HenderCare (SA) - Adelaide, South Australia

H H.

21/03/25. This is an update to my previous 2 Reviews:

It has only got worse for our Family since the last Review. We have had no choice but to take our concerns to the "Aged Care Commission" who has now started an investigation into the lack of Services and the Exorbitant Fees we are being Charged. We may have to pay back to Hender Care close to $10,000.00 (ten thousand).

30/01/25. This is an update to my previous Review:

We found out that the Care Worker who was dealing with my Mother's file was working only part-time and our Family believe that probably they had no time to deal with everything they needed to do. They have since left Hender Care. About the middle of 2024, The Care Worker advised our Family my Mother's Money needed to be all spent before we could get any more money allocated and we were asked to give Hender Care about $2000.00 to continue the service. We contacted a Government Department last year and we were told the information we were given about having to first spend all the money allocated to my Mother was incorrect. I found out in the last couple of days we now have about a $6000.00 Debt to pay back Hender Care. We are slowly paying it back. Our Family feels completely let down by this whole Elderly Support thing. No words can be written here on how Gutted, Stressed and let down we feel. Unfortunately I feel this horror will only end when my Dear Mother finally dies.
END.

We have been with HenderCare for a few year now for the care of my Mum. The Management team at the time of our joining were great, but alas the current team are hopeless, can not describe them any other way. Messages are not passed on when you call them, are the least of our issues. Mum got Covid in August 2022, and after spending time in a Public Hospital, went for Rehabilitation at a Private Hospital. The Social Worker at this Private Hospital advised our Family my Mother should be placed on a level 4 Care Package and said she had submitted the paper work for this, and advised us to contract HenderCare to do their bit. 2 years on, Nothing, endless phone calls to the person in HenderCare responsible to deal with this, has come to Nothing... 2 years have passed...Nothing. Endless phone calls by my Family to HenderCare have amounted to Nothing. First they said the money available for my Mother's level 3 Care Package has to be completely spent before they can do anything to arrange for the Level 4 Care Package. Now that the money has completely dried up, my Mother has had to stop Hydrotherapy, Physiotherapy and other services. The OLD Management Team were great, they arranged everything, they dealt with Mum's Level 1 to 2 Care Package with no Issues. this Management Team has expected our Family to arrange services and chase things up for my Mother and let them know afterwards. Well what can I say STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY..... If you are wondering why we are still with them, I will tell you.....IF IT WASN'T FOR MY MOTHER'S CARER. Teresa, who my Mother loves greatly, we would have left ages ago. My Mother is very elderly and is attached to her Carer. ....We have taken our complaint further.

Darrell L.

Great help to my wife and I , staff friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them , communication is clear and very satisfactory. The helper is absolutely brilliant very caring and polite,an extremely wonderful person with whom we have a brilliant client & carer partnership with. We cannot recommend her highly enough thankyou Hendercare both for what has been done and continued service in the future

Peter H.

I’m giving one star because of the incompetence of their staff and office, either the office stuffs up shifts or people don’t turn up. We’ve had no consistency for the year we’ve been with them. And have to get popup to cover the short staffing issue for personal care shifts. We’ve tried having cleaners but hendercare can never supply a worker. Either the worker never shows up, or the staff are sick with child. Pathetic excuses because we always have to follow up the issues. The communication is rubbish. It’s always us contacting them for issues. And we are looking for a new provider because we are fed up with their excuses. We’re paying them big money just to organise pop up staff. Which I could do myself for my elderly father with his care package. Would not recommend. Oh and since we’ve been with them we’ve had 3 coordinators. So the consistency is amazing. Amazingly trash.

Sarah

Don’t use Hendercare, there are far better alternatives for Home Care Package Providers in SA. Totally disorganised, scheduling problems are constant (usually queries are met with one of three excuses that they use or lies), coordinators don’t contact you unless contact is initiated by the client (our coordinator, April, was rude and abusive) and the fees charged are usually incorrect (to Hendercare’s benefit).
I feel for anyone elderly who doesn’t have a relative or friend to help them battle through the nightmare that is Hendercare.
We changed Home Care Providers a few months ago and the service to clients and the options for care are far better, I wish we’d changed providers sooner.

Dave

My 87 year old mum uses Hendercare through her NDIS package for house cleaning and gardening. Cleaner doesn't turn up? There's always the excuse of the girl that cleans your house has a sick child and cant make it, OR your cleaner is on 5 weeks holiday, OR my favourite, the girl that cleans your house just didn't turn up for work?
So 3 out of 5 times my mother has to change her appointments so to be at home "When the girl can actually make it".. OR my mum has to clean her own house because Hendercare are Hopeless and can't even organise their own staff to be consistant. Then there's the gardener who turns up with a bucket and a small folk, he never pulls all the weeds out and just buries them by turning over the soil. Again, mum has to weed her own garden after he leaves because he doesn't do it properly. I graded Hendercare as 1 star, that's only because I can't make comment with 0 stars. I'm going to write to NDIS on behalf of my mother because this is just not Good enough. The cleaner turned up today, (she was suppose to be here yesterday) and because my 87 year old mum had already cleaned the floors etc, the cleaning lady basically did nothing for the time she was here. It stresses my dear ol mother everytime and just keeps happening. NOT GOOD ENOUGH HENDERCARE.You suppose to help and care for our elerdly. NOT cause them more stress and worry.

Alex M.

Lovely people, but utterly disorganised.

It took approximately 6 months to get a regular gardener organised. Some would start, work or two appointments and vanish. No communication from hendercare.

Have phoned 3 to 4 times to get Dad's cleaner hours increased, but never happened.

You NEVER hear about anything in advance and always have to chase.

Most recently the worker taking Dad to his covid appointment didn't show up and had to chase this as well. Apparently she'd phoned in sick which no one bothered to tell us.

I'd recommend finding a company that is actually able to function. Given how much we pay in fees per month, it's actually insulting how poorly managed they are.

Maureen M.

Sincere thanks to Kelly. The support that she has given my daughter and grandson, who both have MS, is unbelievable. Her undivided attention to get the best outcomes for them both is appreciated as is her care, efficiency and professionalism. Grateful thanks.
Maureen Meredith, Hilton, WA

Larry C.

Great relationship with coordinator something that we found lacking in the past