VITAS Healthcare - Naples

I want to start by saying that our experience with VITAS has been wonderful overall. Maria in Admissions was incredibly kind and compassionate, and Itzamara, the nurse who came on Friday, was absolutely amazing. My concern is with the weekend 24/7 support process. When I called, Lisa answered and advised me that Jimi said, “Oh, I don’t know when, as I still have three patients ahead of him.” I completely understand that staff are busy and that every patient deserves care. However, it would be extremely helpful if families could be given at least a general time window or an estimated arrival range instead of “I don’t know.” Spending an entire day waiting without any idea of when someone might arrive makes it very difficult to plan for basic responsibilities or even step away briefly. If providing an estimated timeframe isn’t currently part of the process, I believe it would greatly improve the experience for families. And if staff are unsure how to communicate that information, additional training on setting expectations would be beneficial. This feedback is shared with appreciation for the excellent care we’ve otherwise received and in the hope of making an already difficult time a little less stressful for families.

I would give them less than 1 star if possible. We were advised by many friends that AVOW was a better choice from what they knew and heard but the director of our sister's assisted living facility recommended VITAS so we reluctantly went with them. The VITAS 'sales' staff we met at the hospital could not have been nicer and more accommodating. The move from the hospital back to her assisted living home appeared seamless. The VITAS chaplain and his assistant that we met there were incredible, honoring her with a beautiful 'ceremony' in appreciation for her military service. That was the end of anything good. For the next 5 weeks, until her passing, we NEVER heard a word from the visiting nurse/staff/VITAS people?.....NEVER!! We called VITAS to tell them we were not hearing anything and were told we would be contacted. They did not. We visited her several times in that time period and knew she was declining quickly, but still NO reports about her. On the day she passed, we were in her room and discovered her comfort bed (to ease her pain) was unplugged (who knows how long), that the mat that had been used to transport her from the hospital to the facility was STILL under her and should not have been and the oxygen machine we had seen in her room the day of her arrival was NOWHERE to be found!!! Most atrocious thing was the VITAS nurse was UNABLE!!!! to obtain morphine commonly used in end of life situations!!!!!!!!!!! This was so horrific and unacceptable!!!! VITAS has called us several times to apologize for all this, admitting it should have never happened. As I write this I become furious at what they did and did not do. THIS IS THEIR ONLY JOB TO CARE FOR A SOUL WITH HOURS TO LIVE AND THEY FELL UNEQUIVOCALLY SHORT.

I can not say enough good about Vitas Hospice and the dignity and care they showed my mother. Veronica met her at the Cleveland Clinic hospital and she explained everything to mom. She arranged everything so when mom was brought back to her home in Naples it was an uneventful experience for her. At home the care was exceptional. Every nurse was loving, caring and professional. Mom was never in pain. Was bathed and received oral care above and beyond what I had expected having seen other hospice care in the past.