Home Instead - Fairlawn, OH

Pros

• The leadership and professionalism at Home Instead are highly regarded.
• The company is intentional about meeting clients' needs and educating caregivers to bring their best.
• Home Instead values every caregiver and client, creating a respectful and supportive environment.
• The team is polite and team-oriented.
• Caregivers enjoy working with clients and learning about their backgrounds and families.
• Clients' smiles and appreciation brighten caregivers' days.
• Home Instead helps seniors by providing love, companionship, and making them feel they matter.
• Caregivers consistently put seniors first, making them feel loved and happier.
• Greta is praised for her care coordination and kindness, helping families access care and activities.
• The home health providers are caring and responsive, and administrative staff offer proactive suggestions.

Cons

• Greta was unprofessional and showed no compassion, making the employee feel inconvenienced after their parent died.
• The office staff were described as heartless and as treating caregivers like trash.
• The franchise is going downhill fast as caregivers are leaving due to being treated poorly and a focus on making money over employees.
• The staff were rude and seemed racist.
• There was no paid time off and little emotional support after a personal loss.

Review

Over the past couple of years, Home Instead has emerged in this set of experiences as a remarkably positive and nurturing workplace. The overall tone centers on a strong sense of leadership and professionalism that pervades the staff, from the office to the caregivers in the field. Reviewers repeatedly highlight how seriously the company takes meeting the needs of clients and how actively it invests in educating caregivers so they can bring their best to every assignment. There's a consistent impression of a company that values both the people it serves and the people it employs, creating an environment where caregivers feel supported and clients feel well cared for.

Many reviewers describe Home Instead as a polite, team-oriented organization where working with clients is genuinely rewarding. They emphasize the joy of engaging with a wide array of clients, learning about their backgrounds and families, and offering help with tasks that clients no longer can handle alone. The sense of making a real difference comes through clearly: the moment a client smiles after assistance is provided becomes a source of personal fulfillment and motivation for the caregiver. This emphasis on companionship and dignified care is a recurring thread, underscoring the meaningful day-to-day impact of the work.

A core theme across several reviews is the company's mission to support seniors and their families with love, respect, and companionship. Caregivers describe their daily work as an act of making seniors feel valued and connected, treating them as they would a family member. The goal is not just to perform tasks but to nurture happiness and self-esteem, reassuring clients that they matter and are cared for. In this view, Home Instead is defined by compassion and attentiveness - an organization that prioritizes the emotional well-being of clients as much as their physical needs.

However, the feedback is not uniformly glowing. One reviewer recounts a painful experience tied to the moment of personal loss: during the death of a parent after nearly three years with the company, they felt unsupported and pressured rather than cared for. The account describes feeling guilt-tripped into taking shifts and a lack of compassion and paid time off, with little in the way of genuine concern from a supervisor. This memory is coupled with distress over what felt like procedural responses (a card) but a notable absence of more meaningful gestures such as flowers or empathic check-ins, contributing to a lasting impression of unprofessional behavior in that particular instance.

There are, on the other hand, strongly positive nods to specific staff - most notably Greta - who are remembered as instrumental in arranging care, easing schedules during appointments, and providing meaningful support during difficult times. Several reviewers recount Greta's kindness, effectiveness, and evident enjoyment of her job, describing her as a compassionate advocate for their loved ones. The testimonials paint a picture of Greta as someone who genuinely improves the experience for families, sometimes contrasting her impact with broader organizational shortcomings. The warmth and competence attributed to Greta are portrayed as emblematic of the kind of care team members hope to encounter.

The sentiment about the broader office staff is more nuanced. While some praises highlight timely communication, responsiveness, and practical support from administrative teams - who followed up with ideas, coordinated care through COVID challenges, and helped craft manageable care plans - others offer a starkly different view. A reviewer expresses frustration with office staff, describing them as heartless and treating caregivers poorly. The critique emphasizes a perceived priority on profitability over employee well-being and notes caregiver turnover as a consequence. This contrast inside the same organization underscores a patchwork of experiences that can vary significantly by location and leadership.

Despite the mixed experiences, there is a strong, widespread appreciation for the caring culture and the ethical commitments some teams demonstrate. Several accounts celebrate the ease of collaboration with Home Instead, the warmth of interactions with clients, and the overall sense that the company is a positive force for families during challenging times. Phrases like "a perfect fit," "very rewarding," and "an incredibly caring company" recur, signaling a deep-seated belief among many reviewers that Home Instead has the potential to offer an exemplary caregiving environment when it operates at its best.

In sum, the collection of reviews sketches a landscape of both high praise and notable flaws. Many caregivers describe Home Instead as a well-led, compassionate, and values-driven organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of seniors and their families. They speak of professional leadership, ongoing caregiver education, and a culture of client-centered care that prioritizes dignity and companionship. Yet there are clear memories of missteps and areas for improvement, particularly in how some offices respond to personal hardship and how some staff are treated on a day-to-day basis. Taken together, the stories suggest a company with great potential and real strengths, tempered by experiences that highlight the importance of consistent empathy, supportive policies, and respectful, patient-centered leadership across all locations.

The Fairlawn area offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors looking to settle down in a bustling yet cozy community. With a variety of dining options such as Gasoline Alley, McDonald's, and Olive Garden, residents can enjoy both casual and upscale meals close to home. Nearby physicians like Ohio Sleep Disorder Center and Summit Adult Medicine Center provide accessible healthcare services, while places of worship like Grace Church and Ghent Christian Church cater to spiritual needs. For those who enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, cafes like Starbucks and Nervous Dog Coffee Bar offer a cozy spot for socializing or enjoying a cup of coffee. Additionally, pharmacies such as Acme Sav-On Pharmacy and Walgreens are conveniently located for medication needs. Seniors can also explore the natural beauty of the area with parks like Hinkley Reservation and Summit Lake Park nearby, as well as access to quality healthcare at facilities like Summa Western Reserve Hospital and Akron Children's Hospital. Lastly, entertainment options include the Cinemark Cuyahoga Falls And XD theater for movie enthusiasts. Overall, Fairlawn offers a well-rounded environment that caters to the needs and interests of senior residents.

Restaurants

• Gasoline Alley (0.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.4 miles)
• Melt Bar & Grilled (1.4 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.4 miles)
• Brubaker's Pub (1.4 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (1.4 miles)
• Olive Garden (1.4 miles)

Physicians

• Obgyn (0.3 miles)
• Ohio Sleep Disorder Center (1.2 miles)
• Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center (1.3 miles)
• Summit Adult Medicine Center (1.5 miles)
• Ohio Family Practice (1.7 miles)
• Cns Healthcare Foundation (2.7 miles)
• Center for Urologic Health (3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Grace Church (0.9 miles)
• Ghent Christian Church (1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.3 miles)
• Cafe Arnone (2.7 miles)
• Biggby Coffee (3.7 miles)
• Nervous Dog Coffee Bar (5.1 miles)
• Molly Brown Cafe (6.9 miles)
• Fisher's Cafe & Pub (7.5 miles)
• Nervous Dog Coffee Bar (8.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Acme Sav-On Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.4 miles)
• Discount Drug Mart (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.3 miles)
• Walgreens (4.3 miles)

Parks

• Mountain Bike Area (4.6 miles)
• Green Leaf Park (5.2 miles)
• Hinkley Reservation (6 miles)
• Summit Lake Park (8.3 miles)
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park (8.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Summa Western Reserve Hospital (6.8 miles)
• Akron Children's Hospital (7.9 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark Cuyahoga Falls And Xd (6.8 miles)