First Choice Home Care

Pros

• The aides are kind, considerate, and treat the mother with great respect and affection.
• The care provides the family with peace of mind.
• The agency's staff are responsive to the family's needs and treat them with kindness and respect.
• The owner is kind and goes above and beyond for clients.
• The aides deliver a high level of care and reliable attention to the mother.
• The agency has competent workers who are there for their patients.
• Satisfied clients would highly recommend the agency to others.
• The twice-weekly aide schedule provides consistent, compassionate care.

Cons

• The aides are described as lazy, uninformed, and poorly trained, with only 1 or 2 exceptions.
• The in-charge, Pamela, is depicted as ruthless and treating care as strictly business.
• The coordinator allegedly threatens to pull aides from the home to avoid paying overtime.
• The agency is accused of refusing to keep the same aide long term, prioritizing money.
• One aide allegedly scolded and berated the 92-year-old mother for urinating, yelling and abusing her.
• An aide is said to have eaten the family's food and refused to complete basic tasks like sweeping.
• The second aide allegedly yelled at the mother after she called for help to urinate and complained about too many steps.
• Joann is described as someone who should never be around seniors and who nearly caused the mother a heart issue.
• The office receptionist is labeled rude and unprofessional; HR is reportedly unavailable and information not provided.
• A reviewer blames the agency for their mother's hospitalization and death, indicating severe harm.

Review

This collection of reviews presents a broad spectrum of experiences with a home health care agency, illustrating how care can be a life-changing asset for families when it runs smoothly, and how quickly it can become a source of distress when issues with staff, communication, and management arise. Several families describe their loved ones receiving exceptionally compassionate, attentive care from a pair of aides who work in tandem and who, for them, transformed the quality of daily life. In these accounts, the aides are described as kind, respectful, and affectionate toward both the patient and the family, and the consistency of care - two aides alternating weeks - provides a sense of stability and peace of mind that is hard to find elsewhere. The same threads repeatedly highlight that the two aides' teamwork and the owner's personal involvement have yielded genuine relief and reassurance for families navigating frailty and aging at home.

On the more positive end, the praise centers on two main themes: continuity of compassionate caregiving and responsive, respectful communication from the agency staff. Families repeatedly note that the aides treat their loved one with dignity, participate in daily routines with patience, and respond promptly to needs and concerns. The owners are portrayed as approachable and supportive, with at least one story emphasizing that the owner went "above and beyond" for a family member. In several reviews, caregivers are described as competent and attentive, and their presence brings about a notable improvement in the patient's well-being and in the family's sense of security. When everything runs well, these experiences resemble a well-coordinated, almost seamless caregiving team that lets families focus on meaningful time together rather than managing every small crisis at midnight.

Yet the same set of reviews does not shy away from stark warnings about what can go wrong. A significant minority of comments paints a troubling picture of inconsistent training, insufficient oversight, and care that falls short of basic expectations. In these accounts, aides are described as lazy or poorly trained, with some even accused of inappropriate behavior or outright aggression toward patients. The consequences, as described, are serious: a family member feels emotionally harmed, the patient's safety may be compromised, and trust in the agency erodes rapidly. The tone in these reviews shifts from disappointment to alarm when complaints are described as being ignored or dismissed by management, highlighting a perceived gap between frontline caregivers and the administration.

Several reviews name specific individuals and scenarios that crystallize these concerns. One account accuses a person in charge, referred to as Pamela, of treating caregiving as strictly a business transaction, with threats to pull aides to avoid overtime and a coordinator who allegedly threatened to place a loved one in a home. The implication is that financial considerations overshadow patient welfare, undermining the trust families rely on when inviting caregivers into their homes. This combination of alleged coercion, poor response to problems, and intimidation is presented as a recurrent pattern by some reviewers, prompting strong admonitions to consider other providers.

There are also deeply troubling, specific incidents that families recount with palpable distress. In one case, a home health aide is accused of scolding and berating a 92-year-old patient for urinating and for waking during the night, culminating in a claim that the aide yelled and abused the patient. The reviewer identifies the aide by name and expresses intent to report the incident to state authorities, underscoring the seriousness with which families view neglect or mistreatment. Another reviewer describes a scene in which an aide, labeled as uncompassionate and lazy, refused to sweep floors, did laundry only when it suited her, and even ate the family's food. There are allegations of neglect - an aide leaving a fragile patient alone and unattended and ignoring them the following day - and a fear that an elderly loved one was put at risk due to inadequate supervision and respect.

