HomeCare Professionals has created an extremely dangerous situation for a cognitively disabled, special needs client. A caregiver hired through this agency, Ashley Soderstrom, arrived at the client's home for scheduled appointments before repeatedly leaving within half of the allotted time, taking out her phone in front of the client to ask audibly for PTO to cover the rest of her shift.

Once Ashley did not show up for her next shift at all, client contacted HomeCare Professionals who claim not to have been on the receiving end of any of the numerous phone calls (either they were staged or Ashley was relaying audio to an unknown party the entire time she was in the client's home). Further, HomeCare claims Ashley does not have any PTO/sick time with them to call in for, and that she has clocked in for full hours every shift without informing the agency whatsoever. Ashley denies client's version of events in a single discussion via phone, so HomeCare Professionals has refused to investigate and, although offering to reduce the invoice to the true number of hours worked, leaves the disabled client and future clients in danger without answers as to Ashley's motives for her elaborate lies while deciding to keep her as an employee and send her to the homes of more unsuspecting (and already-suffering) clients.

I can't very well condemn an employer for protecting an employee that's "been with [HomeCare Professionals] for years," according to Paula, in a matter of he-said-she-said with a new client, however, there is clearly a lack of any safeguards in place to prevent employees from taking advantage of both the client and company. This puts any current and potential clients at severe risk, and most concerning might be HomeCare's lack of interest in further investigation or probation upon the offending employee, Ashley Soderstrom. I truly insist that anyone with cognitive delays or special needs family members whom they care deeply for try to protect themselves by avoiding involvement with this agency until they completely overhaul their current policies that create such a danger for those with disabilities.