Care Advantage of Roanoke, VA

Pros

• Care Advantage is described as excellent to deal with, with companion care arranged the same day for a mother with dementia.
• Kenya is described as precious and an angel who advocated for the patient and genuinely cared for her well-being.
• Care Advantage staff are praised for being responsive, quick to answer questions, and going the extra mile.
• Caregivers are described as kind, punctual, and attentive to patients' needs.
• Tim and Samantha are noted as super friendly and engaging, helping to inspire interest in PCA training.
• The practice reports that Care Advantage demonstrates utmost respect and professionalism toward staff and patients.
• Care Advantage is credited with compassion, respect for caregivers, and the ability to adapt quickly during the pandemic to meet client needs.

Cons

• They describe the company as lacking and unreliable, with assigned staff often not showing up and leaving the patient without assistance.
• They report that in the first week, about 50% of hired staff did not call or show up, leaving clients without care.
• They say promises to be there for a dying person are empty, with no follow-through or apologies.
• They state they were denied caregiver hours or services despite being pre-approved for hours.
• They label the agency as incompetent and neglectful, with caregivers arriving late or not at all and no communication.
• They mention billing issues, including overcharging and failure to provide promised billing information.
• They describe the company as the worst home health agency and would not recommend it.

Review

Care Advantage appears to be a home health care provider that, for many clients, promises much but delivers inconsistently. Across a broad collection of firsthand experiences, the thread running through the reviews is a tension between the potential for compassionate, attentive care and a troubling pattern of missed visits, unreliable communication, and gaps in staffing. Several reviewers praise individual caregivers and note moments of genuine relief and relief for families, but those positive notes sit amid repeated complaints about lateness, no-shows, and a sense that the company is not consistently coordinating the level of care that clients and their loved ones rely on in dire situations.

A recurring theme is the near-ubiquitous problem of caregivers failing to show up or to notify families when they cannot come. In numerous accounts, caregivers either did not arrive on the scheduled day, failed to call, or both, leaving patients without needed assistance. One reviewer described a pattern where "the biggest joke in home health care" is the inability to provide even basic promised services or tax information, while another lamented that "50% of the time they did not call or show up as hired," noting this began in the first week after hiring. The impact is not trivial: families are left scrambling, and in several stories, patients who need urgent help or who are dying are left waiting with insufficient or no care. The sense of unreliability here is clear - patients and families feel that when the company commits to a schedule, it often fails to honor it.

Safety and quality of care are frequent concerns. One story involves a caregiver tasked with assisting a paralyzed husband who, in a reported lapse of care, was burned by hot water during a wash. This is presented not as an isolated incident but as a reflection of choosing caregivers without adequate training or experience and of a system that fails to substitute safer, more qualified personnel when problems are noticed. Several reviews echo similar worries: caregivers may arrive late, seem unfamiliar with the patient's needs, or spend only minutes with a patient who requires comprehensive support. There are mentions of facilities and medications (such as insulin) not being brought on time, and in at least one case, a rehab facility's delay in insulin administration is linked to delayed response from the agency. The overarching concern is that inconsistent staffing and poor communication heighten risk for patients who depend on steady, capable care.

The financial and administrative side of Care Advantage is a point of contention as well. Some families describe items such as overbilling, with one reviewer reporting overcharges for time that wasn't used and another noting a second, larger overcharge that was promised to be resolved but never followed through. Added to that is a sense that insurance and hours can be misaligned: one reviewer was denied care because the request did not "meet" a required hourly threshold, even though they were approved for 20 hours per week. These billing and insurance friction points compound the frustration of those already dealing with the stress of caregiving and the emotional toll of aging or illness in a loved one.

