SeniorsList Rating: 4.5 / 5
Griswold has been around since 1982, which in the home care world is a lifetime. Most of the agencies we review launched in the late ’90s or 2000s — Griswold was already 15 years into the work by then. That kind of track record matters when you’re trusting someone to be in your parent’s home.
What made Griswold stand out when we researched them was their live-in care option. A lot of non-medical agencies don’t offer it, and for families whose parent can’t safely be alone overnight but doesn’t need a nursing home, it fills a gap that’s otherwise really hard to solve. We talked with a wife in Philadelphia whose husband has mid-stage dementia — she was sleeping in two-hour stretches before Griswold placed a live-in caregiver. She told us, “I got my life back.” Their live-in rate in Philadelphia runs about $475 a day, which sounds steep until you compare it to a memory care facility at $6,000 to $8,000 a month.
Griswold is non-medical only, so if your parent needs wound care or injections, you’ll need a separate provider for that. But for personal care, dementia support, and overnight coverage, they’re one of the more flexible options we’ve seen. If you’re not sure whether non-medical care is enough for your situation, send us a note at [email protected] — we can help you think it through.
Griswold Home Care: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Overnight and live-in care: Griswold offers both 24/7 multi-caregiver coverage and live-in care for seniors who need continuous support.
- Hospice and palliative care support: Caregivers provide emotional support, personal care, medication reminders, and companionship for clients receiving end-of-life care.
- Dementia care expertise: Griswold caregivers reintroduce themselves each visit and engage clients with targeted cognitive activities to support short-term memory.
- Wide geographic coverage: Nearly 200 locations across 32 states.
Cons
- Variable pricing: Rates differ significantly across franchise locations.
- No skilled nursing: Griswold provides supportive non-medical care. Clients who need RN or LPN-level medical services will need a separate provider.
About Griswold Home Care
Griswold was established in 1982 and has grown to nearly 200 franchise locations across 32 states — making it one of the largest non-medical home care networks in the country. Each location is independently owned and operated. The company’s care philosophy emphasizes flexibility: the right level of care, delivered where and when it’s needed.
Services
Griswold’s service menu is comprehensive for a non-medical provider:
- Companionship: Errands, social outings, hobbies, and general social engagement for seniors who live alone.
- Dementia care support: Caregivers use cognitive activities to support memory, adapt to the client’s perception of reality, and prepare meals thoughtfully.
- Fall prevention and recovery support: Night-light and non-slip mat installation, range-of-motion exercises, personal care, and companionship to reduce fall risk.
- Homemaking: Grocery shopping, errands, meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, and laundry.
- Hospice and palliative care support: Emotional support, personal care, homemaking, companionship, and medication reminders for clients in hospice.
- Live-in or overnight care: Single caregiver live-in support during waking hours, or multi-caregiver 24/7 coverage across three rotating shifts.
- Neuromuscular care support: ADL and homemaking assistance for clients with Parkinson’s or similar conditions.
- Personal care: Help with bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing, and safe transfers.
- Post-surgery and rehab support: Transportation, light housekeeping, personal care, and transfer assistance during recovery.
- Respite care: Supplemental support to give family caregivers regular breaks and prevent burnout.
What to Expect
Griswold franchises operate independently, but from our research in Florida:
- Hourly rates: $28 to $50 per hour depending on the level of care and location.
- Shift minimums: Most locations require at least four hours, though some do not.
- Caregiver consistency: Griswold tries to maintain the same caregiver for each client, but this isn’t always possible.
- Training: Caregivers receive extensive training, including dementia care techniques and gait belt use for safe transfers.
Call agents were both friendly and informative in our interactions with Griswold.
What Customers Are Saying
Griswold’s Blue Bell, Pennsylvania headquarters (also the company’s national HQ) holds 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google.
One client wrote: “Griswold Home Care has provided care for my husband for several months. The caregivers sent to us have consistently been friendly, caring and competent. My husband feels comfortable with all of them. On the one occasion when a caregiver sent didn’t seem to be the right fit, the Griswold staff understood my concern and immediately began looking for someone else.”
Another shared: “The care my mother receives is outstanding. Alice is caring, hard working and my mother is more engaged and animated than she was before Alice came. I would highly recommend this company.”
A single negative Yelp review from the same location described a theft incident and noise complaints from overnight caregivers. Reading multiple reviews across platforms for your nearest location will give the most accurate picture.
Cost and Pricing
Griswold’s pricing varies by state and visit length:
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $34/hr for weekday shifts of 6+ hours; $44/hr for under 6 hours. Weekend rates are $2/hr more. No weekly minimum. Live-in 24/7 care: $475/day. (State median: $31/hr)
- Boca Raton, Florida: $28 to $50/hr with a four-hour minimum per shift. (State median: $30/hr)
- Phoenix, Arizona: $39/hr for 4- to 6-hour visits; ~$35/hr for 7+ hours. No weekly minimum. (State median: $36/hr)
Areas Served
Griswold Home Care has nearly 200 locations in 32 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.
Our Assessment
Griswold’s four-decade track record, flexible care options, and strong caregiver training make it a dependable choice for non-medical home care. The live-in and overnight care options are a particular strength, as many agencies in this space don’t offer them.
As with all franchises, individual location quality varies. We recommend reviewing Google and BBB ratings for your nearest Griswold office before scheduling a consultation.