Utterly Mad

I got sick of the NPC companions walking in front of me while I was looting/crafting/interacting with stuff in general or walking in front of my bullets and alerting enemies while I'm trying to be sneaky during fights so I stopped taking them with me. Dogmeat is a massive offender as he seems intent on being in front of me at all times. I like when he knocks down or otherwise stuns an enemy, but more often than not, it just makes me miss the headshots I've got lined up.

When you say old folks home, do you mean the hospital on the edge of concord? the one with the three graves around back and one of its rooms is a green house?
[edit]
not concord, lexington.