Changing Tides Home Care

Pros

• Angela is professional and caring as a caregiver.
• Rochelle demonstrates sincere empathy, compassion and professionalism.
• Rachelle is kind, compassionate, and knows how to set families' minds at ease.
• Changing Tides has phenomenal staff.
• The caregiver chosen was kind, attentive and hardworking.
• CJ, the primary caregiver, went above and beyond many times.
• Management is accessible by phone and addresses concerns satisfactorily.
• The team is competent and makes the process easy.
• Changing Tides provides a care log and an interactive website to keep families informed.
• The owner, Rachelle, runs a great company and its staff are wonderful, compassionate people.

Cons

• The reviewer felt the company cared only about business and money, not about safety or well-being.
• The reviewer endured harassment at client homes and was kept on the schedule despite asking to be removed.
• The reviewer described Rachelle as rude, who hung up on them in the middle of a conversation and deprioritized sending a termination letter.
• The reviewer stated the agency showed a lack of concern for employee safety or well-being and could be rude to staff who leave.
• The reviewer called the experience awful and heartbreaking for recipients.
• The reviewer suggested there is a problematic line between business and healthcare, implying the company fails to balance them properly.

Review

Changing Tides Home Care has a broad range of experiences reflected in the stories of families who turned to them for in-home help with loved ones. Taken together, the reviews illustrate a company that many clients and families deeply trust for compassionate, professional care, while also revealing several concerns that some families encountered around scheduling, communication, and respect in difficult moments. On balance, the message across the testimonials is that the agency often delivers thoughtful, person-centered care, anchored by a leadership team that appears to be genuinely devoted to easing the burdens that come with caring for aging relatives.

A recurring theme is the kindness, empathy, and professional presence of the caregivers. Many reviewers describe caregivers who treat their patients with dignity, encouraging independence and preserving the sense of self that families value. One caregiver in particular - Angela - receives high praise for the way she supports an elderly father, promoting independence, dignity, and a sense of normalcy in daily life. The impression left by Angela and others like her is that the agency's staff can become an almost irreplaceable part of a family, offering not only practical assistance but also emotional support that families rely on during challenging times. In several accounts, caregivers are described as attentive, patient, and genuinely engaged in the lives of the people they care for, to the extent that they become, for a time, part of the family circle.

Rachelle, the owner, appears repeatedly as a reassuring point of contact for families seeking care. Reviewers highlight her accessibility, kindness, and steady involvement from the first inquiry through to ongoing care. Families describe feeling at ease after speaking with her, and many recount that she personally participated in initial assessments and in selecting the right caregiver for a specific loved one. The sense that management, not just frontline staff, is involved in the care process is a common thread, with reviewers noting that management is easy to reach by phone and that concerns - when raised - are addressed. This hands-on approach seems to give families confidence that their loved ones will be cared for by someone who understands their needs and their family dynamics.

The agency's emphasis on a structured, transparent care process also stands out in the feedback. Several reviews mention a clear and supportive onboarding experience, where the owner and the team guide families through assessments and care planning. One reviewer who has relied on Changing Tides for more than six months emphasizes how the initial conversations, the in-home assessment, and the ongoing caregiver matching all contributed to a sense of trust. Another review notes the presence of a care log and an interactive website, enabling families to monitor daily care and stay informed about the services provided. This kind of visibility is described as a significant reassurance for families who want to feel connected to the care their loved ones are receiving, even when they cannot be there in person.

Caregiver training and credentialing are highlighted as a differentiating factor by those who place a high value on professional standards. One testimonial specifically calls out the extensive memory care training and certification that every caregiver undergoes, describing it as a game changer for families dealing with dementia and other cognitive challenges. In a field where clinical understanding and careful handling matter as much as warmth and empathy, such training appears to offer additional confidence to families that their loved ones are in capable hands. The combination of compassionate care with formal training is presented as a core strength of the agency.

Families also share stories of meaningful outcomes and reliable responsiveness. There are accounts of short-notice support and flexible scheduling - times when families needed extended hours or additional caregivers, and the agency responded to increase coverage promptly. The caregiver CJ is highlighted as someone who made a positive impact, reinforcing the idea that the agency can provide not just routine assistance but also meaningful, consistent companionship and support. Reviewers describe the staff as reliable and the agency as capable of adapting to changing needs, which is especially important when a loved one's condition or daily requirements shift.

