About Mission Our Values Services Why Us Our Caregivers Contact Call (971) 445-5855

Welcome to Multnomah County's Premier
Personal Care Services

Authentic Community Caregiver caregivers supporting seniors at home
Valini Sanft, Founder of Authentic Community Caregiver
Valini Sanft Founder, Authentic Community Caregiver
Our Story & Philosophy

Born from deep personal devotion — and agony.

When you search for someone to step into your home and care for your loved one, you are looking for more than a checklist of services. You are looking for a team that understands the profound vulnerability, exhaustion, and love that defines caregiving.

Authentic Community Caregiver was not created out of a corporate blueprint. It was forged in the fire of real, lived experience.

When my late husband was diagnosed with complicated, severe health issues at just 27 years old, my life transformed overnight. For 15 years, I became his primary caregiver, navigating a complex maze of medical and emotional needs. At the same time, I was raising our four young boys. I learned firsthand what it means to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders — balancing the intense demands of round-the-clock care with the beautiful, chaotic reality of raising a family.

After 15 years of fighting, my husband passed away at the age of 42. I poured my remaining energy into raising our boys.

Years later, when my youngest son turned 19, he and I shared a profound vision. We decided to take everything we had learned from our family's journey and launch an agency that would do care differently — an agency that treated both families and caregivers with genuine dignity. We chose the name Authentic Community Caregiver.

But before we could officially open our doors, tragedy struck again. My youngest son passed away suddenly from the exact same health complication his father had.

His passing broke me to my very core. The grief was, and is, an unimaginable agony. But as I sat with that brokenness, I made a definitive choice: I would finish what my son and I started. I chose to channel my grief, my love, and my deep understanding of caregiving into creating a service that stands as a lifeline for others.

"I know what it's like to be in your shoes. I know the fear, the sleepless nights, and the desperate need for someone you can actually trust. I built this agency to be the partner I wish I had during my darkest hours."

Our Mission

Transforming home care through trust and transparency.

At Authentic Community Caregiver, our mission is to transform the home care experience through unwavering transparency, consistency, and genuine empathy. Born from a founder's personal journey of deep devotion, profound loss, and years of family caregiving, we do not view care as a business transaction — we view it as a sacred trust. We are dedicated to restoring peace of mind to families by eliminating the fear of the unknown.

  • Delivering uncompromising consistency with dedicated, familiar caregivers who are fully present and deeply valued.
  • Offering true flexibility with targeted, short-shift care options that adapt to your family's real life, not an agency's rigid rules.
  • Providing complete transparency through real-time communication tools that ensure you are never left in the dark.

We don't just provide a service; we build an authentic community of support, ensuring that no family has to walk the path of caregiving alone.

Equal Opportunity Employer Minority & Women-Owned Business Portland, Oregon Headquartered
Seniors and caregivers gathered together at a community event
What We Stand For

Our Core Values

Our values are not just words on a screen; they are the baseline of every decision we make, every caregiver we hire, and every family we serve.

🕊️ Authentic Empathy

We don't just understand caregiving from a textbook — we lived it for 15 years. We bring deep, lived empathy to every household, treating your family's worries, fears, and joys as our own.

💎 Radical Transparency

Through real-time family portals, open communication, and honest billing practices, we shine a light on everything we do. Trust is built on truth.

🤝 Unwavering Consistency

We reject the industry's "revolving door" culture, committing to primary, dedicated caregivers so you always know exactly who is walking through your door.

⚖️ Respect for the Caregiver

We break the cycle of industry turnover by investing in higher wages, specialized continuous education, and a supportive environment. When we take care of our team, they take care of your family.

🌿 Client-First Flexibility

Care should never be one-size-fits-all. We offer targeted short-shifts and refuse rigid, high-minimum contracts, adapting our services to fit your life.

What We Offer

In-home assistance with activities of daily living.

Every care plan is personalized. Here's how our caregivers support clients and families day to day.

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Personal Appearance

Because personal appearance matters to many seniors, we assist with dressing, grooming, and hygiene.

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Shopping & Meal Prep

We shop for nutritious food and prepare meals according to each client's dietary needs and restrictions.

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Mobility Assistance

We help keep clients as mobile as possible — assisting with walking, exercising, and transferring.

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Transportation

Caregivers accompany clients to medical appointments, errands, outings, and family events.

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Housekeeping

Light housekeeping, vacuuming, dusting, and trash removal to keep the home clean and safe.

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Companionship

Knowing someone is ever-present is one of the most meaningful forms of security for a loved one.

Targeted Care Visits

Short 1 to 2-hour micro-shifts — morning rise routines, evening tuck-ins, or mid-day wellness checks — so you only pay for the help you actually need.

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Specialized Care Tracks

Continuous, specialized training in Alzheimer's & dementia behavior support, advanced fall prevention, and post-stroke recovery comfort care.

Why We Care Differently

Our 4 unshakeable commitments.

1

A familiar face, every single time

We fiercely reject the "warm body" approach to caregiving. We pair your loved one with a dedicated Primary Caregiver and a designated Consistent Backup, with a face-to-face introduction before a care shift ever begins.

2

Flexibility that honors your real needs

Care should adapt to your family's routine, not an agency's rigid schedule. We eliminate restrictive 4-hour minimums by offering Targeted Care Visits of just 1 to 2 hours — so you get exactly what you need, without paying for idle time.

3

Complete visibility through our Family Portal

You should never have to wonder from afar if your loved one is safe. Every family receives complimentary access to our secure, real-time Family Portal to see clock-in/out times, shift notes, and completed daily activities.

4

Investing in our caregivers

High turnover is the root cause of poor service in this industry. We pay our caregivers well above the local market average, provide specialized continuous training, and enforce a strict "Fully Present" policy.

Our Caregivers

The qualities we look for in every caregiver.

Understanding that our caregivers are our single greatest asset, we're dedicated to recruiting, training, and developing competent, capable, and professional caregivers — each fingerprinted, background-checked, and screened.

Passion

Genuine care and enthusiasm for helping others.

Compassion

Empathy to relate to each client's situation.

Patience

Steady, flexible support when situations shift.

Reliability

Dependable, regardless of time or weather.

Selflessness

Client needs come first, always.

More of What Sets Our Team Apart

Professionalism you can count on.

Attentiveness

Attuned to changes in mood, health, and habits.

Professionalism

Personal matters stay separate from care duties.

Communication

Clear updates for families and care teams.

Confidentiality

Discretion with sensitive household information.

Get In Touch

Schedule your free in-home assessment.

Contact us to schedule a free in-home assessment. A member of our professional care team will meet with you and your loved ones to discuss your specific needs.

Contact Information

Reach out any time — our on-call support team is available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.

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Address5441 S Macadam Avenue, Suite N
Portland, OR 97239
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Websitewww.AuthenticCommunityCaregiver.com

Request a Free Assessment

Prefer to talk? Call us directly at (971) 445-5855.