Hospice Care
Parent Q&A
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Hospice recommendation?
–Feb 17, 2020If you have had experience with a Hospice group serving Contra Costa (specifically Richmond) can you please let me know. A friend of a friend is in need== ASAP.
When my friend was dying in Oakland, we found Pathways Oakland to be incredible! (The nurse Josh Hays was kind, precise and wonderful) But the Oakland office doesn't serve Richmond. Someone recommended Hospice of the East Bay, but on "yelp" they have some troubling reports posted. ---
So the search continues.
Thank you so much!
Feb 17, 2020Hospice recommendations please
–Jul 12, 2018Seeking recommendations for responsive hospice care provider in East Bay for elderly relative living at home. Any suggestions (or warnings) much appreciated.
Jul 12, 2018
Have you asked Pathways Oakland for a recommendation of a group serving the Richmond area?
Sutter Care at Home hospice was great. We loved that we didn't need to take our loved one anywhere and also, when we needed daily nurses, they provided. Some agencies will not send a nurse daily, only caregivers. We also hired caregivers for help off of care.com. But Sutter home hospice was very compassionate.
I'm so sorry you are finding yourself in this situation. I have been a hospice nurse since 2009 and if your friend is eligible for Medicare or Medi-cal hospice is 100% covered and you have a choice to go to any hospice you choose. Most private insurances also cover hospice at close to 100% of cost. For hospice you have a choice of indpendent non profits like Hospice of the East Bay, for profit hospices like Pathway, Vitas, Kindred etc and health system hospices like Kaiser and Sutter. I worked for Hospice of the East Bay and sadly as an employee I found them to be a poor employer with very unsupportive management. For profit hospices are shady, more concerned about turning a profit and stretch their staff. I personally work for a health system hospice and would aim to go for one of those. Best wishes during this time.
I had a good experience with Kindred for my mother about 1.5 years ago.
We used Suncrest for my father-in-law. They were great. They offered to send someone to bathe every day, which is something most hospice services do not offer. They were flexible and when his care got to be too much to handle for my mother-in-law, They made all the arrangements and get all the paperwork to transfer him to a boarding care.
Hospice of the East Bay and Sutter Health are also options. But really the most important part is to feel a good connection to the nurse and social worker no matter which hospice you go with. Many people prefer non-profit hospices to for profit ones and all three are non-profit. Pathways does list Contra Costa as a service area on their web site: try calling the office again.