Complaints & Grievance Procedure · How Concerns Reach Sofia

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If something about your loved one’s care feels wrong — a missed shift, a caregiver mismatch, a billing question, a concern about medication, a rights violation — you have the right to say so and the right to a formal response. This page is the procedure Sofia and 24 Hour Home Care NJ follow when you file a complaint, and the independent paths you can use if our response doesn’t satisfy you.

Effective Date: 2026-07-23 · Last Updated: 2026-07-23

Step 1 · Tell Sofia Directly

Ninety percent of concerns are resolved at this step. You can reach Sofia four ways:

When you contact Sofia, you can share the concern verbally — you don’t need to write a formal document first. If you prefer to write, Sofia will send you a Grievance Intake Form the same day, and if English is not your primary language we provide a free interpreter under our Section 1557 policy.

Step 2 · What Happens Within 72 Hours

Within 3 business days of receiving your complaint, Sofia will:

• Send a written acknowledgment confirming the date received, a summary of the concern, and the assigned reference number.
• Open a case file that documents every step of the investigation and every conversation with you.
• Take immediate protective action if needed. If the concern involves an active safety risk, a caregiver reassignment or shift suspension happens the same day — before the investigation is complete.
• Give you a written contact plan — how often you can expect updates and how to reach Sofia if the situation escalates.

Step 3 · The Investigation

Sofia leads every investigation personally. Depending on the concern, the investigation may include:

• Reviewing the daily care logs for the shifts in question
• Interviewing the caregiver, other care team members, and if appropriate, the client and family
• Consulting the initial Registered Nurse assessment and current care plan
• Reviewing billing records, hour logs, and any documentation you supply
• Requesting expert consultation (RN peer review, legal counsel, pharmacist) when clinically or legally warranted

The investigation is completed within 15 business days for routine concerns and within 30 days for complex ones. If a case cannot be closed in that window, we extend by written notice explaining why and giving a new target date.

Step 4 · The Written Resolution

You receive a written resolution letter within 60 days that includes:

• A summary of the concern as we understood it
• The findings of the investigation, including a factual timeline
• The determination — substantiated, unsubstantiated, or inconclusive
• The corrective action taken (if applicable) — caregiver retraining, care plan revision, refund, policy change, disciplinary action
• The right to appeal our determination to the Owner within 30 days
• Independent complaint paths available to you (see Step 5)

Step 5 · Independent Complaint Paths

You have the right to file with any of these independent agencies at any time — before, during, or after our internal process. There is no retaliation and no requirement to complete our internal process first.

NJ Division of Consumer Affairs · State Regulator

NJ Long-Term Care Ombudsman · Independent Advocate

NJ Adult Protective Services · Safety Concerns

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services · Office for Civil Rights

Better Business Bureau · Consumer Advocacy

What We Track & Report

Every complaint is logged in an internal register whether or not it is formally filed. Sofia reviews the aggregate trend monthly to identify systemic issues. Individual complaint files are retained for 7 years per NJ DOH requirement N.J.A.C. 8:43C-4.2 then securely destroyed. Aggregate anonymized trend data is available on request.

No Retaliation. Full Stop.

Filing a complaint — internally or with any external agency — never affects the quality, timing, or availability of care your loved one receives. Retaliation of any kind against a client, family member, or witness is grounds for immediate corrective action, including termination of employment for any staff or caregiver who engages in it.

Frequently Asked Questions

One Call to Sofia — Any Concern, Handled

Effective Date: 2026-07-23 · Grievance Contact: Sofia Elmer, RN · Phone: (908) 912-6342 · Email: sofia@24hourhomecarenj.com