Mary B

Review of Life Choice Hospice

Follow-up: I am editing my review because Alex has...

Follow-up: I am editing my review because Alex has reached out to our family and took the time to visit and apologize to my grandmother. Although there were mistakes made, I believe Alex went above and beyond to try and rectify the situation. He spent time with my grandmother and was able to talk to encourage her to rethink hospice. Although not with LifeChoice, my grandmother is getting care through hospice and is doing well. I appreciate the time Alex took to talk to myself and my grandmother, and the efforts made to learn and improve. Additionally, Alex has still kept in touch just to check in, which means a lot. He is a kind person and means well.

I am very disappointed with LifeChoice Hospice and Palliative Care and would not recommend them. As the daughter of a hospice nurse, I know how beneficial hospice can be. When my grandmother continued to decline from her illness I suggested considering hospice. I was given the recommendation to check out LifeChoice and I really liked everything Alex had to say during our phone call and initial meeting. He shared how patient care is so important, and that he wanted to start this company because in his experience companies often focus on finances instead of patients. I shared with both Alex and Aneesa that one of my grandmother's ailments is very bad nosebleeds that we can not get to stop. I told Alex how sometimes they bleed for hours, requiring her to go to the ER because we have no other choice. The main reason for my grandmother to go on hospice was to avoid having to go to the hospital and be able to pass peacefully in her own home. My grandmother signed up with LifeChoice on a Monday and on that Friday she had one of her terrible nosebleeds that her and my grandparents caregiver couldn't get under control. They called LifeChoice and spoke to Alex who answered the phone and requested the nurse come out. Alex told them to put ice on her nose. My grandmother had saturated multiple bath towels with blood already and icing her nose was not an option. Because nobody would come out to help her, my grandmother needed to go to the ER to have her nose packed. She spent hours in the ER. She is in her 80s with a terminal illness and we are doing everything we can to limit exposure to Covid-19, yet she was forced to go to the ER because LifeChoice wouldn't help her. On Saturday I called and spoke to her nurse, Alexandra. I expressed that my grandmother was pretty upset, still not feeling well and her nose was still bleeding. I told her that my grandmother felt the agency was full of talk to get her signed up, and as soon as she needed help they didn't do anything to help. Alexandra did not offer to come out at that point. I called a second time about an hour later, with my grandmother present, to revoke hospice care. Alexandra spoke to my grandmother and still didn't offer to come out. I spoke with her again and she mentioned maybe being able to come out when I am available, which I told her was that day, Sunday, or Monday. She said maybe on Monday she could come for a visit, but then came back and said her schedule won't allow for a visit on Monday. I requested we immediately be given whatever paperwork was needed terminate hospice care with LifeChoice. She told me she didn't have the paperwork and would mail it. When I hung up, I called my mom, a hospice nurse, and asked her if this was standard protocol. She was shocked that a nurse wouldn't go out to see my grandmother on Friday, and even more shocked that she was telling me paperwork would be sent by mail that I could print and fax back to them. I later got a call from Aneesa who offered to meet with my grandmother and I the next day. Aneesa is a great nurse and it is apparent she genuinely cares for her patients. Unfortunately by that point, my grandmother already felt really let down. I have debated with leaving a review, but feel it is necessary so others who are deciding between giving LifeChoice a chance over the big hospice companies don't make the same mistake we did.