Benchmark Health Corp.

Pros

• None observed; the provided reviews are negative about Benchmark Senior Living.
• If you'd like, I can help reframe the feedback into constructive or neutral statements for reporting.

Cons

• Benchmark is described as putting on a "dog and pony show" and delivering poor caregiving.
• They allegedly rotated through nearly a dozen caregivers, with time theft and senior endangerment.
• Benchmark is accused of sending the worst possible caregivers and blaming the staffing shortage for it.
• The company is said to do the bare minimum because they are paid through the county, leading to poor staff retention.
• They reportedly reported the family to the county for the damages of an insufficient work ethic.
• A caregiver is claimed to have left mid-shift, with excuses about substitutions that never materialized.
• A nurse assistant is described as underqualified and neglectful, and management as rude and argumentative.
• Drivers are accused of using cell phones while driving, and a nurse was said to be weaving on the road while looking at her phone.
• The reviewer asserts that Benchmark caused physical, mental, and emotional harm, including falls and a hospital stay for their loved one.

Review

A family's experience with Benchmark, a caregiver company once recommended through DuPage County Senior Services, reads like a cautionary tale about reliability, safety, and how a well-intentioned referral can fail families in need. The account begins with the sense that Benchmark should have its act together, given its backers and the credibility of the program that suggested it. Instead, the family describes a sequence of disorienting and unsettling events that left them with far more stress and risk than support.

From the start, the family says the service delivered something they k?new all too well in the health care world - a "dog and pony show." They say they went through nearly a dozen caregivers, a revolving door that never seemed to stabilize into a dependable routine. The reviewer accuses Benchmark of time theft and senior endangerment, insisting that the company would send the least capable people available and blame the scarcity of workers for the poor hires. The impression given is that the company's claim of difficulty in finding caregivers was a convenient excuse that did not reflect sincere effort or proper screening.

A central thread in the critique is the problem with communication and reliability. The family urges others to document everything and to tell DuPage County Senior Services to remove Benchmark from its approved list. They emphasize a series of no-call/no-show incidents, mid-shift departures, and a stubborn pattern of not replacing caregivers who disappeared or stopped showing up. They contend that even when a replacement was promised, it never materialized, and the explanation - "we're looking for someone to substitute" - was dismissed as BS by the reviewer. The tone suggests a pattern rather than isolated mishaps, painting a picture of ongoing disruption that compromised daily care routines.

The financial or organizational structure behind Benchmark is also a point of contention. The reviewers argue that because the company is paid through the county, Benchmark appears to do the bare minimum. This, they claim, translates into high turnover, noncompetitive retention of staff, and a lack of accountability for consistently missing shifts. The sense conveyed is that being funded or paid through a public system may have dulled the incentive to maintain reliable staffing, leaving families with the impression that staff stability - a core element of quality home care - was never achieved.

The family recounts a particularly troubling moment where Benchmark reportedly "reported us to the county for the damages of an insufficient work ethic." The implication is not merely a complaint about service quality but a retaliatory dynamic - an interaction where the company used a formal complaint or report as a weapon against the client. They describe a caregiver who left in the middle of a shift, and the company's excuses about "shipping containers" or other grandiose reasons for the problem, which they dismissed as nonsense. The overarching message is that the excuses felt hollow and evasive in the face of demonstrable care gaps and safety concerns.

The impact on the client, specifically the reviewer's mother, is described in stark terms. The reviewer asserts that their mother fell many times under Benchmark's watch, eventually requiring hospital care and ongoing home health services - nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy that continue to this day. They suggest that the sequence of caregiving failures contributed to avoidable harm and ongoing health consequences, and they hint at consideration of legal action as a potential recourse. The one-star rating attached to this experience is framed not as a mild dislike but as a judgment of the physical, mental, and emotional harm endured by the family.

There is also a broader, second facet of the experience that touches on other services Benchmark offers. The reviewer recounts a separate, negative experience with Benchmark's "Senior living assistance," where the nurse assistant was described as underqualified and neglectful. Management is characterized as rude, with claims that staff would speak over the family and that the care providers behaved with a level of neglect similar to the worst of what the reviewers had already seen. The reviewers also note issues with the drivers, insisting they need to focus on the road and refrain from cell-phone use, while one nurse was described as weaving all over the road looking down at her phone. Taken together, these anecdotes suggest a broader pattern of care that families found unsafe and unprofessional rather than supportive.

In total, the narratives present Benchmark as a company with a troubling track record in the eyes of these clients. The reviewers express deep concern about patient safety, caregiver reliability, and the overall quality of care, arguing that the combination of frequent caregiver turnover, repeated absences, insufficient replacements, and perceived mismanagement created a hazardous environment for vulnerable loved ones. The sentiment is clear: despite the promises of support and the appearance of formal processes, the lived experience fell far short of what families expect when entrusting care to others.

For anyone considering Benchmark, the accounts urge caution. They emphasize the importance of thorough documentation, direct communication with caregiver coordinators, and proactive reporting to county programs when care becomes unreliable or unsafe. The core warning is that a service may appear legitimate or well-intentioned on paper, but actual practice can fall disastrously short, with real consequences for a family's most vulnerable members. The reviewers' takeaway is simple and strong: prioritize safety, insist on dependable staffing, and be prepared to push back against barriers and excuses if care standards are not being met.

This area of Chicago, Illinois offers a convenient location with a variety of amenities nearby. There are several pharmacies within a short distance for easy access to medical supplies and prescriptions. A selection of dining options ranging from fast food to casual dining establishments are available within a few miles. Transportation options include bus terminals and the Cta for easy travel around the city. There are also theaters, parks, and cafes for leisure activities. Nearby hospitals and physicians provide convenient healthcare options for seniors looking to settle in the area. Overall, this neighborhood offers a mix of convenience and entertainment, making it a desirable location for senior living in Chicago.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Superdawg Drive-In (0.6 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (1.7 miles)
• Culver's (2.9 miles)
• Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (3.7 miles)
• Portillo's Hot Dogs (4.9 miles)
• Panda Express (5.1 miles)
• McDonald's (5.4 miles)

Transportation

• Cta (1.6 miles)
• Jefferson Park Bus Terminal (1.6 miles)
• Cta (4.1 miles)
• O'Hare Multi-Modal Facility (5.2 miles)
• SAS Business Lounge (5.7 miles)
• Terminal 5 (5.7 miles)
• Cta (5.9 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Village Crossing Theatre (1.6 miles)
• AMC Rosemont 18 (4.5 miles)

Physicians

• Resurrection Medical Center Professional Building (1.8 miles)
• North Shore Physicians Group (2.6 miles)
• Physicians Cosmetic Institute (5.6 miles)

Parks

• Portage Park (2.5 miles)
• Independence Park (3.8 miles)
• Horner Park (4.6 miles)
• Warren Park (4.8 miles)
• Unity Playlot Park (5.4 miles)
• Logan Boulevard (5.7 miles)
• Dubkin Park (6 miles)

Hospitals

• Swedish Covenant Hospital Cancer Care (4.2 miles)
• Saint Francis Hospital (5.6 miles)
• Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (6.3 miles)
• Loyola Medicine Transport (6.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (5.2 miles)
• Little Beans Cafe (5.3 miles)
• Starbucks (5.5 miles)
• Starbucks (5.5 miles)
• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• Starbucks (6.2 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)