BrightStar of White Plains

Pros

• Dora was a tremendous help to Dad, and was professional, good-humored, and highly skilled.
• James, the owner, listened carefully and found the perfect fit for Dad.
• Victorine cared for Mom as if she were her own, even staying with her in her room 24/7 after she tested positive for COVID.
• Annmarie S., an RN supervisor, is described as a force of nature who stayed involved daily with regular updates.
• BrightStar's care is described as spectacular and what nursing care should be - skilled, high-energy, and compassionate.
• BrightStar has quality HHA aides who really care and are compassionate about their clients.
• The team is a great group of professionals who truly care for seniors and do right by them.

Cons

• The reviewer would not recommend BrightStar Home Care based on a caregiver's unprofessional behavior and safety concerns.
• The caregiver reportedly brought personal visitors into the home, smoked on the job, provided only minimal meals, and did not ensure the client's safety, leading to multiple falls.
• The caregiver appeared impaired at night, raising serious questions about patient care.
• Management kept the caregiver on the case despite being informed of these concerns.
• Aides were frequently changed, with last-minute schedule changes and no reliable backup coverage.
• The billing was described as terrible, including automatic deductions and charges for days when the aide did not work, with a disputed amount cited (about $35,000).
• The owner was perceived as caring more about getting paid than about people, leading to distrust.

Review

The experiences shared about BrightStar Care paint a broad picture of a company that can be both a lifeline for families in need and a source of serious frustration, depending on the location, staff, and management involved. On one hand, there are accounts of unsettling behavior by a caregiver that left a family feeling unsafe and skeptical about future care. In these cases, a caregiver was accused of bringing personal visitors into the home, smoking while on duty, offering only minimal meals, and failing to safeguard the client's well-being, which led to multiple falls. The reviewer also alleged that the caregiver appeared impaired at night, a concerning claim when patient safety is at stake. Despite raising these concerns directly with BrightStar management, the caregiver remained on the case, leaving the family with a deep sense of distrust and a strong reluctance to entrust any loved one to the agency in the future.

Against that troubling backdrop, other reviews recount a markedly different experience. In one strong positive note, James, the owner, is described as having listened carefully when assessing a veteran's father and, through thoughtful matchmaking, found the perfect caregiver fit for Dad. Dora emerges in this narrative as a tremendous help - professional, good-humored, and highly skilled. The family credits Dora with making Dad's transition back to life at an assisted living facility a positive experience, providing both practical support and emotional reassurance. This contrast - from a caregiver who caused alarm to a caregiver who brought comfort - highlights how the agency's outcomes can vary widely by caregiver and supervisor.

Another highly favorable account centers on care provided during a much more challenging period: when the reviewer's 84-year-old mother, coping with declining health and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, required around-the-clock attention. Victorine, described as a 24-hour aide, is praised for acting as if the mother were her own, even staying in the room 24/7 after the mother tested COVID positive. The reviewer emphasizes that family members were not allowed to visit, making Victorine's dedication all the more meaningful. Equally important in this narrative is Annmarie S., an RN supervisor who is portrayed as a force of nature - visibly involved from day one, ensuring that every need was met, providing regular updates at all hours, and maintaining a level of day-to-day care that the family views as instrumental in their mother's survival. The reviewer attributes the mother's recovery in large measure to the urgent, persistent, and coordinated effort of Victorine and Annmarie, describing BrightStar's care as the kind of nursing that should be the standard: skilled, energetic, and deeply compassionate.

Beyond these individual stories, some reviewers speak generally about BrightStar's strengths, while also cautioning readers about potential pitfalls. There are positive remarks about the quality of home health aide (HHA) staff who truly care for their clients and bring compassion to their roles. One reviewer even invites readers to disregard a separate five-star review that they believe comes from the franchise owner, underscoring a skepticism about biased praise in a franchise network. These comments collectively suggest that when the right people are in place and the organizational supports function well, BrightStar can deliver exceptional, person-centered care that provides families with relief and peace of mind.

