Center Toward Self Reliance

At first our experience was good. The first caregiver was thoughtful, dedicated, smart. After she left to go on a lengthy trip, we were assigned 4 or 5 different people in as many months; they left the company. I had trouble reaching them, particularly the Director. I ended up asking for another company because the caregiver quit, and they failed to send anyone or even let me know. Very unprofessional, and disappointing, in the end.

I met the Center for Disability more than 6 weeks ago while looking for a local contractor to do basic handicap remodel for a family member who is disabled. The Centers Director said he could do every aspect of the work we needed done which was not very extensive. I agreed to use them. What a mistake! Since then the Director has sent out two crews of yahoos. Neither knew what they were doing, didnt know how to get correct measurements, and for whom I knew more about design and construction than they did. The first group said the cost for the minor modifications would be $20,000 for labor alone. I told the director he must be off by 2 decimals since that amount would constitute 1,000 man hours of work. Then the estimator took another guess and said OK, how about $10,000 for labor. Now we are down to 500 man hours or more than 3 months of full-time work for a crew of two ... that was beyond absurd! Thats when I suspected I was working with yahoos. Then when I said I would agree to have them do the work for time and material just so we could finally get started (so we still had no agreed upon bid after 6 weeks) they set a preconstruction meeting with the family and broke the meeting 2 days in a row once just 9 minutes before the meeting was scheduled. And what were they doing working on the private investment property owned by the director. When I yelled at the project manager for breaking the appointment for a second day in a row his only comment was, maybe you should find someone else to do your work. When I said that was a terribly uncaring response after chasing the Center for more than six weeks, I yelled at him again, he hung up. When I spoke with the Director an hour later I apologized 5 times for yelling at the PM and begged the director 5 times, please, please, please help me. We have no place else to turn. His answer was that I hurt the poor project managers feelings and they would not help. Those who are supposed to be champions of the disabled are investing their limited time and resources in putting the directors needs first before those of disabled families. These guys are rookies, self-centered, uncaring, inexperienced, overcharging, and in a word yahoos. Do you know what that word means I do now!