Bridges In Home Care

Adela Pederson and her team from Bridges In-​Home Care have the very, very highest recommendation my family can give. My parents live in La Jolla, and one is on hospice care at home, and Bridges is providing ²⁴⁄₇ home care. Bridges took care of my parents on weekends for several weeks, and then two weeks ago we had to ask for care around the clock. The three of us kids live in Milan, New York, and San Francisco, and we’ve been able to visit home, but work and family make it impossible to be with our parents as much as we’d like.
Adela’s team is so extraordinary that I had to ask her whether she truly wanted general recommendations, or only word of mouth referrals to people who I know would be able to appreciate the extraordinary quality of care she provides. She is that precious. As a resource for families in need of elder care, I don’t see how one could do better. She asked me for feedback and I wracked my brains trying to think of any feedback I could give that would improve things. I still haven’t thought of anything.
First, Adela and the members of her team are trained professionals who are very, very good at the frail care they give.
Second, all members of the team have been invaluable helping us to understand what a person goes through when they are dying, so we can be of the most help, and know what might be good ways to say things or just be with a person who may die soon.
Third, they stay in communication with the family, as much as we would like. In this case, we like being in a lot of communication, and Adela responds quickly and sends texts or emails regularly.
Fourth, all of the members of the team have made themselves useful in the house. Adela organized the linen closet. Everyone helps with laundry and getting meal for my healthier parent. They’re even screening our phone calls!
Fifth, they trained us kids, and other people at the house, in some of the skills we needed to help be care-​givers during our visits, such as how to provide the supplemental oxygen, when and how far to sit the bed up, how to turn a frail person in bed, how to prepare foods, etc.
Sixth, they work seamlessly with our Medicare-​provided hospice team (we used Seasons Hospice and they’re doing a good job). Adela’s team shares notes with them, lets them know when supplies or equipment are needed, attends during the hospice nurse’s visits, etc.
Finally, seventh, they all come in with great big smiles and a generous, peaceful energy. They look at my parents and my parents smile back at them. Then they schedule the things that need doing – when to wash up, when to eat, and when there will be a bit of time to see a visitor or take a phone call. They step in and sit back at all the right times. There is no busy-​busy-​busy cheerfulness of the sort that might be disrespectful to a highly intelligent patient who simply can’t do things on their own any more. They tell my parents it’s like being at a spa, and they chuckle. It is all just so very, very impressive.
After two weeks we increased the amount we pay Adela’s team by 20%. This was not for any reason other than appreciation. There was no question they would have provided the same extraordinary care and commitment for as long as necessary at the originally agreed rate.
Adela herself is active in community non-​profit agencies, and plans to travel soon to Belize to help set up services there for a badly needed drug addiction treatment center.
I don’t know how Adela found such a good team, but I want to mention them by name because each of them has been truly wonderful: Celeste, Janice, and Mally. Maybe it’s because they’re from Belize, where the educational system is of high quality and family and community are highly valued. Maybe it’s just who they are. But there truly are no words to express how grateful my family is to this team.
I noticed on Unilocal that four reviews from 2014 were «not currently recommended». I’ve looked at them and all of them say things that I completely agree with. I guess it looks suspicious when all of your customers think you’re that good, but that’s really been my family’s actual experience with Adela.

Highly recommend! Adela is great and her staff is wonderful. They were there every step of the way during end of life care for my good friend. She is very knowledgeable and caring. Words can’t express how grateful we were to have her around to tell us the next steps at the most difficult time. THANK YOU ADELA – You’re an ANGEL!!!

Having Adela care for my father during his last days was such a blessing. Adela cared for him with the upmost compassion. She provided peace and guidance for our family through this difficult transition process.