Service work often involves dealing with complaints, especially when you’re working in someone’s home. To ensure clients have a positive experience, caregivers must be aware of common home care complaints and proactively work to avoid them.  

Based on our experience in the New England area, here are seven common home care complaints and how to avoid them.  

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1. Lack of adequate caregiver training 

By its nature, home caregivers serve the elderly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. So it’s understandable that both clients and their families are sensitive to shortcomings (real or perceived) in caregiver training.  

When this complaint arises, the first question to ask: is the lack of training real or perceived? Put another way, is the solution more caregiver education, or better communication to help put the client at ease?  

How to avoid this complaint:  

• Complete all required certifications and trainings for your state—MAS Home Care handles this for all our caregivers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island 
• Don’t settle for the bare minimum—continually look for education opportunities to grow and hone your skills 
• If there’s a skill set you’re struggling with or lacking, talk to your agency about closing that skill gap—for example, learning more about infection control, client rights, or nutrition basics

2. Lack of communication around shift changes & caregiver replacements 

Whether or not we know it (or like it), our lives have routines and rhythms. When you start working with a client, you quickly become part of their daily life and routine. Unexpected changes can be unsettling, whether a shift change or unfamiliar face showing up at the door.  

This is one reason why MAS Home Care strives to go above and beyond in communicating shift and staffing changes with our clients. Because while home care can be flexible, changes need to be clearly communicated with clients to help maintain comfort and peace of mind.   

How to avoid this complaint: 

• Communicate shift changes up front and with plenty of notice. Working with a New England home care agency like MAS Home Care can help mitigate unintentional wire-crossing. 

• Show up to your shifts on time. Don’t leave clients waiting. 

• If you need to trade shifts with another caregiver, try to trade with someone the client already knows. This can go a long way to maintaining the client’s comfort and peace of mind. Again, an agency can help with this.  

3. Treating clients like a job instead of a friend

No one wants to be treated like a job. This is especially the case for seniors, who already face startlingly high degrees of loneliness and lack of social connection. Part of your role as a home caregiver is to provide companionship and friendship.  

In our experience, the people who find the most success and happiness with their work in home care are those who genuinely value the relationships they build with clients. They’re eager to talk with them, ask questions, listen, and build a genuine friendship all while maintaining professional boundaries. Without those moments of connection, the work can quickly become monotonous, which leaves both parties disappointed.  

How to avoid this complaint:  

• Focus on the relationship as much as the day-to-day work. Spend time getting to know the client, listening to their stories, and building a genuine connection. 

• If you deal with a large client base, consider keeping notes on the client to help remember important details they share 

• Consider seeking training in soft skills like customer service, attention to detail, and building your own trust and confidence 

4. Not following the client’s care plan 

Clients have care plans for a reason. Not only do they ensure all expectations are spelled out prior to offering care, but also help match with the right caregiver. Failure to follow a client’s care plan can create friction and dissatisfaction as they feel their needs and requests aren’t being heard.  

How to avoid this complaint: 

• Use the first visit or two to assess caregiver-client fit. If there’s an issue, it’s best to seek reassignment from your agency so a better fit can be assigned.  

• Review the care plan with your client periodically to ensure you remain on the same page.  
• Stick to the care plan and, if a change needs to be made, make sure to discuss it with the client and your agency contact.  

5. Not taking client requests into account

In addition to the standard requirements of the client’s care plan, random requests may come up. A client may request a change in meal plan or decide they don’t want that scheduled bath after all. 

One of the key reasons people seek home care is to remain independent for as long as possible. It’s important to respect the client’s opinions and let them maintain some say-so during their care.  

How to avoid this complaint: 

• Listen to your client and respond to any requests clients have (within reason). Let them stay in the proverbial driver’s seat. 

• If there’s a medical concern or other practical reason why you can’t accommodate a request, be sure to explain to them why it’s important to stick to the plan.  

• If you must give a hard “no” on a request, see if you can offer an alternative.  

6. Inability to cook, clean, etc.

Home care involves a range of skills: cooking, cleaning, conversation, transportation, and, in some cases, medical support. It’s a career where jacks-of-all-trades can thrive. But a common complaint comes when caregivers are unable to do all the tasks associated with the job.  

Now, you don’t have to be a gourmet chef to succeed at home care. But cooking eggs, making sandwiches, boiling pasta—you should be able to perform these basic tasks without problem. Same goes for the other skills mentioned above.  

How to avoid this complaint: 

• If you lack a particular skill, be honest about it with your agency contact. You may be able to find placement with a client where that skill isn’t required.  

• Seek training or mentorship for any skills you lack. Your agency may be able to help with this. 

7. Lack of accountability

If you choose to work with MAS Home Care, you’ll notice we hold our caregivers to high standards. We invest in all the necessary certifications, require reports and shift notes, and conduct regular reviews of all our staff.  

But there’s a reason for this. A top complaint among home care clients is lack of home caregiver accountability, and we want to tackle this one head on. So yes, there may be some hoops to jump through when you work with MAS Home Care. But on the flip side, you’ll get the accountability and support that ensures everyone has a positive working experience. 

How to avoid this complaint: 

• Find an agency like MAS Home Care that invests in you and treats you like part of a team. Accountability and support go hand in hand with us, and it’s the “secret sauce” to a long-lasting, stable career in this industry.