Award-Winning Care for the Santa Barbara County Area

Here are the reasons we can give Brightstar Care a 5-Star rating: Over the past 2 years we have had a fairly consistent team of 5 caregivers that have helped us care for our 95 year old mother who has dementia and is totally dependent for all care. We have two shifts that cover 18 hours/day. We have Anabel and Carmen, the 2 most experienced caregivers on night shift, each with over 20 years of caregiving experience. While most people have the misconception that all the night shift does is watch their client sleep. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Anabel and Carmen are busy monitoring mom throughout the night to ensure she gets a good nights sleep. They frequently check and change her briefs, reposition her to prevent skin breakdown or bed sores, ensure her bedding is comfortable, monitor her temperature and the room temp and humidity, elevate the head of the bed as needed to improve breathing and decrease coughing, reassure her when she’s asking “where is my family and when are they coming to get me.” Both caregivers write notes for us of how the night went, how mom slept, and any concerns they notice such as signs of a UTI or any lingering redness on pressure areas. Both Anabel and Carmen are a wealth of information for us and share realistic knowledge of what to expect as our mother progresses through the stages of dementia. They are both 100% devoted to providing exceptional care for our mother all night, every night, no exceptions. They are also supportive of us as we care for our mother and because of their great care we are able to rest well at night. Our day shift caregivers assist us with feeding our mom, dressing, transfers in/out of her wheelchair to her recliner or hospital bed. They all share with helping us around the house, doing Mom’s laundry, keeping the dishes done, floors cleaned, mopped and vacuumed as needed; keeping the kitchen pantry stocked, and ensuring moms bedroom is straightened up and stocked with items the night shift will need. Our day shift team is comprised of Saira who is here 4 days/week. Ashley is here 2 days/week and Ellie is her 1 day/week. All of these ladies are very caring and have established a great rapport with our mother. We are confident with their care and handling of our mother which allows us to leave them alone with mom while we run our errands in town. Saira is very attentive and interactive with our mother. Anytime mom is awake Saira is there to talk with her, they look at magazines together, discuss the pictures and Saira frequently gets short but meaningful conversations going with mom. Saira also plays games and gets mom to interact with her on the tablet or rolling a ball on the kitchen table. During meals Ashley helps mom manage her food when needed and knows just how much help to give without interfering with mom feeding herself. She helps mom with her drinks so she doesn’t get too much at once. We know mom likes Ashley too because mom tries to feed Ashley her food. Mom is very comfortable with Ellie’s care even though she’s only here 1 day a week. We appreciate Ellie’s many skills, especially helping mom swab her mouth and teeth which is always a challenge for us; as well as new and efficient ways of dressing mom. When we first started caregiver services with Brightstar Care we had a few different caregivers that just weren’t the perfect fit for mom. My contact at Brightstar Care to address any concerns is Melisa Tadillo, Client Care Supervisor. Melisa is always friendly and professional during our conversations, she is very responsive, she promptly returns phone calls and emails. I feel like Melisa really listens to my concerns and takes action to resolve any issues I’ve had with caregivers that weren’t the right fit for our situation. Our mom’s life is the best it can be because of the exceptional care provided by the Brightstar Care staff. Mary Lewis & Tim Madden