I feel my mother could likely have lived several more years if she hadn't been preyed upon by Hospice Inspiris. Nov 4, 2022, 08:30 AM EDT The author with Dad on his 80th birthday, in the Chicago apartment where he died six years later. Sidestepping home hospice typically means paying for a pricey nursing home or passing away with the cost and potential chaos of a hospital which is precisely what hospice care was set up to avoid. Generally, by the time cancer moves into the bones, especially in an elderly patient, they ARE terminal. Dont cry all the time. To my horror, she was propped up in the bed with her head snapped backwards over the pillow, looking up, mouth open wide as if gasping for breath - I believe she had partially swallowed her tongue. And you know, it can be really ugly and very difficult. The new company was quickly on board. I don't think I could manage, stay sane, if my job guaranteed me that every single customer I had, Hospice Almost Killed My Father Who is Not Terminal (Medicaid, in home, friend) - Caregiving -Caretakers, elderly care, nursing homes - Page 3 - City-Data Forum I felt unable to stop this as we were all victims of a well-rehearsed and elaborate confidence trick that these hospices operate much to my eternal regret and shame. A team of four nurses went inside and closed the door - I don't know what they were doing, but it was explained as 'freshening her up'. On Day Three (Monday), Mum spent most of the day sleeping, drugged up. Ste. The DEA also has the authority for: WebAfter years of invasive procedures and frequent hospitalizations, he decided to go into home hospice to live out the rest of his life surrounded by family. It showed that hospices do not always provide the services that patients need and sometimes provide poor-quality care. Shocked by this the caregiver and I would bring food. This consisted mainly of nurse visits, directed by possibly the most incompetent doctor i have encountered (the so-called medical director-Justo Cisneros) who seldom saw my mother and took her off her meds. There was definitely a cult like atmosphere in the house I could not explain. Hospice Almost Killed My Father Who is Not Terminal User Name: Remember Me: Password : Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! John keeps his monthly statements from Medicare organized in a three-ring binder, but he had never noticed that his agency charges nearly $200 a day, whether there is a health provider in the home on that day or not. Most comfortingly, she told us if a final crisis came, such as severe pain or agitation, a registered nurse would stay in his room around the clock to treat him. This corrupt, Medicare scamming company (i wonder what their CEO's annual compensation is) withdrew decent medical care and substituted their own miserable excuse for medical care. Our first call went out to a local hospice care provider. I called the switchboard again, and it took three hours for a new nurse to come. Im just tired, honey, she said to me shortly after making her decision. This caused them to be very angry and hostile and they took it out on my mom in various ways. RUN do not walk away when they recommend hospice, your loved one will be gone in days. Perhaps my Mum would have lived a few days, a few weeks or a few months more if she had not been killed in this artificial way, who knows, but it is my belief that, whilst we should use all the means at our disposal to ease suffering, only God (or mother nature if you don't share my faith) has the right to call time on a person's life and that we are entering dangerous territory when a medical professional has the power to make and effect such decisions themselves. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, seven in 10 Americans say they would prefer to die at home. 0n the way back to her house that day I told her how glad I was to see her so happy. Noon passed, then 1 p.m., 2 p.m. No nurse, no pump. This one was a VA which already has below average care and the nursing home had substandard care with questionable night nurses who were a problem. Nursing homes are just as bad. As we watched episodes of The Great British Baking Show, Id think about all the things I couldnt promise him. So he has had to drain their retirement accounts to hire Velez, a private caregiver, out-of-pocket. And thats my job.. Let's go! When my father was dying from complications of dementia and diabetes, hospice caregivers sat with him, provided pain relief, and helped him be comfortable. She ended up writing an essay about her frustrations with the way hospice care often works in the U.S. Johnston, like many family caregivers, was surprised that her mother's hospice provider left most of the physical work to her. "I think what we really need to do is be broadening the support that individuals and families can have as they're caring for individuals throughout the course of serious illness," Ornstein says. But I dont find that theres a limitation for my capacity to love people. And as sharp as a tack. Thank you for that! Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine, You've been selected! They did. "I'm not anti-hospice at all," says Joy Johnston, a writer from Atlanta. Because taxpayers bankroll poor care and fraud through the Medicare hospice benefit, policymakers need to take immediate action to implement safeguards against fraud, waste, and abuse of this important benefit. At 7 p.m. on the night before my fathers last day of life, his abdominal pain spiked. Hospice allows a patient deemed to have fewer than six months to live to change the focus of their medical care from the goal of curing disease to a new goal of using treatments and medicines to maintain comfort and quality of life. In a North Texas case, nurses allegedly gave high doses of drugs such as morphine, regardless of whether patients needed it, to justify receiving the higher hospice payments. For some who have gone through home hospice with a loved one, the difficult experience has led them to choose otherwise for themselves. I've never seen the doctor EVER. This is your turn, for what follows are some of the messages that we have received from our readership about Hospice. life expectancy of a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "There's a sense of comfort in knowing that they are keeping an eye on her," he says. WebTo add to this case study pool, my mother (70) was killed by a UK hospice last week through the method of dehydration and starvation, made possible by use of an There was no cause for a restraining order what so ever and the bogus charge was dismissed and dropped to a disturbing the peace that we were forced into signing so that we could leave this town in fear for our own safety. People need to know, need to be aware and need to be warned. She was then confined to a nursing home bed. But an inpatient facility is rarely an option, she says. But I put the phone up to moms ear anyway. I would go from wanting to expose them all to not doing a thing but I started to empower myself and began reading all I could on hospice abuse. I responded by writing a letter saying "how dare you send this to a grieving father? Those decisive moments can be scary for the family, says Dr. Joan Teno, a physician and leading hospice researcher at Oregon Health and Science University. Moms health went from bad in November to worse by the time the holidays drew near. My sister begins to administer morphine. "For me to say that there's that guilt," she says, then adds, "but I know better. Our hospice nurses, and caregivers enjoy rewarding careers with flexible schedules: including limited weekends, after-hours and on-call assignments. The day before he was admitted he was in the hospital and was I thought wed have her for another summer. 25 minutes later, I was allowed access. WebEven when hospice took over, he still found he needed the extra help from Karrie Velez (center). Coneigh Sea is a social worker from Murfreesboro, Tenn., who cared for her husband as he died on home hospice. They told us they were there for us, 24 hours a day. Her energy drinks, which had been issued by the general hospital, a bottle of orange juice and a bowl of grapes were removed. "That was the lowest point. Apparently, the lower spine bones got squished together which caused pain. hide caption. It was a burden that I lovingly did.". I am disgusted by the way they are getting away with this medical euthanasia and murder. Like a growing share of hospice patients, McCasland has dementia. On Christmas day, after a week spent barely able to make it to the restroom, she insisted on coming over to my house to see the kids open their gifts. After a couple of days I think he realized he was being thrown away. My moms life was hers. The hospice is permanently closed. The fact is; after months of him being home from the hospital (still in Hospice), I was told by the first Home Care Hospice Doctor that my dads diagnosis (Parkinson) isn't one that would be considered a hospice case. Its not pretty, Ms. Griffin agreed. But he clearly embraces hospice's cult of death and probably commands a low salary which fits in nicely with Hospice Inspiris's cost cutting philosophy. His voice is jolly and tipsy. My dad was also KILLED BY HOSPICE/MORPHINE. Growth in the use of hospice makes it even more important to take action now. Jean McCasland's husband hasn't complained. The next day after sleeping on the side outside of our home for 10 years a sheriff blocked our driveway for what latter we concluded was for a unlawful restraining order. It was beautiful. We needed a house call. What I found was hundreds of stories and websites like yours that are bringing awareness to the public. I know it is hard to lose a Itd pretty much always been just mom and me.I couldnt imagine my life without her kindness, caring and humor. He had leukemia and had a couple weeks worth of chemo, which wore him out so bad, he wanted to stay in bed and fell a couple of times. He was 84 and he had lost his wife my mother, whom he adored, and without whom he felt life was a lot less worth living three years earlier. Joe Shega, chief medical officer at for-profit Vitas, the largest hospice company in the U.S., insists it's the patients' wishes, not a corporate desire to make more money, that drives his firm's business model. The cancer in her brain was gone, though according to oncologist, she still had cancer in her liver? as for the answer to your questions, you did a wonderful job of killing him, but I cannot answer whether I am "satisfied with his care" because how could anybody be satisfied with murder? In the bones is NOT where you want that cancer to have progressed. With the nurse gone for the day, my best friend Christine called