BrightStar Healthcare

Pros

• Bright Star came through when needed, with a same-day meet-and-greet and next-week aid setup.
• The aides are amazing and consistently go above and beyond.
• Elaine and her team are wonderful, professional, and compassionate.
• Elaine helps coordinate the family schedule, while Jasmine and Shana provide loving, reliable care and form a special bond with the family.
• Bright Star's providers adapt and grow with patients through all phases of recovery.
• Patti secured nurses the same day, and Seth and Tierra delivered exceptional, dignified care.
• BrightStar is a great company to work with, with excellent communication and friendly, helpful staff.
• Cortni and Doug are recognized as all-stars for their courteous service.
• Excellent care and communication; customers would highly recommend BrightStar.

Cons

• They claim BrightStar cancels visits at will, leaving families waiting for weeks with no one showing up and no return calls from management.
• They say an night aid called off and no one contacted the family, describing the situation as unprofessional and aloof.
• They report aides are not properly trained and coordinators are rude.
• They describe BrightStar as a giant corporation with no personal concern for clients, caring only about money and allegedly lying to obtain payment.
• They note chronic scheduling failures: aides call off last minute, schedulers don't check tests or voicemail, and there are no callbacks or replacement aides.
• They recount aides arriving late, leaving early, or not returning, sometimes with misinformation or unfulfilled promises.
• They allege discriminatory or disrespectful treatment based on language or background and say they would never use BrightStar.
• They criticize poor communication and unreliability, including repeated issues with aides not showing up and lack of timely information.
• They raise concerns about orientation and pay practices, claiming long orientations were not compensated and that staff were not treated fairly.

Review

BrightStar Care appears in these reflections as a company capable of delivering deeply compassionate, person-centered care, but also as an organization that can falter in reliability and communication depending on the location and the day. Across the board, families repeatedly describe moments of exceptional kindness, professional conduct, and real relief when a trustworthy team steps in to support loved ones. Several reviews highlight how quickly a meet-and-greet can be arranged and how promptly aides are put in place, often within days, which is especially meaningful to families navigating illness, end-of-life care, or post-hospital transitions.

Elaine and her team emerge as standout figures in the positive stories. In one account, Elaine stepped in quickly to help care for a father at the end of his life, meeting the family with warmth, professionalism, and genuine compassion, earning a strong recommendation. Elaine's ability to juggle a demanding family schedule week by week is described as invaluable, with both she and her aides - particularly Jasmine and Shana - developing a special bond with the client and family. The caregiver team is repeatedly praised for going above and beyond, making a stressful experience more manageable and even uplifting, as Bob's positive rapport with two care providers contributed to a noticeably better hospital stay.

Another family recounts two months of excellent, consistent care for a beloved father, praising BrightStar's robust team of considerate caregivers who could adapt as the father's needs evolved. The providers were credited with treatment that matched or exceeded what the family would have done themselves, evolving with the patient's healing journey and delivering care at every stage. Patti also receives high marks for quickly securing nurses - sometimes the same-day - creating a dependable, regular group around the patient. In particular, Seth and Tierra are singled out for exceptional care, compassion, and dignity, restoring confidence that the patient would be in capable hands whenever their names appeared on the schedule.

But the experience is not uniformly positive. A recurring set of criticisms centers on cancellations and inconsistent communications. Several reviewers report being left waiting with little or no notice, or dealing with management that is slow to respond or entirely unresponsive to calls and messages. One account describes multiple cancellations with no-shows, noting a pattern of unreliability that undermines trust. Others recount rude or unhelpful responses from office staff and a sense that internal coordination is lacking, which can be particularly distressing for families juggling medical appointments, caregiving, and daily life.

There are also sharper, more specific negative experiences. Some readers describe an aid who seemed unwilling or disengaged on arrival, a lack of follow-through after a visit, and even outright unprofessionalism. Stories about night-time aids canceling or never contacting the family highlight gaps in reliability that leave loved ones feeling unsupported. In another case, a mother-in-law's care involved an aid who did little beyond minimal tasks and spent time on a phone, leading to frustration and a decision to seek services elsewhere. When families attempted to address these issues with management, several accounts describe rude responses, dismissiveness, or a sense that concerns were not being prioritized.

