Sara Companion Services in Valley Stream, NY

Pros

• The orientation was very informative and helpful.
• Sara Companion is a professional and caring place to work.
• The welcome from Sara Companion was warm and the experience felt very positive.
• The staff are friendly and a pleasure to work with.
• Allison is friendly and detail-oriented, and her enthusiasm reflects well on Sara Companion Home Care.
• Sara Companions’ staff assist with kindness, comfort, and confidence.
• The agency is very professional and helpful, and the people are great.
• The training is well-structured and easy to follow.
• Working for Sara Companion is a great experience and highly recommended.
• The team is professional, friendly, reliable, punctual, and attentive.
• The instructors are knowledgeable and patient; the training is thorough and valuable.
• Aides become like family and help keep clients comfortable at home.

Cons

• They aren’t diligent in their work; the aides had to be constantly reminded and checked on, with basic duties regularly overlooked.
• The office staff were rude and inconsistent, showing no compassion for employees, and one representative even hung up on a caller.
• The agency’s license should be revoked; they’re described as a joke and not funny, and many customers felt disappointed and let down.
• They failed to provide consistent live-in care, sending eight different companions in eight weeks, which created safety concerns and frustration.
• They charged for services not rendered and were slow to respond to calls and emails, making refunds or cooperation difficult.
• The aides were poorly trained and often underperforming, with some sleeping or being distracted by their phones and not assisting as needed.
• An aide stole jewelry and compromised personal information, exposing a serious security breach.
• They did not treat aides well, failed to provide PPE during COVID, and did not pay them adequately, with ongoing communication problems.

Review

Sara Companion Services in Valley Stream, NY is best suited for families that want to keep a loved one at home with companionship and light support, while valuing a culture that emphasizes warmth, clear training, and a responsive team. The reviews show a sizable portion of families and caregivers praising the organization for welcoming orientation, thorough training, and a staff that feels genuinely caring. This is a good fit when the priority is a home-care partner that treats caregivers with respect and strives to create a family-like environment around the client. For households seeking rigorous medical oversight or strict, uniform staffing with no variability, this community is less ideal. It is particularly appealing to those who want a flexible approach to live-in or hourly care and who believe that strong interpersonal dynamics can drive better daily living for a senior.

Careful consideration should be given to who may want to explore alternatives. Some families report serious red flags around reliability, consistency, and billing. Instances of aides failing to show, arriving late, or switching frequently were noted, along with accusations of miscommunication and billing disputes. A few reviewers also described rude or inconsistent office interactions and, in one extreme case, allegations of theft and unauthorized access. While many experiences are highly positive, centering on dependable, warm care and smooth onboarding, the possibility of frequent aide turnover and mixed administrative performance means that households with tight schedules, high medical needs, or a zero-tolerance standard for service gaps should screen alternatives in advance or insist on very tight, documented service levels.

The strongest positives pull decisively toward favorable outcomes when matched with the right plan. Across the board, orientation and training are repeatedly highlighted as substantive and practical, with instructors and coordinators delivering thorough, scenario-based instruction that staff members value. Caregivers described as courteous, patient, and highly capable reinforce the impression that Sara can produce a consistently strong frontline experience for clients. The sense that aides can become “like family” in the home is not rare, and numerous families credit Sara with reliable replacements when a caregiver cannot be present. The culture of professionalism and the emphasis on timely, respectful communication in many reviews signal that, when expectations are aligned and a steady caregiver is secured, the overall care experience is deeply positive.

However, the cons are not incidental and must be weighed realistically. A sizable number of reviews call out inconsistent staffing, with multiple aides assigned over a short period and some live-in arrangements that did not meet expectations. Billing problems and delays appear in several accounts, including disputes over hours and charges, which can create stress during already challenging times. Complaints about office staff, rudeness, poor follow-through, or lack of proactive communication, appear in some inputs, and a few families report experiences that fall well short of reliable care. These concerns are nontrivial because they directly affect the continuity of care, the client’s sense of security, and the family’s administrative burden.

