Comfort Keepers of Stonybrook, NY

Pros

• Tomasa is praised for punctual, friendly, and reliable transportation to medical appointments.
• Comfort Keepers Centereach is described as attentive, compassionate, and top-notch in home care.
• Donna Rizzo Hayes is described as an amazing, empathetic, and proactive partner in setting up care.
• Kathy is described as a true professional who keeps families informed and efficiently manages scheduling.
• Aides Elona, Patrice, and Oneka are highly recommended for their excellent care.
• Nikki is described as supportive, compassionate, and patient for the caregiver role.
• The team is said to go above and beyond, providing tailored care plans and responsive service.
• Donna, Kathy, and Maureen in Centereach are highlighted as accessible, reliable, and supportive.
• The staff are noted for prompt follow-up and clear, thorough communication.
• Aides Ruth, Virginia, Debra, and Carol are described as kind, reliable, and punctual.
• Comfort Keepers helped families keep loved ones at home and maintain independence.
• The organization is consistently described as professional, caring, and forming a supportive team, earning high recommendations.

Cons

• These people don't want to take care of their elderly family; that's all, lazy lazy people.
• This agency is only paying $15 an hour - who would want to work for this pay rate?
• When you walk into these people's homes, they are filthy and very disrespectful.

Review

Comfort Keepers is consistently described as a dependable, compassionate partner for in-home care and transportation, with a strong emphasis on professional service, clear communication, and a genuine focus on the needs of families and their loved ones. In one of the more practical experiences shared, a patient relied on Comfort Keepers not only for a smooth home care arrangement but also for transportation to a medical procedure. The driver, Tomasa, was punctual and friendly, successfully getting the patient to and from Stony Brook Hospital without any issues. That straightforward reliability sets the tone for many of the other experiences, where timeliness and dependability are repeatedly highlighted as foundational strengths of the service.

Across Centereach, families repeatedly praise the team for their warmth, attentiveness, and compassion. The reviews consistently mention Donna in client onboarding and ongoing support as a central, reassuring presence. Kathy, who runs the local office, is described as professional and highly responsive, keeping lines of communication open and helping families feel informed and involved. After more than a year of working with Comfort Keepers, families say they are confident they made the right choice, noting that the entire staff - whether office staff or direct care aides - delivers care that feels personal and truly compassionate rather than transactional.

Caregivers named in these reviews - Elona, Patrice, Oneka, Ruth, Debra, Carol, Maureen, Virginia, Patricia, and others - are repeatedly characterized as reliable, patient, and skilled. Families appreciate aides who not only perform daily tasks but also provide companionship and emotional support. Several reviews specifically call out caregivers who went above and beyond, such as being present during difficult medical moments, holding hands to ease anxiety during tests, and tailoring care plans to fit changing health needs. The sentiment is that these caregivers become trusted members of the family's daily life, offering continuity and comfort that makes a tough situation more manageable.

Donna Rizzo Hayes and the broader Comfort Keepers team in Centereach emerge as especially pivotal in coordinating care. Donna is praised for being open, empathetic, and collaborative - an ally to both the patient and the family as they navigated new living arrangements or recovery periods. The reviews emphasize how Donna's approach - offering flexible solutions, staying accessible, and coordinating with doctors and other providers - has a meaningful impact on peace of mind. Nikki, described as supportive, compassionate, and patient, is highlighted as a standout caregiver, particularly for families who are geographically distant and rely on ongoing reassurance and strong contact with the agency.

Several testimonials celebrate the sense that Comfort Keepers provides "calm for the family in the midst of a storm." The agency is portrayed as more than a service; it's a trusted partner that helps families develop and adapt care plans, arrange transportation, and ensure that loved ones receive consistent, high-quality support. The sentiment is that the team becomes a second family to many clients, with aides who foster a sense of familiarity, safety, and dignity. The experiences recounted include detailed examples of care plans, regular updates, and proactive problem-solving that reassures loved ones and reduces the burden on anxious family members.

