Select Home Health

Pros

• The first nurse they worked with was friendly.

Cons

• The oncall nurse was horribly rude.
• The oncall nurse could not provide the services agreed upon with the company.
• An emergency room visit was necessary to insert an NG tube.
• The incident resulted in substantial costs for the family.
• Additional costs were incurred for childcare and having to take their sick son outside the home for a simple procedure.
• The service did not meet contractual obligations.
• The company appeared rude and ill-equipped to handle simple contracted tasks.

Review

From the moment we engaged with the service, there was a sense of uneven care that ultimately strained what should have been a straightforward, dependable arrangement. Our initial experience with the first nurse felt hopeful: friendly, attentive, and capable in a way that aligned with the expectations we had when we signed on with the company. That early impression stood in stark contrast to what followed when the primary nurse went on vacation and we were handed over to an on-call nurse. The contrast between the two experiences was striking, and it set the tone for the difficulties that would unfold.

The on-call nurse who arrived on 08/17/2013 left a lasting negative impression due to behavior that could only be described as horribly rude. There wasn't just a lack of warmth or bedside manner; the interaction felt dismissive and unprofessional in a way that undermined the trust we had placed in the service. For a family already navigating a stressful health situation, encountering rudeness from someone who was supposed to help and support us added an emotional burden that was entirely avoidable. This wasn't just about personal temper; it signaled a broader issue of how patient care and communication were being managed during a time when reliable support was most needed.

Compounding the problem was the responsibility gap created by the on-call arrangement. The on-call nurse was unable to provide the services that had been agreed upon as part of the contract with the company. The expectation was that the contracted team would maintain continuity of care, even when the regular nurse was away, but that did not materialize. It wasn't merely a matter of schedules being off; it was a breakdown in the assurances that form the backbone of the service agreement. The inability to deliver promised care at a time when a sick child required attention left us in a no-win situation, pushing us toward seeking care outside the home because the contracted provider could not meet the agreed obligations.

The escalation from unmet promises to a hospital admission was jarring. We found ourselves making an emergency room visit to have a nasogastric (NG) tube inserted for our sick child - a procedure that, in a best-case scenario, should be manageable in the home setting or at least coordinated with minimal disruption when a reliable provider is on call. Instead, the failure to deliver the contracted services forced us to seek emergency care. The course of events was a stark reminder of how gaps in on-call coverage and professional conduct can translate into real, tangible medical and logistical consequences, with the hospital setting becoming the next recourse because home-based support fell through.

Financial and practical costs mounted quickly. Beyond the obvious medical procedure costs, there were significant ancillary expenses that amplified the impact of this failure. The experience required additional childcare arrangements, time off work, and the emotional toll of coordinating care for a sick child while trying to keep other duties and responsibilities afloat. The result was a substantial financial burden, compounded by the disruption to our daily life and the stress of navigating an emergency scenario that should have been avoided with adequate, reliable in-home support.

In sum, the episode left us with a lingering impression of service that did not align with the contractual commitments we were led to expect. The on-call experience - paired with the rude demeanor and the inability to fulfill agreed-upon tasks - raised serious questions about the reliability and professionalism of the service. The difference between a friendly, capable first nurse and the subsequent on-call encounter underscored a systemic issue: when the on-call coverage fails, the consequences ripple outward, affecting not just patient comfort but safety, trust, and financial stability.

What followed, ultimately, was a warning about the level of service we encountered. The experience suggested that the company's on-call coverage and the readiness to perform contracted tasks were not up to the standard required to protect families in times of need. The negative interaction with the on-call nurse, combined with the failure to provide the services promised, suggested a pattern that could jeopardize patient care and family well-being when the primary caregiver is unavailable. This is a situation to be wary of, especially for families relying on contracted support for sensitive health needs.

If others find themselves in a similar situation, a careful review of the service agreement and a direct conversation about expectations and contingencies could be prudent steps. It may also be appropriate to document incidents of unprofessional conduct and missed obligations, and to explore remedies through formal feedback channels or escalation within the organization. The core message here is clear: when contracted care is supposed to be seamless and reliable, lapses in staffing, courtesy, and capability can lead to unnecessary medical and financial consequences for families already navigating illness.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.8 miles)
• Walgreens (4.2 miles)
• Walgreens (4.4 miles)

Physicians

• Panorama Orthopedic (1.6 miles)
• Advanced Medical Imaging (2.2 miles)
• Northern Hematology Oncology (2.5 miles)
• Partners In Health Family Medicine (2.7 miles)
• Complete Family Medicine (3 miles)
• Rocky Mountain Primary Care (4.8 miles)
• Highlands Integrative Pediatrics (4.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Grogans Pub (2.3 miles)
• Old Chicago (3.6 miles)
• Brewskies Pub & Grill (4.2 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (4.3 miles)
• Chubby Burger Drive Inn (4.3 miles)
• Illegal Pete's (4.3 miles)
• Domino's Pizza (4.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Wat Buddhawararam (3.6 miles)

Theaters

• Alamo Drafthouse Westminster (3.6 miles)
• AMC Westminster Promenade 24 (5.4 miles)

Cafes

• The Radiator (3.8 miles)
• Huckleberry Roasters (3.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.3 miles)
• Improper City (4.8 miles)
• Crema Coffee House (5 miles)
• The Bardo Coffee House (5.4 miles)

Parks

• Rocky Mountain Lake Park (3.8 miles)
• Yorkborough Park (4 miles)
• Berkeley Leashless Dog Park (4.3 miles)
• Berkeley Park (4.5 miles)
• César Chávez Park (4.6 miles)
• Fairmount Park (4.6 miles)
• Confluence Park (5.3 miles)

Transportation

• RTD Rail - 38th & Blake Station (4.5 miles)