and we started talking. my sweet mother passed under the care of hospice, my two siblings and a non-hospice caregiver. She was not terminal. Talk to our caring staff 24/7we're always available. The nurse did not come at 8 a.m. Or 9 a.m. But we were told a palliative expert would be at my fathers bedside if he needed it. Worse still, I saw that her oxygen, on which she relied, had been turned off at the dial on the wall. They ruined our lives and our Dads services were never given to him so that they could keep us from telling the truth to everyone. #100 WebHospice is available to patients and their families 24 hours a day, seven days a week. morphine given too randomly in elderly patients! My father was killed by hospice also Im afraid to tell you how and why because when I tried to stop it and then complained and told them I wanted justice, me and my younger brother were arrested.And that was two days after our Dad passed away of unnatural causes. They sent him to hospital on Sunday and by Tuesday, they said he wasn't responding to antibiotic and they wanted to put him in hospice. IT was ll financial /HIS SON stole hIS MONEY the lawyer bozanian even noted that BUT HE DID NOT have to teturn the MONEY while lis shock as anyone would be and in retalaiton of being allowed to report to DOH andf ombudsman HE was murdered alone dieds alone OVER DOSES stasrved with cires OF HELP ME HELP ME the JUDGE DELUCA bergen county did nohthign My lawyer waled away It has become more common, it seems. MORPHINE is what they told us to give my dad. At that time, my mother said sure lets try bring them over. So after a few days of her being effectively comatose, I felt Id missed my final chance to tell her I loved her one last time and thank her again for everything she did for me and so many others. I was making plenty of crazy noise, but no assistance came from the medical team. They werent perfect, but Ms. Griffin and Dr. Dauwalder and the rest of the team worked tirelessly to try and soothe her suffering. I was in SHOCK. Still, when it comes to where we die, the U.S. has reached a tipping point. I did find moments of joy. and NOW The judge and lwyers want me silent and the son wants to SUE ME for emotional pain and suffering for reporting this et al THE JUDGEallowed in probate 3 lawyers hos his do this and take his money I have helped so many seniors in my practice i could NOT save MY dad it was a Malpracticing murder we see " murder by hospice we see fraudlulent guardiahsips and administrator ; "" done to milllions of seniors AND NO ONE can DO ANYTHING why is this NOT On the news WE are all aspiritng to be SENIORS, Guest Ontario, CA 91764. She hands off the phone. We both cried a little. I was told by the NH staff that she was being fed her other meals, though my mother said that she had nothing to eat or drink all day. Only Ensure and juice. We feel totally taken in by the system and will always regret not being able to spot the ruse early enough or to have had the chance to read around the subject in time to have done anything about it. Then they went away. Also, I think all caregivers wether they are family or not should under go evaluation before that give care. Usually, hospice care is offered in the home, or sometimes in a nursing home. After metastasizing the cancer reached her brain she was on intense chemotherapy for a year. I give him such a look. She collapsed into a foetal position, never awoke from this, and died exactly where she was 11 hours later. "In front of him was his favorite drink, a dry martini," the author writes. But we must take steps to prevent both the very human toll and the economic toll that hospice fraud takes. And I think the beauty in telling a person, even if its without words, that they are enough, and they are okay as they are, that doesnt happen very often. It was rough to hear my mom say she was done with this life. I think a lot of times people have a tendency to romanticize hospice death like its this beautiful harp situation, he said. In her final hours, her bed covers were removed and a cooling fan was put on her at full blast so that she became very cold. I have a friend that is being killed at this moment. At one point she was screaming and thrashing, accusing me of trying to kill her. That was the worst mistake made. But the grace and professionalism of Ms. Griffin, Dr. Dauwalder and the other VNA nurses and social workers I came into contact with contradicted this perception. over a year ago. I called Edo Banach, the president of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, to get the trade groups response. I am still shocked by the whole traumatic experience but mostly that I did not stand up to any of them for what they did. "I guess I've just accepted what's available and not really thought beyond what could be," John says. I am happy to say we did ask for an investigation. A physician assistant prescribed drugs for pain and constipation. My father died an hour later. Fracture or morphine caused elderly death? Be aware, their plot is to overmedicate them during the day during visiting hours so the food and drink is stopped and the family can't feed or speak to their loved ones to tell them what is going on. WebMy father was killed in a tragic accident that occurred while I was visiting him in a nursing home. It was magic. Her last days werent ideal. We also found