Home Care Assistance of Greater Burlington in Essex Junction, VT

Pros

• They provide a wonderful match for clients after meeting them and listening to their interests and activities.
• They are flexible to work with and balance independence with family involvement.
• Care managers and office staff are easily reachable and consistently responsive.
• The caregivers are upbeat, helpful, encouraging, and responsible.
• The team helps families achieve peace of mind by ensuring safe, in-home care.
• They are professional, caring, and dedicated to aging in place with dignity.
• They communicate clearly and match caregivers well, ensuring continuity and trust.
• They maintain strong scheduling, quick staffing, and reliable service.

Cons

• Several reviewers stated that some caregivers were not adequately trained and lacked hands-on experience, leading to unmet expectations and a lack of recommendation.
• A reviewer criticized the main office for poor communication, saying information about schedules and coverage wasn't conveyed clearly and caused scheduling issues.
• A former employee described office immaturity and unsafe handling of COVID-19 exposure, alleging safety concerns were ignored to keep shifts filled.
• One reviewer used strong language to characterize a manager, calling him an "asshole" and accusing him of unprofessional behavior.
• Another reviewer claimed the company prioritized filling shifts over caregiver safety and fair compensation, suggesting staff were underpaid or not treated well.

Review

This community is best suited for families that want their loved ones to stay safely at home with deeply personalized, flexible in-home care. Essex Junction-based Home Care Assistance of Greater Burlington excels when a trusted team can match a caregiver to a specific person's rhythms, interests, and cognitive or physical needs, while keeping the family in the loop and able to review notes, schedules, and billing online. It is particularly well-suited for aging in place, early-to-mid dementia care, and situations where a rapid start and reliable on-call coverage matter. The approach rewards families who value continuity, proactive planning, and a care philosophy that treats the whole person and the whole family with attention and respect.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include households requiring 24/7, single-caregiver consistency day and night, or a facility-based environment with more constant on-site medical oversight. A few reviewers flagged occasional office communication hiccups and concerns about how scheduling and pay were handled, suggesting that in tightly budgeted situations or when a perfectly predictable office experience is essential, other providers or a different care setting might be a better fit. For families facing highly specialized medical needs or who prioritize a fixed, long-term live-in arrangement, exploring other options could be prudent.

The strongest pros here are the care-management backbone and the care-matching discipline. The team is praised for listening closely to the person's interests, values, and routines and then aligning caregivers accordingly, often resulting in a "peace of mind" that extends to out-of-town family members who rely on regular updates. Caregivers are described as upbeat, patient, and consistently dependable, with several accounts praising a primary caregiver who became a trusted ally for the client and family. The system also supports transparency through a client-facing website for notes, schedules, and invoices, and the local leadership is repeatedly credited with responsiveness, clear communication, and a genuine commitment to keeping clients at home rather than in facilities. In dementia and complex care cases, having two full-time staff rotating through a schedule and a plan that emphasizes dignity and safety has repeatedly proven valuable.

Yet, the cons are nontrivial and warrant a candid, practical assessment. Occasional gaps in office communication and hiccups in coverage were noted, sometimes tied to scheduling and information flow rather than caregiver performance. A few reviews mention variability in caregiver training and experience, with at least one instance of dissatisfaction tied to a specific caregiver's skill set. There is also mention of inflationary pressure on hourly rates, which can affect long-term budgeting for families watching the bottom line. These are not universal failures, but they do remind families to establish a clear communication protocol, set expectations up front about coverage and care goals, and frequently revisit the care plan as needs evolve.

Despite these potential drawbacks, the pros consistently outsize the drawbacks for families prioritizing aging in place with a human-centered approach. The agency's local ownership and stability - owners who are personally involved in assessments, caregiver matching, and ongoing quality checks - translate into steadier staffing than might be found elsewhere. Caregivers who align with the client's personality and routines reduce friction, minimize behavioral challenges, and expand the window of time that loved ones can spend at home with confidence. For families navigating medical complexity, the ability to coordinate quickly, approve substitutes, and maintain a reliable care rhythm is a decisive advantage that often lowers the stress and disruption associated with transitions to higher levels of care.

Bottom line: this is a robust, home-first option for families who prize tailored caregiver matches, proactive care management, and the reassurance that their loved one can remain in familiar surroundings with trustworthy support. If the priority is a flexible, relationship-driven program that treats aging in place as a collaborative, family-inclusive mission, this provider stands out in the Burlington area. If, however, the decision hinges on uninterrupted 24/7 single-caregiver coverage, absolute predictability in office communications, or a fixed price with little fluctuation, it pays to compare alternatives carefully and to have a frank discussion about scheduling, training expectations, and cost containment before committing.

This part of Essex Junction, Vermont, offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors looking to settle in the area. With pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS nearby, access to medication and healthcare needs is convenient. There are also reputable physicians at Essex Pediatrics and Evergreen Family Health for primary care needs. The selection of restaurants like Black Flannel Brewing and Ninety-Nine Restaurant & Pub provide dining options for every taste. Parks such as Essex Overlook Park offer opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation. Additionally, transportation options like Burlington International Airport are easily accessible for travel needs. For medical care, hospitals like UVM Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and The University of Vermont Medical Center are within a short distance. Overall, this area provides a mix of essential services, dining options, recreational facilities, and healthcare resources making it a well-rounded community for senior living in Essex Junction.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Fletcher Allen Pharmacy - Fanny Allen Campus (2.3 miles)
• UVM Medical Center Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (3.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Essex Pediatrics (0.5 miles)
• Evergreen Family Health (1 miles)
• UVM Medical Center Adult Primary Care - Essex (2.1 miles)
• Essence of Beauty (2.3 miles)
• Vermont Lung Center (2.3 miles)
• Mary Val Palumbo, NP, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (2.3 miles)
• University Pediatrics (2.4 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.6 miles)
• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• Black Flannel Brewing (1.8 miles)
• The Scale (2.5 miles)
• Ninety-Nine Restaurant & Pub (2.8 miles)
• Guild Tavern (3 miles)
• Agave (3.1 miles)

Parks

• Essex Overlook Park (0.7 miles)
• City Hall Park (5.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• Jules on the Green (1.9 miles)
• Green Mountain Coffee (2 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.6 miles)
• Scout & Co. (3.7 miles)
• Vivid Coffee Roasters (5 miles)

Transportation

• Burlington International Airport (BTV) (2.6 miles)

Hospitals

• UVM Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (4.1 miles)
• The University of Vermont Medical Center (4.1 miles)
• UVM Medical Center McClure (4.2 miles)
• Vermont Regional Genetics Center (4.2 miles)
• UVM Medical Center Registration (4.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Joseph Church (5.1 miles)