Anyone have advice on choosing a Home Health Care Service/Agency specifically in the Central NJ area or in general?

Notebook, not motebook

In general, ask these questions.
How do they do background checks on caregivers?
Do they require a certain number of years of experience, do they provide any training for their hires?
Do they have enough staff to cover last minute cancellations by a caregiver?
How do they inform you of care, i.e. Do they keep a log in a motebook in your mother's home?
What is their policy regarding driving your mother.. to a doctor's office, to the store?
Finally, see how they make you feel when they do the intake visit or phone call.

I too live in the Central Jersey area. I used Brughtstar and then Senior Care Options. Had is almost 95, has dementia and suffered a mild stroke in May. I needed someone to live in the house 24/7. His dementia isn't terrible and he can carry on a conversation with you. He didn't want to shower or change his clothes. It was ok with the aide. I paid an awful lot fir them to care for dad, along with buying their special foods and their laundry. I found that they are mostly from Ghana and require special foods along with what I bought for dad's meals. One aide drove and put him in bed and went out for the evening. Another let him go to bed at 1PM and was annoyed that hexwoke her up at 2 AM for breakfast. He never got any dinner! Then there was the father/daughter tag team that lived within walking distance of his home. They fudged the daily paperwork so neither the agency or I knew who was there and when. The agencies were very apologetic about these instances and replaced the aides, but what dad needed was stability, not different people coming and going. It should also be noted that the aides are registered with multiple agencies. As one agency explained to me, we interview them, look at references and they put on a good appearance for us, but once they get into a home, unless a family member is on topbof things, we don't know what exactly they do. Dad is now in assisted living. My suggestion is word of mouth, rather than agency. Ask doctors, friends etc who they have used and go from there. I know my 3 months with agency aides wasn't good!

We too have Home Instead coming in for my mom. The two caregivers she has had are very nice. There are different levels of care available. Maybe more medical, maybe housework, maybe travel to doctors, etc.

Just a few things to watch out for. The problem I have with this set up is that they cannot make her do anything. They can suggest, but cannot make her. Eating and drinking are a huge problem with Mom. She tells them she doesn't want lunch. So, they either just don't make it for her, or they make it and let it go. She needs to use her walker but refuses to. They are supposed to wash her hair every week, but if she she says she doesn't want to, it doesn't get done. It's not their fault, it is what they are supposed to do.

Her doctor also told me that the caregivers that come do not receive the whole amount that we pay them. They may only work for minimum wage, and not really do what they should. I haven't found that to be true, but he said it happens often. It is best to pop in unannounced from time to time to make sure things are going as planned - just to make sure. Talk to the helper if you can about any problems they are facing with your parent and vice versa.

For my Mom, having them there is for safety more than anything right now. She doesn't move, but she has a tendency to fall when she does get up. Mom needs 24/7 care, but this is the best I have been able to do with my siblings. Long story there.

Good luck with picking one out. They're not bad, and they give peace of mind.

I know an incredible woman from Ghana who lived-in with my sister when she was terminally ill. She just lost the patient she was caring for about two weeks ago but I'm not sure if she has a job yet. She is in the area you're referring to so if you're interested in speaking with her feel free to pm me.
I also used Right at Home Healthcare and the owners were excellent as were most of the caregivers. I did have to let go of one as she left my sister alone and would watch tv and talk on her phone but the others were lovely.
Good luck. If I can help just PM me.

I have also used Home Instead for 2 years. Especially like that they regularly have training sessions for their folks - around dementia care, fall prevention, etc. My experience has been great -- however franchises may be slightly different. Talk with the owners and others in your area who have used them. Even with a great service and people, not everyone will be a good fit for your needs. Don't hesitate to ask for someone different if that is the case.

Some Caregiver services are nationwide. Right now I am using Home Instead for my parents. We just started on Sunday, and the 3 shifts of employees have been super nice. They are so nice makes me want to get sick so they can take care of me :)

My issue is with my parents, my Mom [97] doesn't want the gals in the house. Dad on the other hand has enjoyed talking with everyone who has come over, he doesn't want them to leave.