Right at Home

Pros

• Right at Home Northwest feels like family to clients.
• The scheduling team is described as angels who make a difference.
• Care partners are adored by families.
• The office staff are friendly and informative.
• The agency is excellent at matching caregivers with clients.
• Caregivers are competent, respectful, and caring.
• The organization helps families keep loved ones safely at home with peace of mind.
• The overall experience is outstanding and highly recommended.

Cons

• On the very first day, staff told his father they could not perform arm stretches as part of his care.
• Night shifts featured staff falling asleep, forcing him to wake them.
• Caregivers repeatedly arrived late or did not show up at all.
• There was inconsistency and lack of clarity with employee expectations and policies.
• Caregivers ate his father's food.
• Caregivers left in the middle of shifts.
• Caregivers did not clean up after themselves in the kitchen and restroom.
• Caregivers smoked and left cigarette butts on the porch.
• A caregiver dropped him, panicked and froze, leaving him injured.
• The caregiver ignored him inside the house and took multiple smoke breaks.
• A caregiver's remark suggested most clients have dementia, implying limited interaction was acceptable.
• Terri sent back a smoking caregiver despite the family's objections.
• The owner prioritized the caregiver as the best employee and did not inquire about his condition.
• The owner suggested he "speak up for himself" with no follow-up or apology after the incident.
• There was no follow-up or apology to the father after the fall.
• The family felt defeated, appalled, and exhausted by disrespect, lack of integrity, and lack of transparency from the owner.
• Only in their care did the father suffer a fall.
• The family perceived a lack of accountability or repercussions for policy violations.
• The family terminated care due to these issues.

Review

Right at Home Northwest (RAHW) emerges in these stories as a lifeline for many families who want to keep loved ones safe and comfortable at home. For some, the agency has become more than a service provider - it feels like part of the family. One reviewer recalls going almost two years with RAHW and describing the Care Partners as "adored" and the scheduling team as "angels." The support they received helped navigate the overwhelming period after a spouse was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, with the family feeling that Right at Home was the life-support that made daily care possible. Across several accounts, the office team is praised for being responsive, dependable, and a steady presence in times of crisis. In these experiences, RAHW is credited with enabling people to stay home safely, with care that is attentive and compassionate.

Yet, not every story unfolds without serious concerns. In one account, a father with ALS transitioned to full-time care and the family explicitly asked whether caregivers could perform range-of-motion arm exercises. The agency's representative, Terri, confirmed that they could. But on the first day, staff told the family they could not do the arm stretches, and Terri did not respond to repeated attempts to follow up. The exercises were described as essential to the father's quality of life, and the lack of follow-through sowed distrust. What followed were a growing list of troubling experiences: caregivers falling asleep during night shifts, arriving late, unclear expectations and policies, taking the family's food, leaving mid-shift or not showing up at all, leaving messes behind, and even smoking on the premises and leaving cigarette butts on the porch. The father's experience was marked by uncomfortable situations that escalated into fear and a sense of neglect.

One particularly troubling episode involved a caregiver who repeatedly asked for smoke breaks. The father felt pressured and allowed the breaks, even though he disliked smoke. The caregiver's remark - allegedly saying that most of her clients have dementia and so she isn't used to interacting with patients - was met with a brittle response: "A lot of the older caregivers smoke." When a scheduled caregiver did not show up, the agency sent the smoking caregiver back anyway, which the family described as the visit that was "most horrifying." The situation deteriorated further when the caregiver dropped the father while assisting him to the restroom. The caregiver panicked, froze, and the father had to yell for help while bleeding and bruised. Outside the home, the caregiver smoked multiple times, and inside she spoke with someone at Right at Home, saying, "Well, the family will probably fire us now." The family emailed Sharon, the owner, documenting the incident and requesting that they not be charged for the care that day, in addition to revisiting prior issues with coverage. Sharon's response, including questions about dementia and a dismissal of concerns with statements like "Does your father have dementia or something?," left the family feeling that there was little accountability. After this exchange, the family terminated care the following weekend, a decision born of fear, frustration, and a perceived lack of transparency and follow-through from leadership.

In contrast to these painful experiences, multiple other voices describe Right at Home Northwest as a consistently reliable and deeply compassionate partner. Rich M. shares that both his wife and he feel the agency has provided outstanding professional care. He notes a caregiver, "One Lady Auzhua," who was kind, highly professional, and a steady support. The family expresses gratitude for the overall experience and the care team that helped them through a difficult period. Another reviewer emphasizes the transition during the pandemic, when finding care was especially challenging; the assigned caregivers not only kept a daily schedule with minimal misses, but they also demonstrated intuitive and compassionate support that reassured the family. The phrase "intuitive and compassionate care" recurs in several accounts, underscoring the human connection that families value.

