Age In Place - Northumberland Region

Cons

• The review claims CNAs arrived with the smell of marijuana and appeared hungover.
• It alleges staffing shortages caused patients to miss care and be left bedbound for hours.
• The director is said to have threatened elder-abuse reporting if concerns were raised with human services.
• The review asserts that staff abuse patients financially, emotionally, and mentally.
• It says complaints are ignored and calls are dodged by the company.
• It states the reviewers would never trust this company to care for a loved one again.
• It accuses workers of using elderly patients' cars for personal use.
• It claims staff used patients' SNAP benefits to feed themselves.
• It alleges nurses brought their young children into patients' homes during shifts.
• It alleges a nurse's partner assaulted a family member, resulting in hospitalization.

Review

A deeply troubling family account emerges from a branch of Age In Home Place, where a mother relied on in-home care that was supposed to support her during a difficult illness. The writer describes repeated problems with the CNAs who were assigned to her, noting that several times they arrived at the home with the strong odor of marijuana and alcohol in their system. These incidents were not isolated; they say the staffing levels were routinely insufficient, so when caregivers called out sick or failed to show, there was no one to fill the gaps. The result was a terrifying rhythm of long periods - up to eight hours in one instance - where the mother, bed-bound and unable to move, remained without the care she needed and without a way to alert anyone that she had been left waiting. The breakdown in basic, compassionate care is described as both personal and systemic, with the caregiver's inability to obtain timely help creating a feeling of abandonment at a moment when it mattered most.

When the family attempted to raise concerns, they encountered what they perceived as an intimidation tactic from the branch's leadership. The director reportedly threatened to report the family for elder abuse if they proceeded to contact human services about the company's conduct. This reaction, the writer emphasizes, made it clear that speaking up would not trigger accountability or improvement, but rather could trigger retaliation. The combination of alleged neglect and fear of reprisal painted a picture of a culture where accountability was scarce and where concerns were met with attempts to silence those who spoke up.

Beyond the immediate care crises, the writer accuses the company of more pervasive wrongdoing that extended into the realm of abuse - financial, emotional, and mental. They allege that the staff's behavior toward elderly clients was not merely negligent but exploitative, describing a pattern where complaints were ignored and calls were dodged rather than addressed. The negative characterizations of the staff come through in strong language - unprofessional liars, thieves, and thugs - suggesting a culture of manipulation and disrespect that affected the dignity and safety of the people receiving care. The write-up conveys a sense of deep disappointment that such treatment could occur within a system that should be safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

The emotional toll of these experiences is clear in the writer's assessment of the branch's management. The caregiver emphasizes a lack of trust in the leadership and in the branch as a whole, warning that if the management treats a person who does not even need their services with such rudeness, one can only imagine how aggressively they might misbehave toward a loved one who depends on them. The description when read together is one of fear and dread about ongoing care, rather than reassurance or solace - the kind of fear that makes the idea of leaving a loved one in the care of the organization feel unsafe and unacceptable.

Several specific and troubling allegations are enumerated, painting a broader picture of alleged systemic abuse. The writer claims that the elderly patients' own car was sometimes used for personal purposes by staff. They allege that the staff exploited patients' SNAP benefits to feed themselves, a claim that, if true, suggests a direct violation of patient rights and financial integrity. The account goes further, describing situations in which young children were brought into patients' homes during shifts - sometimes left with another nurse - while other times the nurse's own partner was allowed to be present and eat food in the patient's home. The accusations include restricted access to family members who were trying to reach the patient, a troubling barrier to communication that can undermine care and safety in critical moments.

In addition to these property and benefit-related concerns, the writer asserts more dangerous misconduct: the use and supply of illegal substances to patients during on-the-clock shifts. They also claim that a nurse's partner was at one point allowed to be in the patient's home and involved in harming a family member to the point of hospitalization. Each of these allegations adds layers of risk and severity to the overall portrayal of the branch, transforming concerns about quality of life and basic respect into urgent questions about patient safety and the ethical standards of the caregiver team.

Taken together, the account paints a stark, unflinching portrait of distrust and alarm. The writer speaks with a resolute conviction that the branch is unfit to care for vulnerable people and expresses a determination not to trust them with their own family again. The language used underscores a sense of danger and ethical breach that extends beyond occasional mistakes to a pattern of behavior alleged to compromise the health, safety, and dignity of elderly patients. The final impression is one of a caregiving operation that, in the writer's experience, failed at its most fundamental duties, leaving a family to grapple with fear, frustration, and a loss of faith in a system designed to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

The neighborhood of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, offers a convenient and accessible location with a variety of amenities for senior living. Within close proximity, you will find several hospitals including Urology Geisinger Shampkin Hospital and Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital Emergency Department, ensuring easy access to medical services. Additionally, there are numerous physicians' offices nearby such as M Nayeem Akhtar MD and Kort Joseph F Office for your healthcare needs. The area also boasts a selection of restaurants like Wayside Inn and Brewser's SportsGrille for dining options. With pharmacies like Rite Aid and CVS Pharmacy in the vicinity, obtaining medications is convenient. Places of worship such as Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish provide spiritual support, while parks like Elysburg Playground offer recreational opportunities. For transportation needs, U-Haul is available nearby. Overall, this part of Shamokin presents a well-rounded community with essential services and amenities for comfortable senior living.

Hospitals

• Urology Geisinger Shampkin Hosptial (1.2 miles)
• Geisinger Health System (1.2 miles)
• Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital Emergency Department (1.3 miles)
• G-Sach (1.3 miles)
• Danville State Hospital (9.5 miles)
• Cardic Cath (10.2 miles)
• Geisinger System Services (10.4 miles)

Physicians

• M Nayeem Akhtar MD (1.3 miles)
• Kort, Joseph Kort Joseph F Office (2 miles)
• Community Health Care (2.1 miles)
• Dr Manney's Office (2.2 miles)
• Geisinger Medical Group (5.8 miles)
• A Woman's Care Ob Gyn PC (7.7 miles)
• Keystone Family Medicine Associates PC (7.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Wayside Inn (1.6 miles)
• Coney Island Lunch (2 miles)
• Brewser's SportsGrille (2.2 miles)
• McDonald's (2.3 miles)
• Lost Mind Brewing (2.4 miles)
• G Lounge (2.5 miles)
• Masser's Restaurant and Catering (2.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Weis Markets Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (7.2 miles)
• Vitaline (9.9 miles)
• Danville Pharmacy (10.3 miles)
• Geisinger Pharmacy Danville (10.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish (2.1 miles)
• Elysburg United Methodist Church (3 miles)
• Holy Angels (4.8 miles)
• Divine Redeemer Church (7.3 miles)
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel (7.8 miles)
• St Paul's Emmanuel United Methodist Church (10.2 miles)
• St James United Church Of Christ (10.2 miles)

Parks

• Elysburg Playground (2.9 miles)
• Kidsville (9.6 miles)

Cafes

• Profile Coffee and Roasters (2.9 miles)
• Dorkos Cafe (7.4 miles)
• Bason Coffee Roasting (10.2 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul (5.3 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (10 miles)