Several narratives also focus on the human impact of poor communication and administrative barriers. A receptionist is described as rude and unhelpful, with attempts to apply to work at the agency met with repeated hang-ups and a lack of available information. Complaints extend to the agency's human resources practices, with reviewers reporting that HR contact was consistently unavailable, leaving prospective applicants and current families without a reliable line of communication. In these stories, the problem is not solely with individual aides but with a culture that makes it difficult to obtain answers, escalate concerns, or secure consistent scheduling and accountability.

Against these negatives, there are still several voices strongly affirming the agency's strengths. In some reviews, the same organization is praised for showing up "for their patient" and for having "competent workers" who demonstrate reliability and professionalism. Other reviewers describe a stable, organized schedule in which two aides work as a team, alternating on and off in a predictable pattern, which contributes to both caregiver and family peace of mind. These positive accounts emphasize the importance of a steady caregiving presence, respectful treatment of the patient and family, and a responsive, empathetic approach to meeting evolving needs. Taken together, these reviews reveal that when the agency functions as a coordinated, respectful team, it can be a profoundly effective ally in home-based care.

Overall, the collection presents a mixed but telling portrait of a home health care provider capable of extraordinary positives and equally serious shortcomings. For some families, the agency delivers compassionate, steady care that restores dignity and comfort to a vulnerable loved one and provides essential relief to caregivers and relatives. For others, experiences range from frustrating administrative hurdles to alarming allegations of mistreatment, with consequences that provoke serious action, including regulatory reporting and public admonition. The recurring themes - continuity of care, staff training and oversight, management responsiveness, and clear, respectful communication - stand out as the key determinants of whether the agency becomes a trusted partner in caregiving or a source of distress. Ultimately, these reviews underscore the deeply personal stakes of in-home care and the critical need for vigilant, empathetic leadership that prioritizes patient welfare above all else.

This part of Great Neck, New York is a well-connected suburban area with a variety of amenities to cater to the needs of seniors. There are multiple cafes such as Starbucks and Cafe Zeppieri within a short distance, providing convenient options for socializing and enjoying a cup of coffee. Several pharmacies, including CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens, are located nearby for easy access to medications and healthcare products. The area also offers a selection of parks like Allenwood Park and Cunningham Park for leisurely walks and outdoor activities. In terms of healthcare facilities, there are reputable physicians and hospitals in close proximity for any medical needs. Additionally, transportation options like LIRR stations provide easy access to neighboring areas. Restaurants offering diverse cuisines as well as theaters for entertainment are also readily accessible in this neighborhood. Overall, this part of Great Neck presents a peaceful and well-equipped environment suitable for senior living.

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.1 miles)
• Starbucks (3.1 miles)
• Cafe Zeppieri (8 miles)
• Starbucks (9.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.6 miles)
• Rite Aid (3.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.9 miles)

Parks

• Allenwood Park (0.6 miles)
• Alley Pond Park (3.4 miles)
• Cunningham Park (4.4 miles)
• Flushing Meadows Corona Park (6.8 miles)
• Forest Park (8.5 miles)
• Hempstead Lake State Park (8.6 miles)
• Manor Park (9.1 miles)

Physicians

• North Shore Gastroenterology Associates PC (0.9 miles)
• 2 Pro Health Plaza (2.7 miles)
• Winthrop Professional Building (5.5 miles)
• Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group (9.3 miles)

Transportation

• LIRR - Little Neck Station (1.1 miles)
• LIRR - Manhasset Station (1.6 miles)
• LIRR - Floral Park Station (4.5 miles)
• LIRR New Hyde Park Station (4.6 miles)
• LIRR - Mets-Willets Point Station (6.6 miles)
• MTA - Mets-Willets Point Subway Station (6.6 miles)
• Terminal D (7.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Burger King (2.4 miles)
• Toku Modern Asian (2.9 miles)
• McDonald's (3.4 miles)
• Taco Bell (4 miles)
• Hendrick's Tavern (4.1 miles)
• Bar Frites (5.5 miles)
• White Castle (5.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Division of Vascular/Interventional Radiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2.5 miles)
• St Francis Hospital (3.2 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital New Life Center (5.4 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital (5.5 miles)
• Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital (9.2 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Fresh Meadows 7 (4.3 miles)
• AMC Roosevelt Field 8 (6.6 miles)
• AMC Bay Plaza Cinema 13 (7.5 miles)
• Regal Westbury Imax & RPX (9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Community Church of East Williston (5.2 miles)
• St Luke's Episcopal Church (8 miles)