Office staff and caregiver matching are highlighted as strengths across multiple testimonials. Reviewers describe office personnel as friendly, informative, and quick to respond, with particular appreciation for the effort to match caregivers to clients' needs and personalities. A caregiver named Margi is singled out for becoming almost a family member - helping not only with care tasks but also with practical matters like computer use and even "Margi-fying" a broken clothes dryer vent. Another caregiver is praised for managing a medical emergency by arranging live-in coverage promptly, reinforcing a sense of safety and readiness during a crisis. The agency's commitment to safety is also noted in the context of the COVID-19 era, with safety measures that align with health guidelines. For families keeping loved ones in their own homes, Right at Home Northwest is described as "easy to work with," "flexible," and "very professional," capable of handling a wide range of situations - from transportation for groceries and appointments to housekeeping and daily living tasks.

The collective message across these reviews is one of two realities coexisting within the same organization. For many families, Right at Home Northwest is an invaluable partner that provides dependable staffing, compassionate care, and the ability to stay in the home environment where their loved ones are most comfortable. The care teams, office staff, and caregivers are repeatedly credited with making life easier during medical emergencies and daily routines alike, helping maintain dignity, safety, and independence. Yet the negative account serves as a stark counterpoint: it highlights the critical importance of consistent care, clear policies, and accountable leadership - elements that can make or break trust in home-based care. In moments of crisis, and especially when a loved one has conditions such as ALS or dementia, the difference between dependable coverage and gaps in care can be profound.

Taken together, these experiences sketch a nuanced portrait of Right at Home Northwest: a company capable of delivering life-changing support and making families feel heard and protected, while also facing on-the-ground challenges that demand vigilant management, transparent communication, and unwavering commitment to quality. For families navigating complex health trajectories - where daily routines, safety, and emotional well-being are at stake - the agency's strengths are clear: compassionate caregivers, proactive office staff, reliable scheduling, and the ability to mobilize care quickly in emergencies. They remain a trusted option for many who wish to receive care at home, while the calls for improvement remind us that continuous scrutiny and accountability are essential to maintaining trust and ensuring all clients receive the high standard of care they deserve.

Restaurants

• Taco Lobo (0 miles)
• Bellingham Bar & Grill (0.1 miles)
• Pure Bliss Desserts (0.1 miles)
• Mallard Ice Cream (0.1 miles)
• Fiamma Burger (0.1 miles)
• Beaver Inn (0.1 miles)
• Cabin Tavern (0.2 miles)

Physicians

• Russell H Sheinkopf (0.1 miles)
• Bellingham Bay Ophthalmology (0.4 miles)
• Hanks R Von DDS (0.4 miles)
• Ti-Chee (0.5 miles)
• Ian D Bonner, MD (0.7 miles)
• Bellingham Bay Family Medicine (0.7 miles)
• Northstar Medical Specialists (0.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (0.1 miles)
• Northern Cross Collective Garden (0.1 miles)
• Fred Meyer Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Custom Prescription Shop (0.9 miles)
• Hoagland LTC Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Hi-School Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Haggen Pharmacy (1.2 miles)

Cafes

• Mount Bakery (0.1 miles)
• Caffe Adagio (0.1 miles)
• Cafe Velo (0.1 miles)
• Old Town Cafe (0.2 miles)
• The Woods Coffee on Railroad and Chestnut (0.3 miles)
• Makeworth Market (0.3 miles)
• Cool Beans (0.6 miles)

Transportation

• WTA Bellingham Station (0.1 miles)
• WTA Bus Stop (0.9 miles)

Parks

• Cornwall Park (0.3 miles)
• Waypoint Park (0.3 miles)
• Elizabeth Park (0.8 miles)
• Broadway Park (1 miles)
• Zuanich Park (1 miles)

Hospitals

• St Joseph Hospital Center For Rehabilitation (0.6 miles)
• St Joseph Hospital Foundation (0.6 miles)
• Bellingham Surgery Center (1.4 miles)
• PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center (1.5 miles)
• St Joseph Cancer Center (1.5 miles)
• Peacehealth St Joseph Child Birth Center (1.6 miles)