A First Name Basis - Lake Charles

Pros

• The company has great staff members and caregivers.
• The supervisor and office staff are very supportive.
• The staff are nice and shifts are manageable.
• The workplace is great and family-oriented.
• The service provider strives to keep a sitter and has had good, helpful employees.
• The office staff are friendly and nice.
• The staff stays on point with clients.
• The team works together to ensure the highest level of care with professional and experienced caregivers.

Cons

• The company struggles to keep up with changes in the client's work schedule, indicating scheduling inflexibility.
• Scheduling is highly variable and staff can end up locked into shifts when short-handed.
• A home health care aide was unreliable and failed to show up as scheduled.
• A subsequent aide complained about tasks (cleaning the kitchen) and the agency limited what "light housework" entails, frustrating the client.
• Office staff were rude on the phone, leading to termination of the contract.
• The agency argued with the client and was rude and inconsiderate to a disabled veteran.
• There were days without workers or only partial hours, causing the care to fall back on elderly parents.
• The reviewer would not recommend the company and would think twice about using it, especially outside hospice.

Review

Across the board, the reviews paint a picture of a home-care company that is buoyed by its people. Many commenters highlight the staff and caregivers as the strongest asset: supportive supervisors, friendly office staff, and a team that genuinely cares for clients. The tone is consistently positive about the culture, with references to a family-oriented atmosphere that makes the workplace feel like a close-knit community. In short, the human element stands out as the defining feature for most of the experiences shared.

One veteran caregiver describes a long, stable relationship with the company, having worked there since 2019. They emphasize that the staff have always been nice and that shifts are manageable, which translates into a reliable routine for both the caregiver and the clients. This reviewer would readily recommend the company to others, underscoring a sense of trust and consistency that has grown over several years. The sentiment is less about formal policies and more about day-to-day support and the feeling that colleagues have each other's backs.

Several reviewers go further to celebrate the workplace culture itself. The organization is described as great and family-oriented, a place where people like working and where teamwork seems to matter. The appreciation is not only for the clients they serve but for the collegial environment that makes it feel like a supportive extended family. When combined with praise for the office staff, this portrayal suggests that the organization succeeds at balancing professional caregiving with a warm, human-centered approach.

However, between the lines there are visible challenges tied to scheduling and the realities of caregiving for a person with complex needs. One reviewer with an 86-year-old deaf mother notes that First Name Basis makes a strong effort to keep a sitter engaged, but the primary obstacle is aligning the sitter's schedule with changes in the client's life. The client does not have a traditional 9-to-5 job, nor holidays or weekends off, which means shifts can vary dramatically - from early daytime to late evening - and a reliable sitter can be hard to lock in when the company is short-handed. After eight years, they have finally found someone who genuinely cares, but the day-to-day task of matching schedules remains a persistent friction point.

Other accounts of the office experience skew positive on the interpersonal side. One reviewer mentions not having real complaints and compliments the inside office staff for being friendly and nice. Another emphasizes that the staff stay on point with clients, suggesting that the organization's core mission - high-quality client care - is being upheld through diligent, dependable service.

On the more negative end, a single reviewer recounts a distinctly unsatisfactory experience. They describe unreliable home health aides, a subsequent aide who complained about doing light housework, and a lack of clarity about what "light housework" entails. The reviewer reports rude phone interactions and a decision to terminate the contract, concluding with a harsh recommendation against using the company unless hospice care is involved, and even then with reservations. This account stands in contrast to the otherwise positive tone and serves as a cautionary note about expectations and communication.

Support for high-quality care also comes in the form of praise for teamwork. One review highlights a Great Team of People working together to ensure the highest level of care by ensuring caregivers are professional and experienced. It underscores that when the team collaborates effectively, clients receive a higher standard of service, with caregivers who bring a sense of professionalism and depth of experience to their roles.

Finally, staffing consistency - or the lack thereof - emerges as a practical concern in another review. The reviewer notes days without workers and others with only a portion of the allotted hours, leading to caregiving duties falling back on elderly family members. This perspective highlights a real-world strain: even in a company with strong cultural values and supportive leadership, the availability of qualified caregivers can dramatically affect a family's ability to maintain continuous care for a loved one.

Taken together, the collection of reviews presents a balanced portrait: a company that is deeply valued for its people, culture, and commitment to compassionate care, yet occasionally challenged by scheduling complexities and staffing fluctuations. For clients and families, the message is clear - trustworthy, personable office staff and a cohesive caregiver team can deliver meaningful support, even as the practical realities of caregiving demand ongoing flexibility and robust staffing.

Pharmacies

• Gordon's Pharmacy And Fine Gifts (0.3 miles)
• Gordons Drug Store (0.3 miles)
• Kroger Family Center (1.2 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• Southwest La Hospital Association (2.3 miles)
• Kroger Pharmacy (2.9 miles)

Physicians

• Lake Charles Medical & Surgical Clinic (0.5 miles)
• St Patrick Hospital-Lk Chrl (0.6 miles)
• Ochsner Health Center - Urology (0.6 miles)
• Open Air Mri of Lake Charles (0.6 miles)
• Radiology Specialist (0.7 miles)
• Qureshi Nauman Dr (0.7 miles)
• Wayne A McClure, Od (0.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Calla (0.6 miles)
• Shwarmas (0.9 miles)
• 121 Artisan Bistro (0.9 miles)
• Fiery Crab (1 miles)
• Beauxdines (1.1 miles)
• Great Khan Mongolian Grill (1.1 miles)
• Olive Garden (1.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Extended Care of Southwest Louisiana (0.7 miles)
• Nami (0.7 miles)
• Avail Health Lake Charles Hospital (1.6 miles)
• Women & Children's Hosp Med (2.1 miles)
• Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (2.2 miles)
• Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Wound Care Center (2.3 miles)
• Lake Charles Urgent Care (3 miles)

Parks

• Prien Lake Mall Playground (0.7 miles)
• Lake Charles Veteran's Memorial Park (1.5 miles)
• Lake Charles Historic District (1.7 miles)
• Prien Lake Park (2.5 miles)

Cafes

• Zeus Cafe (0.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (1.4 miles)
• The Charleston Bistro (1.6 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Sassy Oil & Vinegar (2.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2.9 miles)
• Fatboyz Kitchen Table (3.4 miles)

Transportation

• Hertz Rent A Car (1.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Word Of Hope Family Worship (2 miles)
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church (2.3 miles)
• Trinity Baptist Church (2.8 miles)