Think very seriously before you choose this hospice service!!! During the past year, the communication and management from this office has been non-existent. This is what happened to us and I hope never happens to you:
I am my mother's full-time caregiver and in the past when I asked the doctor or office about my mother's nurse I was then confronted on the phone by the nurse.
Several nurse visits were missed because apparently the nurse quit (3rd one in past year) and the office did not call me.
Numerous nurse visits that were made were never followed up by a phone call to me,
Missed aide visits due to lack of time, holiday, or vacation and the office did not contact me,
My mother was turned over to a collection agency by the ambulance transport company (American Medical Response) when taken to respite (the hospice manager never acknowledged my letter until I filed a grievance).
When I recently filed a grievance, my mother's care plan was changed (and not communicated to me) and her baths were taken down from two a week to one!! My mother cannot talk, walk, or care for herself. Her new nurse just kept saying that she was stabilized and they wanted to see how she does on her own!
I had to keep calling about supplies. One office staff member said she ordered them on a Monday and by Friday afternoon no supplies. I called at 3:30 that Friday asking where the supplies were (I had no diapers, etc.) and she said she would "reorder" them. They finally arrived the following Tuesday. I contacted the supplier and he said that this office never placed an order until that Friday.
My mother's emergency medicine care pack (contains emergency medicine) was completely expired - the nurse never checked it.
The office staff says that they will call you back and do not.
I kept asking for confirmation for respite care so I could spend time with my family and the nurse would not confirm or agree to give me any.
They also refused to give my mother a urine test for possible bladder infection. Their reason? They sent a nurse out to recertify my mother for Medicare while I was not home and my husband was asked several questions about the bladder infection (he is not her caregiver, I am. I am also her Medical Power of Attorney) and based on "his" answers, my mother was denied by the hospice doctor.
I called the hospice doctor and was never called back.
Hospice is supposed to be about caring for someone who is dying and supporting the caregiver during this difficult time.
In my opinion, the above is shameful and this service needs to clean house or shut down until they can get their act together. It all starts from the top!!
The patient's needs should always always be number one.
The good news is that I got my mother off this service and on to one that will hopefully provide her with consistent care. read more