Individual staff members receive both praise and critique across the reviews. Some caregivers are celebrated for their warmth, thoroughness, and attentiveness, with families noting that staff check on residents, communicate well, and build meaningful rapport. Cortni and Doug are named as particularly courteous and stellar contributors, while Patti's leadership and hands-on approach are lauded as well. Conversely, other posts describe aides who appeared disinterested or poorly prepared, with gaps in training or readiness to handle client needs, underscoring a tension between high-quality care and the variability that can accompany staffing in home-care agencies.

Several comments reflect a broader perception of BrightStar Care as a large organization with both strengths and potential blind spots. A few reviews describe the company as a "giant corporation" lacking personal attention to individual wishes, implying a profit-driven emphasis that can come at the expense of patient- and family-centered care. At the same time, there are appreciations for proactive staffing and problem-solving by management in some instances, with a manager reaching out to address issues and, in other cases, families acknowledging that problems were resolved only to recur later. The sentiment is clearly mixed: when the right people are on the case, care feels deeply personal, capable, and supportive; when the system fails to coordinate or communicate, frustration quickly follows.

In sum, the experiences paint a nuanced portrait. BrightStar Care has the potential to deliver life-changing, compassionate support through dedicated professionals who truly connect with clients and families. The most resonant testimonials highlight Elaine, Patti, Jasmine, Shana, Seth, Tierra, Cortni, and Doug as exemplars of the care that communities seek. Yet consistent reliability and clear, respectful communication remain critical challenges - issues that some families confront repeatedly across different locations. The overall takeaway is that BrightStar Care can be a lifeline during difficult times, but families may benefit from asking pointed questions about scheduling, backup plans for emergencies, and the turnover or training level of caregivers in their specific area before and during service.

Located in Upper Arlington, Ohio, this area offers a diverse range of amenities for senior living. With numerous restaurants such as Roosters and Bonefish Grill, pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS, and cafes such as Crimson Cup and Starbucks, residents have easy access to dining options and basic necessities. Nearby parks like Thompson Park and Antrim Park provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. For medical needs, there are several physician offices including Forefront Dermatology and Ohio ENT Surgeons, as well as hospitals like Ohio Health within close proximity. Additionally, convenient transportation options are available with the Ohio State University Airport nearby. Places of worship such as St Andrew Church and Saint Brendan Catholic Church offer spiritual support for residents. Overall, this part of Upper Arlington provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to settle in a vibrant community with access to essential services.

Restaurants

• Roosters (0.2 miles)
• BIBIBOP Asian Grill (0.3 miles)
• Tensuke Market (0.7 miles)
• Arby's (2.1 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3 miles)
• Bonefish Grill (3.1 miles)
• Brassica (3.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Marc's Stores (0.3 miles)
• Walgreens (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)

Parks

• Thompson Park (0.7 miles)
• Carriage Place Park (1.8 miles)
• Antrim Park (2.3 miles)
• Whetstone Park / Park of Roses (2.5 miles)
• Quarry Trails Metro Park (3.7 miles)
• Coffman Park (5.2 miles)

Physicians

• Forefront Dermatology Columbus, OH (0.9 miles)
• Riverside Outpatient Surgery Center (0.9 miles)
• Ohio ENT Surgeons (1.3 miles)
• Jasonway Internal Medicine (1.4 miles)
• Columbus Eyecare Associates (1.4 miles)
• Central Ohio Primary Care (1.6 miles)
• Mid Oh Cardiology & Vascular (2 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Andrew Church (0.9 miles)
• Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church (2.1 miles)
• Saint Brendan Catholic Church (2.2 miles)
• Holy Name Church (4.3 miles)
• St Christopher Church (4.6 miles)

Transportation

• The Ohio State University Airport at Don Scott Field (OSU) (1.7 miles)

Cafes

• Crimson Cup (2.4 miles)
• Starbucks (3.7 miles)
• Starbucks (4.3 miles)
• Kona Craft Kitchen (4.3 miles)
• Starbucks (4.6 miles)
• Tim Hortons (4.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Ohio Health (2.5 miles)
• OSU Harding Hospital (4.6 miles)
• Richard M Ross Heart Hospital (4.7 miles)