The breadth of positive experiences includes end-of-life and long-term care scenarios. One account notes that Comfort Keepers helped an older father remain independent and engaged well into his nineties, underscoring a longstanding commitment to dignified aging. After a stroke, another family emphasizes how the team - led by Donna and Kathy - facilitated a rapid and thoughtful setup of home care, with caregivers Debra and Carol providing reliable companionship and professional care. In these stories, Ruth and Virginia are among the aides praised for their compassionate support, highlighting a level of consistency and warmth that families rely on to maintain safety and comfort at home.

Not every review is without caveat. A minority voice expresses concerns about the agency's approach to staffing and compensation, suggesting frustration with perceived expectations around pay (noting a $15 per hour rate) and dissatisfaction with certain home environments. This viewpoint reflects the broader, inevitable tensions that can arise in the home-care industry and serves as a reminder that experiences can vary. While it's just one perspective amid many glowing testimonials, it emphasizes the importance of ongoing alignment between client expectations, caregiver support, and organizational policies.

Overall, the impressions conveyed across these reviews speak to a consistently positive and deeply human experience with Comfort Keepers. Families describe a capable, compassionate network shaped by dedicated office leadership and skilled, attentive caregivers who offer not only practical help but also emotional reassurance. Donna, Kathy, and the broader team in Centereach - and related coverage at Stony Brook - emerge as anchors of trust, guiding families through difficult health journeys with personalized care plans, transparent communication, and a steady hand in coordinating services, transportation, and in-home support. For many, Comfort Keepers represents more than care - it represents peace of mind and a reliable source of comfort when loved ones need it most.

Centereach, New York, offers a convenient and well-connected location for senior living. The area provides easy access to a variety of restaurants ranging from Golden Buffet to Chili's Grill & Bar, ensuring diverse dining options. Nearby pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy are available for any healthcare needs. Additionally, there are reputable physicians and healthcare facilities within close proximity, including Stony Brook Extended Care and Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology. For leisure activities, Centereach offers cafes like Starbucks and Nesconset Bagel Cafe for socializing, as well as parks like Selden Dog Park and Avalon Park & Preserve for outdoor recreation. In terms of entertainment, residents can visit theaters such as AMC Stony Brook 17 or Island 16 Cinema de Lux. Transportation is also easily accessible with Suffolk Transportation Coram and the LIRR Ronkonkoma Station nearby for travel convenience. Overall, Centereach presents a vibrant community with various amenities that cater to the needs of seniors looking for a comfortable and engaging living environment.

Restaurants

• Golden Buffet (0.8 miles)
• Denny's (0.9 miles)
• McDonald's (1 miles)
• Chili's Grill & Bar (1.3 miles)
• Burger King (1.7 miles)
• Lake Grove Diner (2 miles)
• Applebee's (2.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Selden Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Duane Reade (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)

Physicians

• Stony Brook Extended Care (1.1 miles)
• Geri Galotti (1.7 miles)
• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology (1.7 miles)
• Mark J Harary (1.8 miles)
• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology Group (1.8 miles)
• All Island Behavioral Health (1.9 miles)
• Stony Brook Orthopedics (2 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.8 miles)
• Student Activities Center (3.6 miles)
• Nesconset Bagel Cafe (4.2 miles)
• Crazy Beans (4.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.7 miles)
• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• Starbucks (5.8 miles)

Parks

• Selden Dog Park (2 miles)
• Avalon Park & Preserve (4.4 miles)
• Heritage Park (5.8 miles)
• West Meadow Beach (5.9 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Stony Brook 17 (2.2 miles)
• Regal Ronkonkoma (2.9 miles)
• Island 16 Cinema de Lux (4 miles)

Hospitals

• Main Lobby (3 miles)
• John T Mather Memorial Hospital (4.9 miles)
• St Charles Hospital (5.3 miles)

Transportation

• Suffolk Transportation Coram (4.2 miles)
• LIRR - Ronkonkoma Station (4.5 miles)
• TSA Security Check Point (5.7 miles)
• Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) (5.7 miles)
• Baggage Claim (5.7 miles)
• Mid Island Air Service (5.9 miles)