Allen Health Care Service in Forrest Hills, NY

Pros

• Elara Caring is described as very professional, with staff who prioritize both employees and patients.
• The aides are kind, caring, and attentive to patients’ needs.
• Destiny, the home aide coordinator, is consistently responsive and skilled at pairing aides to clients.
• The admin/office team is fantastic, keeps clients informed, and addresses questions.
• Elara Caring is praised as the home care agency of the future.
• The nursing team is thorough and provides consistently good follow-up.
• The staff go above and beyond for their clients.
• Sandra is described as the best aide they’ve had from any agency.

Cons

• The agency is horrible and unprofessional.
• Customer service is terrible and unhelpful.
• They never answer the phone and are rude and disrespectful.
• The coordinators are disorganized and do not communicate with clients.
• They lie to clients to get them to attend classes.
• Aides are underpaid and do not care for patients.
• They fail to pay on time and provide late or incorrect timesheets.

Review

This community is best suited for families that need flexible, at‑home care support and are prepared to actively oversee coordination and scheduling. Allen Health Care Service has access to a broad pool of aides and the capacity to tailor coverage across a week, but the experience hinges on the quality of the local office and the assigned coordinators. For households with moderate needs and the willingness to advocate for care, this agency can deliver meaningful assistance through caring aides and engaged coordinators when the right team is in place. However, the record also shows serious variability: some clients report excellent, compassionate care from individual aides while others describe chronic miscommunication, staffing gaps, and unhelpful management. In short, success depends less on the brand and more on the specific office, the assigned team, and the caregiver roster that plugs into the plan.

Who should consider alternatives? Any family prioritizing reliability above all else should scrutinize options beyond Allen. The most persistent red flags are difficulty reaching the office, prolonged hold times, vague or undisclosed case status, and frequent scheduling changes. Some reviews allege inaccurate verbal commitments, late or missing pay records, and repeated substitutions that erode continuity of care. For those requiring a steady, English-speaking aide, predictable scheduling, and a single point of contact for concerns, other agencies with stronger track records in customer service may be wiser. It also makes sense to compare to competitors with more transparent billing and guaranteed caregiver assignments, especially if there is a live‑in or around-the-clock need.

Pros do exist and matter when a stable, capable team takes the case. The strongest reports highlight compassionate aides who build rapport with patients, and coordinators who stay engaged, clarify expectations, and keep families informed. When a caregiver match works well, families praise punctuality, attentiveness, and hands‑on support that maintains dignity and comfort. Some clients also value administrative competence, the ability to schedule quickly, coordinate visits, and translate care plans into actionable daily routines. In offices where the workflow is efficient and the staff communicate clearly, the service feels professional, with caregivers who become trusted extensions of the family. These positives demonstrate what this agency can achieve in the right circumstances.

However, the scale of the negatives cannot be ignored. Common threads point to a fragmented customer experience: staff who are hard to reach, inappropriate or inconsistent guidance, and a lack of transparency about coverage. Reviews cite rude interactions, indifferent or slow responses, and frequent delays in scheduling or substitutions. Substantial complaints focus on mismanaged timekeeping and pay issues, with families reporting late or erroneous payroll information that erodes trust. The most troubling patterns describe aides who fail to show, or who require repeated replacement due to turnover, eroding continuity and forcing families to repeatedly reorient themselves. Taken together, these issues create a climate where ongoing advocacy becomes essential and risk tolerance is stretched.

Do the bright spots offset the drawbacks? For families that can lock in a dependable coordinator and a well‑matched caregiver, the positives can matter a great deal, comfort for the patient, reliable daily routines, and genuine warmth from caregivers. Yet the volume and seriousness of recurring complaints suggest that offsetting the main cons requires extraordinary oversight and a favorable local team. In many cases, the drawbacks are not incidental; they reflect systemic gaps in communication, consistency, and staffing. Prospects improve markedly when the family actively monitors care plans, insists on written schedules, and maintains direct contact with supervisors. Without that deliberate, hands‑on management, the cons tend to overwhelm the benefits.

Recommendation for families facing this decision is to approach with a candid plan and clear benchmarks. Request a dedicated, documented care plan with a fixed schedule and substitute coverage policy; insist on a primary, English-speaking point of contact; ask for references from recent clients and their experience with continuity of care; confirm how billing and payroll will be handled and how errors will be corrected. Given the rebranding history from Allen to Elara Caring, verify current ownership, leadership, and local office stability; demand transparent communication about any staffing changes. Consider a trial period with a defined end date and a contingency plan if expectations are not met. If reliability, continuous caregiver assignment, and straightforward communication are non-negotiable, direct the search toward agencies with stronger reputations in those areas.

Nestled in the heart of Forest Hills, New York, this area offers a convenient and diverse array of amenities for seniors considering the area for retirement. With multiple transportation options nearby including subway stations and pharmacies within walking distance, residents can easily access essential services. The neighborhood is surrounded by several parks, providing plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. In addition, there are various dining options ranging from fast food chains to upscale restaurants, catering to a variety of tastes. For healthcare needs, there are physicians' offices and hospitals in close proximity, ensuring quality medical care is readily available. Overall, this part of Forest Hills offers a well-rounded and accommodating environment for seniors looking for a vibrant community to call home.

Transportation

• Forest Hills – 71st Avenue (0.2 miles)
• MTA Subway - Briarwood (1.7 miles)
• LIRR - Mets-Willets Point Station (2.2 miles)
• MTA - Mets-Willets Point Subway Station (2.3 miles)
• MTA - Sutphin Boulevard Subway Station (2.5 miles)
• LIRR - Jamaica Station (2.5 miles)
• LIRR - Jay / Hall Tower (2.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• Queens Crossing (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Luke's Episcopal Church (0.5 miles)

Parks

• Forest Park (1.2 miles)
• Flushing Meadows Corona Park (1.8 miles)
• Cunningham Park (4.2 miles)
• Astoria Park (5.2 miles)
• Alley Pond Park (5.3 miles)
• McCarren Park (5.3 miles)
• Herbert Von King Park (5.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Fresh Meadows 7 (3.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Taco Bell (3.8 miles)
• McDonald's (4.4 miles)
• Ikraveit Foods (5 miles)
• Burger King (5.4 miles)
• White Castle (5.8 miles)
• Kimbap Lab (5.9 miles)
• Bobby Van's Steakhouse (5.9 miles)

Cafes

• The West (5.5 miles)

Physicians

• David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (6.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Manhattan Psychiatric Center (6.4 miles)