Geriatric Home Care Specialists

Pros

• The group is described as the best they've ever been treated by.
• The doctors within the group have been fantastic.
• The staff is friendly, responsive, and helpful.
• Everyone they interacted with took genuine concern for their health.
• They highly recommend the group.
• Dr. Bathia is excellent and goes above and beyond conventional treatment paradigms, staying up to date on the latest research to bring creative approaches to patients.
• The front desk was helpful.
• There were no scheduling issues.
• They would recommend Dr. Bathia to runners and athletes, as well as others seeking an informed approach to pain.
• Dr. Rakkar is very sweet and very knowledgeable for injections.
• Dr. David Smollins is a very well-educated physician and more compassionate than most pain specialists.
• Dr. Smollin is the most caring doctor on a personal and professional level.
• He has changed the patient's whole quality of life.
• He takes time to listen and to help or suggest things for patients' personal lives.
• Dr. Elaine Date listens well, is very friendly and very professional.

Cons

• The reviewer states Dr. Bathia did not send the prescription to the pharmacy nor contact Sequoia Pain Center.
• They claim she does not care about patients and is primarily concerned with billing from insurance.
• The reviewer describes Dr. Bathia and her staff as incompetent.
• They call the experience a waste of time, noting a 3.5-week delay during an acute thoracic pain episode.
• They say the center is unorganized and a rip-off.
• They report being charged $332 for a follow-up call that was described as useless.
• They say scheduling and insurance authorizations were dragged out, leading to a missed timely injection.
• One reviewer states the visit was not explained, including costs, leaving them with out-of-pocket expenses.

Review

The experiences shared about this pain management group run a wide spectrum, from almost uniformly positive to clearly frustrated and negative. On the bright side, many patients describe a compassionate, responsive team and a culture that makes them feel heard and cared for. One reviewer called it "the best group I've ever been treated by," noting that after years of seeing multiple doctors within the same group, "they have all been fantastic." They praised the front desk staff as "friendly, responsive, and helpful," adding that "everyone I interacted with took genuine concern for my health." The overall impression for these patients is that the group is capable of delivering thoughtful, patient-centered care, with a sense that their wellbeing is genuinely prioritized.

A number of patients highlighted the quality and approach of specific clinicians, especially Dr. Neeta Bathia. One reviewer lauded her as "excellent" and said she "goes above and beyond the conventional treatment paradigms" and stays "up to date on the latest research to bring creative approaches to patients." This same reviewer also recommended her to runners and athletes for pain management, particularly noting ultrasound-guided injections for IT band pain. The impression here is that Dr. Bathia can blend current research with practical, active-treatment strategies to provide relief that feels informed and targeted.

Yet, alongside these positives, there are substantial criticisms that surface repeatedly, centering on communication, scheduling, and administrative responsiveness. Some patients report frustration with prescriptions and coordination of care, such as a case where Dr. Bathia did not send a prescription to the pharmacy or contact Sequoia Pain Center, leaving the patient to chase down the necessary steps. Another reviewer described a pattern of "dragging their feet" on insurance authorizations and scheduling injections, leading to missed opportunities and schedules that diverged from medical advice. The tension between clinical care and administrative follow-through is a recurring theme for those with less favorable experiences.

The negative experiences also extend to specific encounters that left patients feeling misled or rushed. One patient recounted an experience where the doctor's advice about timing an epidural injection clashed with what the office staff could actually arrange, and repeated follow-ups with assistants yielded "the run around" instead of concrete scheduling. There are accounts of long waits, delays in addressing acute pain, and a sense that the system prioritizes billing or logistics over timely care. In one case, a patient described an emergency thoracic pain episode followed by a 3.5-week wait for a check-in, only to be told to call back if it flared up again - an experience that felt dismissive to someone in ongoing discomfort.

Within the same vein of mixed reviews, a few patients singled out other clinicians in the group for criticism. A patient with thoracic outlet syndrome described a frustrating sequence: a $400 consult, a suggestion to rule out surgery with a Stanford vascular surgeon, and then an additional $1200 out-of-pocket for a limited call that did not resolve the pain. The patient felt misled about costs and services, noting that the practice appeared disorganized and that the overall experience did not justify the outlay. Conversely, other patients have praised some colleagues for being professional and capable while lamenting the broader administrative inefficiencies that colored their visits.

