings and adjusted their schedules to fit the patient's needs. The warmth and responsiveness they demonstrated stand in sharp contrast to the broader concerns voiced about the agency's overall operation. The writer stresses that Eunice and Jeanne were a bright spot in an otherwise challenging experience, underscoring how meaningful attentive home care can be when it shows up with consistency and compassion.

Beyond the praise for those two caregivers, the patient recounts a cascade of serious missteps that began after a hospitalization for severe diverticulitis and complications involving a PICC line. The agency sent the patient home with a PICC line and antibiotics, but the integration of home care and medical needs quickly degraded into an alarmingly fragmented pattern. Communication gaps are a central thread: a 5:00 p.m. call back, followed by an answering at 1:50 a.m., left the patient feeling the on-call process was slow and unreliable at the very moments it mattered most. The patient describes what happened as a failure to provide timely guidance or reassurance during a vulnerable period when antibiotic administration required careful oversight.

The negative experiences continued with concerns about the on-call nursing support and follow-up. There were repeated issues around staffing and prioritization: the patient needed help to administer antibiotics, but the agency reportedly had other patients ahead of them, which led to additional ER visits. The pattern of delays and the lack of proactive communication culminated in a decision to seek emergency care multiple times, rather than relying on the agency for timely management of a potentially life-threatening situation. When bandages and the extension line finally required attention, the nurse who arrived did not seem confident in handling the task, and the patient and their caregiver felt unable to trust the care being provided. The situation escalated to a point where, after several unanswered calls and missed appointments, the patient opted for the ER to address ongoing concerns, including attempts to remove the PICC line safely.

The tone in the narrative shifts to a broader critique of the agency's reliability and compassion. The patient's conclusion is unequivocal: this is not a reputable choice for home health care in their view. The core complaints center on professionalism, responsiveness, and the ability to coordinate with hospital-based treatments - elements that are essential when a patient is managing complex care needs at home. The experience is framed as a warning to others: a system that fails to respond promptly, follow up meaningfully, or prioritize patient safety can expose individuals to unnecessary risk and distress, even when individual caregivers show genuine care.

A separate account highlights a different facet of the same agency's shortcomings: delays in supplying necessary medical equipment for a patient's grandfather who had a pleurex catheter draining fluid from around the lungs. In this narrative, the assigned home health agency reportedly visited only twice over three weeks and delivered just two drain bottles that did not function, raising concerns about the quality and suitability of the supplies being provided. The writer suspects the possibility of expired or unusable materials entering the home, further fueling anxiety about the patient's safety. The telephone experience is characterized as brusque and indifferent; a staff member appeared offended when the caller described the danger of the delayed supplies, and there was little reassurance or proactive communication. The fear that life could be risked due to equipment shortages weighs heavily in this account.

There is a note of belated reassurance in the second review: over time, the nurse assigned to the case began to engage more reliably, and supplies were provided with greater timeliness. The nurse is described as "nice" and becomes a more trusted contact as the relationship evolves. This update suggests that some improvement is possible when staff become more responsive and accountable, even if the initial experiences were fraught with worry and frustration. Nevertheless, the initial impression remains that the agency's handling of urgent medical needs - especially coordination around hospital discharge, home-based treatments, and the timely delivery of essential medical supplies - was severely lacking.

Taken together, these narratives present a sobering portrait of how patient safety and trust can be undermined by delays, inconsistent communication, and staffing challenges in a home health agency setting. The firsthand accounts emphasize the real-world consequences of administrative gaps: ER visits, uncertain management of IV therapies and catheter care, and the emotional toll of feeling unsupported at vulnerable moments. They also underscore a critical truth about home health care: the quality of care is not only about the presence of helpful aides, but about reliable systems that ensure continuity, safety, and timely access to essential medical resources. While there are glimmers of positive interaction, particularly from Eunice and Jeanne, the overarching message is a call for substantial changes in responsiveness, coordination, and accountability within the agency to protect patients and earn trust.

This part of El Cajon, California, offers a variety of amenities that cater to the needs of seniors. There are several pharmacies nearby, including Walmart Pharmacy, Walgreens, and CVS Pharmacy, ensuring easy access to medication and healthcare services. In terms of medical care, there are multiple physicians' offices and clinics within a short distance. Additionally, there are plenty of dining options ranging from fast food chains like Jack In The Box to sit-down restaurants like Saray Restaurant and Black Bear Diner. For those who enjoy coffee or tea, there are several Starbucks locations as well as local cafes such as CroBean and The Simple Coffee House. Nearby places of worship like Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and Foothills Christian Church offer spiritual support for residents. Parks like Shadow Hill Park and Mount Helix Park provide opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. In terms of healthcare facilities, Stanford Court Nursing Home and Sharp Grossmont Hospital Brier Patch are easily accessible in case of medical emergencies. Transportation options like the Grossmont Transit Center make it convenient for seniors to get around the area. Overall, this part of El Cajon provides a mix of healthcare services, dining options, recreational activities, and transportation accessibility that may appeal to seniors looking for a vibrant community to retire in.

Pharmacies

• Walmart Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.8 miles)
• Health Mart Pharmacy (3.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.2 miles)

Physicians

• Pushpanjalie Wijeratne, MD (1.5 miles)
• Elahe Toulouie, MD (2 miles)
• Dr Dominguez And Dr Ancona-Young Office (3.1 miles)
• Fereshteh Jahanpanah Medical Clinic (3.7 miles)
• West Coast Eye Care & Acuity Eye Group - Alpine (7.1 miles)
• Southern Indian Health Council (10.3 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Vandever Medical Offices (11.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Jack In The Box (2.1 miles)
• Jack In The Box (2.4 miles)
• Saray Restaurant (2.6 miles)
• Mal Al Sham (3.7 miles)
• Jack In The Box (3.7 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (4.1 miles)
• Black Bear Diner El Cajon (4.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.2 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Starbucks (6.1 miles)
• The Simple Coffee House (8.4 miles)
• CroBean (8.6 miles)
• Starbucks (8.9 miles)
• Starbucks (9.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Cathollc Church (2.9 miles)
• Foothills Christian Church (3.7 miles)
• El Camino Grace Church (4.3 miles)
• Skyline Church (6 miles)
• Corpus Christi Church (12.4 miles)
• Saint Gregory The Great Catholic Church (12.7 miles)

Parks

• Shadow Hill Park (3.5 miles)
• Town Center Community Park (5 miles)
• Mount Helix Park (5.9 miles)
• Iron Mountain Trailhead (11.8 miles)
• Semillon Boulevard. Mini Park (12 miles)
• Old Poway Park (13.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Stanford Court Nursing (5 miles)
• Sharp Grossmont Hospital Brier Patch (6.5 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center/Kaiser Foundation Hospital (11.4 miles)
• Sharp Soc (13.4 miles)

Transportation

• Grossmont Transit Center (6.9 miles)

Theaters

• AMC DINE-IN Poway 1 (12.4 miles)