Elder Home Care - Smithtown, NY in Smithtown, NY

Pros

• They provide excellent care for patients returning home from rehab.
• The home health attendants are caring and knowledgeable, helping with the transition back home.
• Brett Gatien guides families through difficult processes with efficiency and professionalism.
• The agency is professional, empathetic, and timely, making the journey seamless and complete.
• Christine (staffing coordinator) ensures consistent coverage and clear communication, calming patients.
• Xiomara is a caring aide who treats mom like family and is available day or night.
• Candice is helpful, communicative, and committed to aiding families during transitions.
• Christine DeJesus goes above and beyond for patients, consistently placing their care first and communicating clearly.
• Meghan and the Community Care team are amazing, with prompt responses and knowledgeable guidance.
• Megan Shergill is highly knowledgeable, professional, and responsive; she makes transitions easy.
• Community Care Companions are professional, compassionate, and supportive, guiding families through CDPAP and PPL processes.
• The staff are patient, kind, and quick to respond, making the overall experience very positive.

Cons

• The agency was criticized for extremely slow responses, with messages taking over a month to get a reply, and a staff member described as condescending and rude (Emeli).
• Some reviewers claim the agency has fake five-star reviews and describe its customer service as poor, with phone calls unanswered and emails not returned.
• The agency was described as the worst the reviewer has encountered, with calls not returned and inquiries going to voicemail.
• There were delays in completing registrations due to unresponsive staff after requests to leave a review.
• Caregiver quality was inconsistent, with some caregivers not meeting expectations and some staff members smoking around the patient.
• The service was noted to deteriorate, with issues showing up on time and aides not being proactive.
• Two caregivers sent by the agency were not reliable, with promises not matched by performance.
• Deposits and terms were mentioned as unclear or problematic.

Review

Elder Home Care in Smithtown is best suited for families who want reliable, at-home support that keeps a loved one in familiar surroundings while receiving hands-on daily assistance. The program shines for seniors who value consistent, compassionate aides, practical help with meals and light housekeeping, and a responsive coordinator who helps navigate scheduling and changing care needs. When the priority is a personal, home-based plan rather than a facility, this agency delivers with a strong emphasis on continuity and genuine personal connection. It is especially favorable for households seeking flexible coverage that can adapt quickly to shifting needs and to caregiver turnover without pulling the senior into a formal living environment.

That said, this option may not fit every situation. Families with complex medical conditions requiring round-the-clock nursing supervision, memory-care?specific programming, or a highly structured daily routine will likely want an assisted living community or a different agency with more intensive clinical oversight. Likewise, those who prioritize a predictable, fixed schedule with uniformly trained staff across all shifts may find the variance in aide performance a challenge. In short, Elder Home Care excels at personalized, home-based support, but it does not replace the need for a facility-based environment when higher levels of care and social programming are essential.

Reviewers repeatedly highlight the program's strengths: coordinators who stay on top of scheduling, quick responses to problems, and aides who are described as patient, capable, and genuinely caring. Families note relief from day-to-day caregiving burdens because caregivers handle meals, light housekeeping, and companionship, with bilingual aides sometimes available to bridge language gaps. The best teams demonstrate proactive communication, often with a single point person who can explain plans, share instructions, and follow up promptly when issues arise. Those dynamics create a sense of safety and trust that can offset the stress of relying on in-home care.

However, not every experience is flawless. A minority of reviews flag gaps in reliability and communication, including missed calls or delays in arranging replacements when an aide is unavailable. A few families reported transitions that felt abrupt or rigid in policy terms, and at least one review raised concern about deposits or billing practices tied to services. The variability in caregiver performance means some aides stand out while others may require quicker replacement, which can momentarily disrupt consistency. These issues matter, but they are typically addressable through clear expectations, documented care plans, and ongoing coordinator involvement.

To maximize the strengths while limiting risks, families should insist on a named coordinator, request a trial period with a concrete schedule, and ask for caregiver profiles, including languages spoken and areas of expertise. Have a plan for quick substitution if an aide isn't a good fit, and confirm how deposits or arrangements are handled up front. Seek weekly or biweekly updates from the coordinator and insist on timely responses to urgent questions. When these conditions are in place, the home-based model delivers stable continuity and a trusted human presence that can closely monitor daily needs without forcing relocation.

Overall, Elder Home Care in Smithtown serves best those who value home-based, adaptable care with a warm, person-centered approach. For families needing intensive clinical oversight, dementia-specific programming, or a fixed facility setting, alternatives should be pursued. The combination of responsive coordinators, compassionate aides, and practical help with meals and housekeeping makes this option a strong choice for preserving independence at home, provided expectations about consistency and coverage are clearly aligned from the outset. In the right circumstances, it's a practical, candid fit that reduces caregiver strain while keeping the loved one connected to familiar routines and surroundings.

This part of Smithtown, New York is a convenient and bustling area with easy access to essential services for seniors. Within a short distance, you will find reputable physicians' offices such as Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology and Northwell Health Imaging, as well as pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS. Nearby hospitals include St Catherine of Siena Medical Center for any emergency medical needs. In terms of dining options, there are various restaurants including Garden Grill and fast-food chains like Burger King and Taco Bell. For those who enjoy coffee or tea, there are multiple Starbucks locations and cafes like Nesconset Bagel Cafe. Additionally, the area offers various parks such as Sunken Meadow State Park and amenities like theaters for entertainment. Transportation options include the LIRR Ronkonkoma Station for easy access to other parts of Long Island. Overall, this part of Smithtown provides convenience and a range of amenities that would suit seniors looking for a vibrant community to call home.

Physicians

• Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology (0.6 miles)
• Northwell Health Imaging at Smithtown (1.4 miles)
• Branch Pediatrics (1.8 miles)
• ProHEALTH East End Eye (1.9 miles)
• Dr Groth Pain Management (2.2 miles)
• Endocrine Associates of Long Island (2.3 miles)
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Skin Cancer Center (2.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Kings Park Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.5 miles)
• Walgreens (4.1 miles)

Hospitals

• St Catherine of Siena Medical Center (1.1 miles)
• Main Lobby (6.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Garden Grill (1.3 miles)
• Burger King (1.9 miles)
• Taco Bell (2.6 miles)
• McDonald's (2.7 miles)
• Dave & Buster's (4 miles)
• Bahama Breeze (4.1 miles)
• Miller's Ale House - Lake Grove (4.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.5 miles)
• Nesconset Bagel Cafe (3.6 miles)
• Starbucks (4 miles)
• Starbucks (5 miles)
• Crazy Beans (5.4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.5 miles)

Parks

• Sunken Meadow State Park (3.3 miles)
• The Dog Park (4.7 miles)
• Avalon Park & Preserve (5.2 miles)
• The College Woods Park (5.3 miles)
• Brentwood State Park (5.8 miles)
• West Meadow Beach (7 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Stony Brook 17 (4.5 miles)
• AMC DINE-IN Huntington Square 12 (5.6 miles)
• Regal Ronkonkoma (6.3 miles)

Transportation

• LIRR - Ronkonkoma Station (6.3 miles)
• Mid Island Air Service (7.1 miles)
• Baggage Claim (7.4 miles)
• Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) (7.4 miles)