Note: Since this company also goes also under "VITAS Innovative Hospice CARE", I am publishing my review under both names.
I have admitted my terminally ill father who wanted to die at home into in-home hospice care by VITAS.
VITAS claimed that they are the biggest in the business, the longest in the business and have more resources than any other hospice company. That might be true, but VITAS will NOT give you these resources. They promised 24/7 help when needed and definitely at least 8 hours a day. My father died 4 days ago, after only 6 days with VITAS. I cannot forgive myself that I chose VITAS - any other company would do a more humane job or just any job for that matter. VITAS gave an aide only the first day. All they did after that was sending the nurse to look at my father and tell us that we are on our own and have to hire a private help because Medicare would not pay VITAS. It was a lie. All the nurse had to do is to call the doctor for his order to upgrade my father's condition to critical but the nurse refused to do it. My father had only a few days to live. My 83 year old mother with painful back and knees needed help to rotate my father in bed that he would not get bedsores. The nurse was still refusing to call the doctor even after she saw the first bedsore - she put a band-aid over it! We hired a private company's caregiver recommended by VITAS for nights who did not give my father morphine and did not tell us about it until the end of her shift in the morning. I had to fight with VITAS about getting help and not getting it until my father died. After much threats to report them to the Department of Health Services, they finally agreed to send someone later in the day. My father died with terrible bedsores two hours before the promised help was supposed to arrive.
I urge you do not hire VITAS if you care about your loved one and your family. Do not make my mistake.
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