However, not every experience is perfectly smooth. A subset of reviews documents difficult interactions and procedural frustrations. One account expresses a strong critique: the writer felt the organization's priorities skew toward the business side at the expense of personal safety and respectful communication. In this case, the writer describes being uncomfortable in a client's home, requesting removal from the schedule, yet finding themselves still scheduled for visits and subjected to harassment. The encounter includes a charged perception of management - specifically, that a termination letter being sent was deemed not high on the priority list - and concerns about being treated with disrespect during a phone exchange. This perspective contrasts sharply with the more common narratives of gratitude and reassurance and serves as a reminder that, as with any service that involves visits to private homes, clear, respectful communication and reliable scheduling are essential to maintaining trust.

Another notable tension in the reviews lies in the long-standing debate about the role of medical training in home care. A number of families express the view that caregiving, when performed through a professional agency, should be grounded in formal medical training and certified qualifications. They argue that differences between caring for a family member and providing professional care require rigorous standards to ensure safety and quality. This sentiment reflects a broader expectation among some clients that home care agencies should not just be compassionate but also medically trained to meet complex health needs and navigate the clinical aspects of in-home care.

Overall, Changing Tides/Home Care emerges as a company that many families rely on for deeply compassionate, professional care that can significantly improve a loved one's quality of life. The reviews collectively portray a team effort anchored by a hands-on owner who seeks to match caregivers to families with care and thoughtfulness. For families seeking at-home care, the agency is described as trustworthy, with a demonstrated ability to support independence, maintain dignity, and provide consistent care over time. Yet, as with any service that operates in private homes, there are important caveats about communication, scheduling, and the importance of clear, respectful interactions between management, staff, and families. Prospective clients may find it valuable to discuss scheduling clarity, termination processes, and expectations around caregiver training upfront to ensure alignment with their loved one's needs and their family's expectations.

This part of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a vibrant and convenient area with a variety of amenities within close proximity. There are several reputable physicians and healthcare facilities nearby, including Coastal Ear Nose & Throat and Pulmonary Medicine of Virginia Beach, providing easy access to quality medical care. The area also offers a diverse selection of restaurants such as Taste Unlimited and Baladi Mediterranean Cafe, as well as popular cafes like Starbucks and Rick's Cafe. Additionally, there are pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens nearby for all your medication needs. For recreational activities, there are several parks like Red Wing Park and Mount Trashmore Park within a short drive, perfect for enjoying the outdoors. Overall, this area provides a mix of healthcare services, dining options, and recreational opportunities making it an appealing choice for senior living.

Physicians

• Zaki Tarek O DDS (0.4 miles)
• Coastal Ear Nose & Throat (0.8 miles)
• Pulmonary Medicine of Virginia Beach (0.8 miles)
• Virginia Beach Family Practice (0.8 miles)
• First Colonial Eye Center (0.9 miles)
• Dr. Susan E. Ring, MD (0.9 miles)
• Arthritis Consultants of Tidewater (0.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Virginia Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center (0.7 miles)
• Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital (0.8 miles)
• Sentara Health Care (3.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Taste Unlimited (0.8 miles)
• No Frill Bar And Grill (0.9 miles)
• Baladi Mediterranean Cafe (0.9 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.2 miles)
• Wasserhund Brewing Company (1.3 miles)
• McDonald's (1.6 miles)
• Tulu Seaside Bar & Grill (1.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Virginia Beach Community Chapel (1 miles)
• Spring Branch Community Church (2.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.3 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (4.5 miles)

Cafes

• Rick's Cafe (1.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• The Green Cat (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Bad Ass Coffee (2.1 miles)
• Kahiau's Bakery & Cafe (5.4 miles)
• Starbucks (7.1 miles)

Parks

• Broad Bay Estates Park (3.1 miles)
• Kings Grant Park (5 miles)
• Red Wing Park (5.2 miles)
• Mount Trashmore Park (6.7 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Lynnhaven 18 (4.7 miles)
• Regal Entertainment Group (6.7 miles)