Despite the friction points, the core value proposition remains: Sara’s strength lies in its training framework, the perceived humanity of caregivers, and the agency’s willingness to adapt when problems are surfaced. The well-regarded training programs and positive testimonials about caregiver demeanor can offset the negatives if a family enters with clear expectations and insistence on repeatable processes. To tilt the balance toward a consistently positive outcome, families should demand a stable caregiver match from the outset, establish a fixed supervisory contact, insist on a written, itemized care plan, and require prompt notification for any scheduling changes. Proactively addressing billing protocols and requesting timely reconciliations reduces a major source of frustration.

For families weighing a choice, the guidance is practical and results-oriented. Choose Sara Companion Services if the goal is a home-based, companionship-forward model backed by strong training and a culture of caring, with the willingness to work through scheduling and caregiver adjustments. Prepare to evaluate and manage risk by specifying caregiver pairing, setting measurable service levels, and locking in a transparent billing process. If the need is for unwavering consistency, zero turnover, or intensive medical management, consider alternatives or use Sara as a trial partner with a clearly defined three- to four-week test period, accompanied by a written plan and escalation path. In the end, the decision rests on balancing the heartfelt care and training strength against the realities some families have faced with staffing variability and administrative friction.

This area of Valley Stream, New York, offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors considering living in the area. With multiple pharmacies located within a two-mile radius, access to medical supplies and prescriptions is easily accessible. The proximity to multiple cafes allows for social interactions and opportunities to enjoy a cup of coffee with friends or family. Transportation options are readily available with several LIRR stations nearby, making it convenient for seniors to travel around the city. Health care facilities such as hospitals and physicians' offices are also located within a short driving distance, providing easy access to medical services when needed. Additionally, there are parks for outdoor recreation and places of worship for spiritual gatherings nearby. Restaurants offer a variety of dining options for culinary enjoyment, and theaters provide entertainment opportunities for leisure activities. Overall, this area of Valley Stream provides a convenient and well-rounded environment for seniors looking to reside in the community.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• King Kullen (0.8 miles)
• Walgreens (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (6.3 miles)
• Starbucks (7.4 miles)

Transportation

• Valley Stream LIRR Station (0.7 miles)
• Lynbrook LIRR Station (1 miles)
• LIRR- Centre Ave (1.7 miles)
• LIRR - Rockville Centre Station (2.4 miles)
• LIRR - Floral Park Station (4.3 miles)
• JFK Runways (4.5 miles)
• Terminal 5 (4.6 miles)

Physicians

• Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group (0.8 miles)
• South Nassau Communities Hospital (3.3 miles)
• Long Island Pediatrics (4 miles)
• Prohealth Baldwin Harbour Pediatrics (4.5 miles)
• Winthrop Professional Building (6 miles)
• 2 Pro Health Plaza (6.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Congregation Sons of Israel (2.4 miles)
• Community Church of East Williston (7.2 miles)

Parks

• Hempstead Lake State Park (2.7 miles)
• Oceanside Park (4.5 miles)
• Coes Neck Park (4.6 miles)
• Alley Pond Park (6.2 miles)
• Cunningham Park (6.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Kaur Rupinder P Do South Nassau Family Medicine Oceanside (3.3 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital (5.9 miles)
• Winthrop University Hospital New Life Center (5.9 miles)
• Division of Vascular/Interventional Radiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (6.4 miles)

Restaurants

• White Castle (3.9 miles)
• Jordans Lobster Farm (5 miles)
• Sonny's Canal House (5.2 miles)
• Bobby Van's Steakhouse (5.3 miles)
• Air France Lounge (5.4 miles)
• McDonald's (6.1 miles)
• Grand Lux Cafe (6.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Roosevelt Field 8 (6.7 miles)
• AMC Fresh Meadows 7 (7.2 miles)