Amid the criticisms, some narratives celebrate the positive, patient-centered voices within the same practice. For instance, several patients spoke highly of Dr. Elaine Date, describing her as someone who listens well, remains friendly and professional, and provides care with empathy - traits that stood out against a backdrop of scheduling challenges in other parts of the system. One reviewer confessed they see Dr. Date as a model of how care should be delivered, even though they sometimes faced barriers in getting timely appointments and medications. The sentiment here is clear: when the right doctor is available and the communication works as it should, the experience can be markedly positive.

Another thread among the reviews is the contrast between some clinicians who are seen as exceptionally compassionate and thorough and others who are perceived as hurried or insufficiently attentive. Dr. David Smollins emerges as a particularly admired figure; one patient described him as "a very well-educated physician who is a great deal more compassionate than most pain specialists," and another spoke of his ability to transform their quality of life over several years. This patient-centric praise underscores that, in this group, there are standout providers who prioritize listening, time, and genuine care - qualities that drastically affect a patient's sense of relief and trust.

Overall, the collection paints a hospital-like clinical group with pockets of excellence and pockets of concern. The stories of empathy, careful injections, and up-to-date medical thinking sit alongside grievances about billing, scheduling, and inconsistent communication. For some patients, the experience is defined by a clinician's skill and a supportive front desk team; for others, it's marred by delays, unclear costs, and frustration with how administrative processes intersect with medical care. Those considering care here would be wise to seek out the specific doctor's track record for timely communication and clear cost expectations, and to prepare for potential variability depending on the provider and the administrative team involved. In the end, the group holds the potential for meaningful relief and compassionate care, but that potential seems to rise or fall more on the day-to-day management of scheduling, communication, and cost than on any single overarching philosophy.

This area of San Mateo, California is conveniently located with many essential amenities nearby. There are several pharmacies within a short distance, as well as multiple parks for leisurely walks and outdoor activities. The neighborhood offers easy access to public transportation, including the Hillsdale Station and various healthcare facilities such as physicians' offices and hospitals. Additionally, there are a variety of cafes and restaurants in the area for dining out or grabbing a cup of coffee. Overall, this part of San Mateo provides a comfortable and convenient living environment for seniors looking to settle down in a bustling yet accessible community.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)

Parks

• Central Park (1 miles)
• Laurelwood Park (1.7 miles)
• Leo J Ryan Memorial Park (2.5 miles)
• Washington Park (2.8 miles)
• Coyote Point County Park (2.9 miles)
• Marlin Park (3.8 miles)
• Highlands Park (4.4 miles)

Theaters

• Cinepolis San Mateo (1 miles)

Transportation

• Hillsdale Station (1.2 miles)
• San Carlos Airport (SQL) (4.2 miles)
• San Carlos Airport Control Tower (4.4 miles)
• Millbrae Caltrain Station (5.3 miles)
• Boarding Area C (5.9 miles)
• Delta Sky Club (5.9 miles)
• Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (5.9 miles)

Physicians

• Bundy Opticians (1.2 miles)
• California Skin Institute (1.6 miles)
• Urology: San Carlos Center: Palo Alto Medical Foundation (3.9 miles)
• Redwood City Women's Health Center (5.9 miles)
• California Skin Institute (6 miles)
• Kaiser RWC Birch Building (6.5 miles)
• Coastside Clinic (8.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Mills-Peninsula Radiology (1.3 miles)
• San Mateo Medical Center (1.5 miles)
• Mills-Peninsula Health Services (4.8 miles)
• Sequoia Hospital (5.8 miles)
• A & C Convalescent Hospital (5.8 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center (6.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)
• San Francisco Giants Clubhouse (6.4 miles)
• Philz Coffee (6.4 miles)
• Coffeebar (6.5 miles)
• Starbucks (8.6 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (2.6 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (4 miles)
• New England Lobster Market & Eatery (5 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (5.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (5.8 miles)
• Lark Creek Grill (6 miles)
• Yankee Pier (6.2 miles)