Griswold Home Care - Harford and Cecil County, MD in Bel Air, MD

Pros

• The caregivers have been very helpful in allowing their mother to stay at home.
• Being at home enables her to maintain routines that bring her happiness.
• Ashley J. provides wonderful care.
• Ashley excels and exceeds expectations in all aspects of caregiving.
• Ashley adapts to changing needs and learns new therapy techniques to maintain consistent care.
• Ashley proactively handles additional tasks without being asked.
• Ashley has stepped into the role and consistently performs above and beyond; she is a stellar aide.
• Griswold offers flexible scheduling for clients.
• Griswold makes every effort to arrange a substitute quickly when an aide calls out.
• The office staff are responsive and provide last-minute help when needed.
• Ebony Knuckles provides exceptional care and brings joy to the home.
• Georgie is amazing, kind, and caring; the father looks forward to seeing her.

Cons

• The company is described as not stellar.
• There has been frequent weekend aide turnover - about seven different aides in a year.
• Several aides quit abruptly or did not show up as scheduled.
• Weekend support and communication are a recurring company issue, causing inconsistency.
• Communication with the company has deteriorated after a major staff shake-up.
• The staffing changes have brought in many new aides and resulted in a drop in the quality of care.
• The background checks on workers are poor.
• The company could not provide service on weekends due to selectivity of workers.

Review

Griswold Home Care in Bel Air serves families who want in-home care that prioritizes a familiar routine and one-on-one attention, with the flexibility to adjust quickly to changing needs. This community is best suited for seniors who value staying at home, connecting with caregivers through regular, person-centered interactions, and benefiting from caregivers who can blend basic daily support with cognitive or physical activity - especially when dementia-appropriate engagement and familiar routines matter. Those who require sporadic, short-term help or who are seeking a hands-off arrangement may still find value in Griswold, but the real payoff comes from a strong, consistent pairings with individual aides who can integrate into the home long-term.

Carefully consider alternatives if ongoing scheduling instability and uneven caregiver quality are non-negotiables. Families that cannot tolerate frequent weekend turnover, abrupt aide changes, or persistent miscommunications with a suddenly reorganized office staff may be better served by another agency or by a private-care arrangement. The strongest warning signs are repeated caregiver replacements on weekends, inconsistent attendance, and reports that office communication has deteriorated during staffing upheavals. For those needing reliably predictable weekend support or a guaranteed continuity of care, exploring other options - especially providers with a documented track record of stable staffing - is prudent.

The most compelling strengths of Griswold lie in its care personnel and the responsiveness that accompanies a well-matched aide. When paired with the right caregiver, the service shines: aides who go beyond the listed duties, adapt to evolving needs, and bring personal warmth to daily routines. Ashley J stands out as a paradigmatic example - consistently dependable, quick to learn new therapies, and willing to assume extra tasks without prompting. Ebony, Pam, and several other caregivers receive repeated praise for attentiveness, engagement, and the ability to sustain meaningful activity with clients. The advantage of having a broad pool of caregivers is real: families often report that, with the right match, companionship, cognitive stimulation, and practical help arrive with a high degree of reliability, and last-minute requests can be accommodated when the office coordinates effectively.

Yet the main drawbacks temper those strengths. The most recurring concerns center on weekend staffing: multiple aides cycling in and out, with some not showing up or leaving shifts early. This disrupts continuity at a time when familiar routines and trusted helpers are most important. Office communication has also been uneven during periods of staff turnover, leading to miscommunications about who is scheduled, when they arrive, and what services will be provided. The reviews flag a broader issue with personnel screening and ongoing quality control, including worries about background checks and the presence of aides whose qualifications or behavior did not align with families' expectations. For families who prize a consistently calm and well-supervised care environment, these are substantial factors.

The pros can offset the cons to a meaningful degree - but only under disciplined management and with careful caregiver pairing. When a family connects with an exceptional aide, the benefits - timely help, tailored support, and a companion who engages and motivates - can dramatically improve daily life and reduce caregiver stress for family members. The flexible scheduling is a tangible asset for households juggling medical appointments, therapy sessions, and variable energy levels, and the agency's willingness to provide last-minute support addresses real-time crises. However, the counterweight is substantial: without stable weekend staff and reliable office communication, even excellent individual caregivers can't fully mitigate the disruption caused by frequent substitutions and unclear service gaps. Prospective clients should assess whether the local office can ensure continuity and how a preferred caregiver might be prioritized in ongoing scheduling.

For families considering Griswold, a practical approach is essential. Insist on a concrete, written plan that names preferred caregivers (and a secondary back-up), including weekend coverage commitments and reasonable lead times for changes. Request a dedicated care coordinator who can consistently communicate about schedules, changes, and care goals. Before committing, pilot a period with a primary caregiver and a clearly defined back-up, and set explicit expectations for response times to questions or urgent requests. If the office demonstrates stable leadership and a track record of maintaining continuity for weekends and holidays, Griswold can deliver highly personalized, home-based care that keeps a loved one comfortable and engaged. If not, it is wise to compare with other providers or even consider alternative care models that emphasize uninterrupted weekend staffing and stricter quality controls.

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (0.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (2.4 miles)
• Wegmans (2.6 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Infinite Medical Expre (0.4 miles)
• MyEyeDr (1.1 miles)
• Thomas, Ronald E, Md - Medical Health Group-Bel Air (2.6 miles)
• Advanced Dermatology Bel Air (2.7 miles)
• Dental One Associates of Bel Air (2.8 miles)
• UM Harford Primary Care at Box Hill (2.8 miles)
• Box Hill Pediatrics (3.4 miles)

Restaurants

• La Bella Italia (0.4 miles)
• McDonald's (0.5 miles)
• Bull on the Turf (1.2 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2.3 miles)
• Panda Express (2.3 miles)
• McDonald's (2.4 miles)
• Conrad's Seafood Restaurant - Abingdon (2.7 miles)

Transportation

• Edgewood MARC Station (1.1 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Bel Air Cinema (1.9 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (6.5 miles)
• Starbucks (7.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (4.8 miles)
• Upper Chesapeake Medical Center (6.6 miles)
• MedStar Health at Bel Air Medical Campus (7.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Open Bible Christian Academy (6.3 miles)
• Saint Mark Roman Catholic Church (7.8 miles)

Parks

• Dundee Creek Fishing Area (6.4 miles)
• Marshy Point Nature Center (6.6 miles)
• Colonial Acres Playground (7.2 miles)
• Eastern Regional Park (7.4 miles)
• Rockfield Park (7.7 miles)
• Honeygo Run Regional Park (8.2 miles)