However, a different, lengthy critique centers on a period from September 2017 through mid-2018, painting a picture of systemic issues that undermined trust and financial security. The reviewer describes a revolving door of aides, inconsistent scheduling, and a lack of reliable backup coverage, which left their father with uneven and unreliable support. The financial aspect of the experience is particularly troubling: automatic debits from a debit card, with accusations of being charged for days when the aide did not work. The reviewer alleges a substantial sum - tens of thousands of dollars - had been charged without adequate explanation, leading to protracted back-and-forth with management. Time sheets were inconsistently used, with a sense that there was no independent verification beyond handwritten papers. The owner's involvement was described as slow or non-existent for a lengthy period, and while a refund was eventually offered for one disputed day, the reviewer felt the overall handling was insufficient. The criticism culminates in a call for caution, suggesting that while BrightStar may have good people on the ground, the business practices and oversight at this location required close, ongoing scrutiny, and that potential clients should stay actively involved and vigilant about billing and scheduling.

Interwoven with these more pointed criticisms are closing affirmations that BrightStar can indeed assemble a "great team of professionals who truly care for our seniors and do right by them." These lines remind readers that the agency's best outcomes come from staff members who are committed, skilled, and supported by responsive leadership. Taken together, the reviews describe a company whose care quality can range from exemplary to deeply troubling, depending on the particular branch, the individual caregivers assigned, and the level of oversight both from the client's family and the agency's management.

Viewed as a whole, the narrative surrounding BrightStar Care underscores a few clear takeaways for families seeking in-home assistance. First, the importance of careful caregiver matching and ongoing supervisory involvement cannot be overstated; when James and Dora delivered a successful match and smooth transition, the results were profoundly positive. Second, crises can illuminate the best in a company: the combination of a proactive RN supervisor and a dedicated aide produced life-affirming outcomes for a vulnerable patient during a critical period. Third, and perhaps most instructive, is the reminder that organizational safeguards - clear billing practices, reliable scheduling, robust backup coverage, transparent timekeeping, and prompt escalation to ownership when problems arise - are essential to trust and continuity in care. Families considering BrightStar Care would do well to ask pointed questions about caregiver consistency, supervisory involvement, billing procedures, and contingency plans, and to document any concerns early and persistently to ensure the safety and well-being of their loved ones. In the end, the care experience may be as strong as the people who show up and the systems that support them.

This part of White Plains, New York, offers a convenient and accessible location with a variety of amenities for senior living. With multiple pharmacies, physicians' offices, and hospitals nearby, residents have easy access to healthcare services. There are also several cafes and restaurants within a short distance for dining options. The area is well-connected with transportation options like train stations and the Westchester County Airport nearby. Additionally, there are parks and theaters in the vicinity for recreational activities. Overall, this neighborhood provides a blend of convenience, medical facilities, dining options, and entertainment venues that may appeal to seniors looking for a comfortable and well-rounded living environment.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Saxon Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.1 miles)

Physicians

• Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center (0.2 miles)
• Weill Cornell Psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Division (0.6 miles)
• WestMed (1.2 miles)
• Digestive Disease & Nutrition Center of Westchester (2 miles)
• HSS Westchester (2.3 miles)
• Westmed Medical Group (3.8 miles)
• WMCHealth Physicians Advanced Imaging Center Nuclear Medicine (4.6 miles)

Hospitals

• White Plains Hospital (0.3 miles)
• Burke Rehabilitation Hospital (1 miles)
• St Vincent's Hospital-Westchester (3.9 miles)
• Northeast Medical Group Family Medicine - Rye Brook (4.5 miles)
• Greenwich Hospital (7 miles)
• Bendheim Cancer Center (7.1 miles)
• Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital (8 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.4 miles)
• Nespresso Boutique at Bloomingdale's, Westchester (0.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)
• Starbucks (3.4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.5 miles)

Parks

• Tibbets Park (0.5 miles)
• Hart's Brook Park & Preserve (2.2 miles)
• The Arbors (4.6 miles)
• Memorial Park (6.3 miles)
• Rye Town Park (6.3 miles)
• Uniontown Playground (6.4 miles)
• Rockefeller State Park Preserve (6.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Roosters Market (1 miles)
• City Limits Diner (1 miles)
• Pepsico (3.8 miles)
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Company (3.9 miles)
• Serafina (4.5 miles)
• Goosefeather (5.1 miles)
• Kneaded Bread (5.7 miles)

Transportation

• Metro North - Hartsdale Train Station (2 miles)
• Valhalla Metro North Station (3.2 miles)
• Signature Flight Support (3.7 miles)
• Million Air White Plains (3.8 miles)
• Westchester County Airport (HPN) (4.3 miles)
• Metro North - Harrison Train Station (4.9 miles)
• Metro North - Rye Train Station (5.2 miles)

Theaters

• Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers (4.4 miles)
• AMC Port Chester 14 (5.6 miles)