that patients and their families often do not receive crucial information to make informed decisions about hospice care. So sad. But hands-on help is scarce. They found he had some kind of pneumonia and was sent to another hospital for treatment for about 2-3 weeks. But mom wasnt up for it. Hospice Is Allowing My Father-In-Law To Die With Dignity Hospice. Granted, more than a million Medicare patients go into hospice care every year, so the complaints are in the minority. I wish I found out about this earlier. My sweet mom passed away January 8 at the relatively young age of 74. "Your mom looks so peaceful and she looks exactly the way she did when she was alive", to that my 16 year old responded with, "but much much thinner". My dad still had pain at that time because of his BACK, NOT BECAUSE OF CANCER. She had a conversation for about 30 seconds! I may have end stage COPD BUT I AM NOT CRAZY BUT THE SYSTEMS SURE ARE! My brother remarks by saying Gatorade has lots of nutrients and vitamins. His mind was sharp as ever. I asked questions about dehydration and drug administration, but the doctors had pat responses to knock me back. "We really have to expand in general our approach to supporting caregivers," Ornstein says, noting that some countries outside the U.S. pay for a wider range and longer duration of home health services. It was Aug. 2, 2000 less than two weeks since his admission to the hospice. My dad passed away few mins after the nurse from hospice came. Even now, I believe hospice is a better option than a sterile hospital death under the impersonal watch of shift nurses wed only just met. The cancer doc was taken aback, and revised her prognosis to a year. Also, the fact that he remains alive could simply be a "miracle?" Mom and I had hoped her hospice care team would help to make her last days as pain-free as they could be. Is Oxycontin Abuse Still On The Rise In The US? The final thing that I've left out from this report are some of the actions of my own family members, both in order to protect their confidentiality, but also because some of us seemed to actively help the hospice achieve this quick despatch. Blake Farmer's reporting on end-of-life care is part of a reporting fellowship on health care performance, sponsored by the Association of Health Care Journalists and supported by the Commonwealth Fund. Not just 10 or 15 lb.. but many pounds. That was the end. Again, in shock. We were crying and convinced she was about to pass away. WebOn May 14th 2010 when my father was admitted to Hospice he was still receiving active chemotherapy, and he had a radiation appointment set up as the same day as the admission to Hospice. He was pretty much in a daze or sleeping the whole time he was there (not overdrugged) then had trouble breathing and developed pneumonia. As I said, it is a masterfully delivered confidence trick which, in other circumstances, might be deserving of admiration for its detailed planning. I ask them again about food and drink and get a response that I can't believe. A few days later, Martin was told her father was dead. During that hospital stay, my dad slept a lot and was prematurely put in Hospice. The home hospice movement has been great for patients, says Vanderbilt palliative care physician Parul Goyal, and many patients are thrilled with the care they get. When I questioned them there response was, she doesn't need many calories. And it doesnt matter what your living situation is. But he (the doctor) was glad my dad was receiving the type of care he was getting from the team. "While it was difficult for me to witness, I knew what to do," she says. I travelled with Mum to the hospice in an ambulance. I can't believe I'm reading all these horrible posts about Hospice now. That's exactly what happened with Teno's mother. But I wonder whether that hospital oversight might have eased my fathers pain earlier on that last day. Now, she wants to make sure her children don't do the same for her. Each morning, nurse's aide Karrie Velez pulverizes McCasland's medications in a pill crusher and mixes them into her breakfast yogurt. I too was a victim of so called palliative care which could and should have killed me. I am also happy to say that we took numerous photos and more importantly videos without my siblings knowing. But what hospice provided wasn't enough help. I was angry, to be honest. 2. They, along with my siblings not only starved her and restricted fluids but were on some kind of pathetic mission to hasten my mothers death right under my nose. "Because this is what they say they do.". A friend has been in a memory care unit for several years now paying over $5000/month. I told her she hadnt spoken in days, and that at this point she rarely opened her eyes at all. He ran out of 'insurance days' and 'Hospice' was the only BS option left. You dont sit there with your hands folded and pass away. In April, he fell again, this time in the bathroom. Contact our 24-hour day call center at 1-800-969-4862 and a representative will be able to assist you immediately. Im an only child. Quite often its not what you would hope or envision.. In the end, mom went quietly, in the middle of the night, in her home, with her dogs, a VNA nurse and me. Convinced it was a hospice murder, Martin started calling anyone who would listen, asking them to investigate: Her local district attorney.