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July 1, 2024
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If your family needs additional support caring for a loved one, then BrightStar Care can likely help. Their caregivers can assist with activities of daily living, skilled nursing care, companionship, and respite care.
Each individual care team is led by a registered nurse, so BrightStar Care can provide compassionate care to improve your loved one’s health and well-being — all in the comfort of their home.
Pro Tip: While not a replacement for home care, a medical alert system is one of the most affordable ways to keep your loved ones safe. To find options from $20 per month, read our guide to the best medical alert systems.
BrightStar Care Pros and Cons
Pros
- Trained caregivers: BrightStar Care promises quality in-home care services, and all of its caregivers undergo background checks, drug screenings, and extensive caregiver training.
- Skilled nursing care: In addition to assistance with activities of daily living, BrightStar Care also offers skilled nursing care at home for people with chronic conditions or other medical issues.
- Disability home care services: BrightStar Care offers a range of disability home care services for older adults with disabilities, including travel companionship and comprehensive physical, occupational, or speech therapy programs.
- Care wherever you need it: BrightStar Care services can be administered either in your loved one’s home or at a senior care community such as a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Cons
- Consistency: With 300 independently owned and operated locations nationwide, caregiving experience or services may differ slightly.
BrightStar Care Review
Headquartered in Gurnee, Illinois, BrightStar Care serves patients through over 300 locations. Providing both nonmedical and medical home care, BrightStar Care is equipped to care for patients of nearly any need. Its team of nurses, therapists, certified nursing assistants, and caregivers provides compassionate care at home or wherever else a client may live.
Services
BrightStar Care offers a variety of in-home care services for seniors and individuals with disabilities, Alzheimer’s, or dementia. Its services include compassionate in-home care, such as medication management, personal care, companion care, transportation, and skilled nursing care.
- Personal care: BrightStar Care offers personal care assistance with tasks such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding, and ambulation, allowing your loved one to live in their home safely and independently.
- Companion care: BrightStar Care offers companion care services to help seniors feel less isolated. Caregivers provide regular companion visits, sitter services, and any other recreational activities. The goal is to focus on the client’s well-being and improve their quality of life.
- Senior transportation: For people who need assistance with traveling to appointments or going on errands, BrightStar Care’s caregivers can provide transportation.
- 24-hour home services: BrightStar Care can provide peace of mind for people whose loved ones require 24-hour care and support in the home. Its caregivers provide personal care, emotional care support, household care, and skilled nursing care.
Customer Experience
Each BrightStar Care location is independently owned and operated, so your experience may vary slightly from ours. Still, here’s what we learned from our experience with the company.
- BrightStar Care generally costs about $32 per hour.
- BrightStar Care requires no minimum commitments for visit length or weekly hours.
- Same-day care is a possibility, but it will usually take two days for a caregiver to begin work in the home.
- Care needs are assessed through an in-home consultation.
The reps from BrightStar Care proved to be highly knowledgeable and patient as they guided us through their service options. They were careful to differentiate between home care and home health care services — a key difference in terms of cost and insurance coverage.
Third-Party Reviews
Through researching online reviews of BrightStar Care, we found that most clients were satisfied with their services. In particular, we noticed many families were grateful for the quick turnaround times that came with arranging their care.
“BrightStar Care has been essential to my long-term recovery. My caregiver, Bonny, is amazing! She comes once a week and sets me up for the whole week with grocery shopping, laundry, and food preparation so I have easy, healthy meals throughout the week. And the staff at BrightStar is extremely helpful and responsive. I have requested last-minute caregiving on occasion, and the team scrambles to get it done. I highly recommend BrightStar.” —Walnut Creek, California
“I evacuated a hurricane with my mother-in-law in hospice and called BrightStar. They came within a day and provided overnight help for us on short notice. Professional, dependable, and excellent help. I highly recommend this home health agency. Thank you, BrightStar.” —Richmond, Virginia
“When my mother needed in-home care, I decided to call BrightStar Care. I am very happy I did. Megan and Cassandra were excellent with my mother.” —Racine, Wisconsin
Care.com runs background checks on all of its caregivers.
Cost and Pricing
BrightStar Care services cost approximately $32 an hour for personal care at home, but the amount will vary by both location and the level of care provided. Home health care costs more. BrightStar Care also charges lower hourly rates when you arrange for longer care.
According to Genworth, the average cost of home care in California is $31, making BrightStar Care about average. We found that it was also competitively priced in other states.
Areas Served
Based in Gurnee, Illinois, BrightStar Care has nearly 340 independently owned and operated franchise locations nationwide in at least 36 states. To find a location near you, call BrightStar at 866-618-7827. From there, a representative will connect you with your nearest office.
BrightStar Care locations can be found in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- North Carolina
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
To learn more about home care options and strategies for caring for your loved ones, check out our guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How much does BrightStar Care cost?
BrightStar Care services cost about $32 per hour, but the price will vary by location and level of care provided.
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Does BrightStar Care require a weekly minimum commitment?
There is no minimum commitment required at BrightStar Care. The company can assist with in-home care services for as little as an hour or up to 24 hours.
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How can I find BrightStar Care?
You can find a BrightStar Care location near you by visiting the Find Care Services tab on the company’s website.
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Does BrightStar Care offer skilled nursing services?
Yes, it offers skilled nursing services, including wound care, dressing changes, catheter maintenance, and blood draws and injections.
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Does BrightStar Care accept Medicare and Medicaid?
BrightStar Care does not accept Medicare, but it can partner with both you and your Medicare home health agency for additional care support. Contact BrightStar Care for further information about Medicaid.