L LRiv43 Rivera

Review of Optimal hospice

My dad was given this hospice care by Kaiser. In t...

My dad was given this hospice care by Kaiser. In the beginning when he was first diagnosed with metastatic terminal lung cancer they were amazing. Optimal would come by once a week to check on him, take his vitals, get his meds ordered and give support. Mom did everything for dad support wise. Bathing, meds, changing clothes in the beginning & changing his adult diapers the last 10 days of his life. Once he got to that point hospice came more often to bathe him.
The day he died the nurse checked on him & bathed him in the morning and at mom's request came back to check on him again. She spoke with my mom that there was no telling when it would happen, he still may rally again, but didn't tell her exactly what she felt was going on. I understand it's so hard to know. But when you've never witnessed someone die before, especially a man you're in love with since forever, reality doesn't always add up. Mom read their pamphlet on dying, knew it was coming, but reading about it and seeing it are 2 completely different things! You don't always realize you are in THAT MOMENT when it's actually happening. They left her to handle his end of life care treatment all by herself! They should have NEVER left her when his vitals all told the nurse that he was dying!
After all was said and done I found out later that the last nurse to come see him that morning called the pastor to let him know that dad was actively dying, but never said anything to my mom! The amount of emotional stress they allowed her to go through those final days is sickening to me...what kind of support is this place!? She is now showing symptoms of PTSD after what she went through with dad while he was dying that day.
No one was there for her when he died, no one has been there for her after, except for a few follow up phone calls to see how she's doing. Oh, and the pastor came before and after dad passed & had checked on her once or twice.
She's been promised counseling for my 2 youngest brothers multiple times by the ppl who've called & by the pastor. It's been 8 months and no one ever calls her back about it! The 3 times someone has called to "see how she's doing" she tells them she's still waiting for someone to get them counseling. They have no knowledge of it, and again promise to get it taken care of. We're still waiting!
I've heard many stories of how great hospice can be. How the family couldn't have gotten through it without them....not with Optimal. This place is less than Optimal. I will NEVER recommend them to anyone. They failed my family in the end, when we need them the most!