Despite the strong weight of criticism, there are clearly positive experiences that show what the agency is capable of when it works smoothly. A standout compliment centers on a caregiver named Kenya, who reportedly sat with a mother recovering from hospitalization, advocated for timely insulin administration in a rehab setting, and provided a level of care described as "an angel on Earth." Another family praised Care Advantage for "same-day" companion care that brought immediate relief, and they highlighted the company's responsiveness and willingness to adapt. In a different vein, some reviewers describe care teams and staff as courteous and professional, and there are favorable statements about the agency's cooperation with doctors and hospitals, with caregivers who are described as kind, attentive, and reliable on certain days. There are even instances where staff members or teams were described as going "the extra mile" and where partnerships with the company were viewed as essential to keeping clients at home.

Several reviews also point to broader systemic issues within the company. Ongoing staffing shortages are noted repeatedly, with several accounts acknowledging that caregivers calling in for time off or shifts led to gaps in service. A long-running concern is that management has admitted staffing problems or has placed the burden of care on families when staff cannot be provided, sometimes suggesting that families must step in to fill the gaps when no replacement is available. These observations suggest a cycle in which demand exceeds supply, and when caregivers are not available, the agency struggles to deliver consistent, dependable service. The result is a mixed reputation: praised for moments of excellent care, yet criticized as unreliable and frequently insufficient for the needs of vulnerable clients.

In the end, the portrait is of a company that can provide meaningful, compassionate care in the right circumstances but that struggles with reliability, staffing consistency, and clear communication. When the stars align - caregivers who arrive on time, well-trained, and responsive to a patient's evolving needs, along with a responsive and proactive support team - the experience can be life-changing and deeply reassuring for families. In less favorable scenarios, families face missed visits, uncertain scheduling, and serious safety concerns, all of which undermine trust when the stakes are highest. This mix of experiences underscores the importance of robust staffing, dependable scheduling, transparent communication, and a strong emphasis on patient safety and caregiver training for any home health provider aiming to deliver consistent, high-quality care.

Located in Roanoke, Virginia, this area offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to senior living. With multiple restaurants like Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Olive Garden, and Carrabba's Italian Grill within a short distance, residents can enjoy dining out without traveling far. Nearby healthcare facilities such as Carilion Clinic Family Medicine and New Horizons Healthcare ensure easily accessible medical care. Additionally, proximity to parks like Norwich Park and Washington Park provides opportunities for leisurely strolls and outdoor activities. Several places of worship are also conveniently located for spiritual fulfillment. Transportation options include the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport and the Roanoke Higher Education Center Smart Way Stop for convenient travel. Pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy offer easy access to medications and healthcare essentials. Overall, this part of Roanoke presents a well-rounded community ideal for senior living with its range of amenities and services in close proximity.

Restaurants

• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (0.7 miles)
• Hardee's (0.8 miles)
• TGI Friday's (1.4 miles)
• Olive Garden (1.6 miles)
• Carrabba's Italian Grill (1.6 miles)
• Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen (1.6 miles)
• Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill (1.7 miles)

Physicians

• Carilion Clinic Family Medicine - Roanoke Salem (1.1 miles)
• New Horizons Healthcare (1.3 miles)
• Star City Eye Care (1.6 miles)
• Kool Smiles Dentist (2.3 miles)
• Carilion Internal Medicine (2.4 miles)
• Vistar Eye Center (2.7 miles)
• Virginia Orthopaedic (2.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance (1.4 miles)
• Salem VA Medical Center (2.2 miles)
• Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital (3.4 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Inpatient Rehabilitation (3.4 miles)
• Roanoke Ambulatory Surgery Center (3.5 miles)

Transportation

• Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) (2 miles)
• Roanoke Higher Education Center Smart Way Stop (3 miles)

Parks

• Norwich Park (2 miles)
• Vic Thomas Park (2.4 miles)
• Wasena Park (2.6 miles)
• Washington Park (2.6 miles)
• Elmwood Park (3.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Starbucks (3.3 miles)
• Starbucks (3.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• St James Episcopal Church (2.3 miles)
• Cornerstone Church (2.8 miles)
• Covenant Presbyterian Church (3.1 miles)
• Shenandoah Baptist Church (3.3 miles)
• St Johns Episcopal Church (3.3 miles)
• Rescue Mission Ministries (3.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (2.6 miles)
• Valley Apothecary (3.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Kroger Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)