Please use extreme caution before placing yourself or a sick loved one under the care of Lucky…read morePalliative Services. This was the worst medical experience of my life and what happened could have seriously harmed me.
I have a rare disease causing dozens of nerve sheath tumors along my spine and throughout my body, resulting in severe, intractable pain. As a treatment of last resort, I have been on an established daily pain medication regimen for nearly 15 years and remained stable on it after trying virtually every other treatment option for my condition.
I was referred to Lucky specifically for palliative care and medication management. Before accepting me, they received extensive medical records from my primary care provider documenting exactly what medications and dosages I was taking.
The problems started immediately. The nurse didn't show up for my scheduled enrollment, was over an hour late when it was rescheduled, and lateness became a pattern.
I met their medical director, Dr. Louis B. Flores, through one brief 5-10 minute FaceTime call. He accepted me as his patient, prescribed my long-acting patch, and actually INCREASED my breakthrough medication from four tablets daily to six.
Then came prescription and pharmacy problems. Lucky accepted me for medication management without having electronic prescribing properly established. They provided a paper prescription for my Schedule II medication & insisted this was acceptable despite California's electronic prescribing requirements. My longtime pharmacy manager ultimately made a one-time accommodation.
Their nurse, Marilyn, repeatedly assured me Lucky had a hospice/palliative pharmacy that would fill my prescriptions. I double checked with her & was told to trust her because everything was taken care of. I then discovered their pharmacy DIDN'T EVEN ACCEPT MY PRESCRIPTION BENEFIT PLAN the day before it was due, despite receiving my insurance information at my first visit.
The home visits were bizarre. The medical portion generally consisted of Marilyn arriving late, checking my blood pressure and pulse, and essentially nothing else. She would then spend around an hour in my home discussing politics, vaccines, and controversial subjects unrelated to my medical care. Her public Facebook activity included "Stop the Steal" content and referring to the monkeypox vaccine as the "money-pox" vaccine.
I don't care how my nurse votes. As a medically vulnerable patient receiving care in my home, I expected visits to focus on my health, not political and anti-vaccine commentary. Ironically, Marilyn repeatedly told me how terrible it was that legitimate pain patients struggle to get medications. Lucky ultimately became the very problem she described.
Then things became stranger. Marilyn came to my home IN TEARS telling me she had been fired from Lucky. My husband called the owner, Aida, who laughed and claimed Marilyn still worked there. We subsequently told Aida we no longer wanted Marilyn as my nurse, and Aida agreed to personally take over my care.
Then the visits stopped altogether.
My last home visit was August 2. Nearly EIGHT WEEKS passed without another home visit or meaningful medical evaluation while Lucky remained responsible for my palliative medication management.
During this period, we were suddenly told Dr. Flores was "not comfortable" continuing my medications & I needed to find another prescriber.
There had been no new examination or change in my health, compliance issue, or violation of an agreement. This was the SAME regimen Lucky knew about before accepting me, the same treatment Dr. Flores agreed to manage & the same treatment he had personally increased.
After nearly 15 years on an established regimen, I received one final 30-day prescription and suddenly had to find a physician willing to assume my medically complex palliative pain care before my medication ran out. Abruptly stopping long-term medication can cause severe withdrawal & serious medical complications.
My husband called Aida because we were terrified. Nobody had been visiting or checking on me. He calmly explained the seriousness of the situation & asked for me to be evaluated or to speak with Dr. Flores about his decision.
Aida HUNG UP ON HIM.
I spent weeks desperately contacting doctors. Thankfully, I found another physician who reviewed my history & continued my established treatment.
Then, after nearly EIGHT WEEKS without seeing me & after telling me they would no longer manage my medication, Marilyn suddenly called wanting to come to my house for a visit. By then, the entire operation felt chaotic.
Even obtaining my records became another struggle. They were not provided within the required timeframe & what I received did not include the complete Dr. Flores documentation I specifically requested & still do not have.
This was supposed to be palliative care. Ask yourself: Does this sound like an environment where you would feel safe placing your sick loved one?
