My mom had Alzheimer's, was living at Watermark Logan Square (currently called Logan Square Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center) since 2016, and her doctor recommended hospice in early June 2022. The doc suggested Compassus, as the center's physician was also the director of the hospice at that time, and I thought it was probably easiest/best to choose a company that was integrated with my mom's normal care. Initially, Compassus seemed great. The chaplain/salesperson I spoke to when we signed up for Compassus was very sympathetic and helpful. The first couple of nurses who visited my mom and the social worker were all very nice. But I was very disappointed with Compassus once my mom was in regular care with the company.
I never received communication or support as told I would before hospice began. Eventually (after a month), I heard from one of the nurses every Monday, and then she went on vacation for a week, and I never heard from her again. I heard from the other nurse, who I believe was also the case manager, 3-4 times over 4 months. I spoke to the social worker 3x before my mom died. Was never updated when the hospice aide visited my mom (I was told she visited every week, but I have no way to confirm). I asked multiple times if volunteers could visit my mom, as this was offered when I signed up for Compassus and it was appealing to my sister and me because we work full time and couldn't be there everyday. As far as I know, volunteers never visited my mom, though I know the volunteer coordinator visited at least twice.
I always heard that hospice made things so much easier for families, but that was not my experience with Compassus. I continually had to follow up to get updates on what was going on with my mom, to inquire about medications prescribed, about how often she was being visited, etc. Watermark leadership and staff are pretty horrible at communication, but I had to put more effort in to communicate with Compassus because I couldn't just stop in and see them like I did with Watermark staff when I visited my mom.
Once, I had a conversation with the hospice nurse about her/Compassus care team's recommendation for meds for my mom. They recommended standing dose every 3-4 hours of Ativan and morphine as needed. When I spoke to a Watermark nurse the following week, she said the order provided to them was actually the opposite - standing order of morphine every 3-4 hours and Ativan as needed. That's a big difference. When I told Compassus, they said they were going to change the order. They never did. I'm not a clinician and was happy to do whatever was recommended by her care team, but I find it concerning that the regimen communicated to me was never implemented with my mom.
After my mom died, the Compassus social worker and a grief counselor called me. I never heard from the nurses who visited my mom every week. I received a sympathy card in the mail that was completely generic - didn't even name my mom, just "your loved one" and signed "her hospice clinical care team". Not personalized at all.
I would not recommend Compassus. The people in the office (sales person, social worker) are nice and say the right things. But my sister and I did not receive the communication or support we expected from hospice, and I can't say whether my mom did either because I never saw any of her regular nurses or aides visiting her at Watermark.
Lastly, I received a letter after my mom died to say that I'd receive a survey about my experiences from a third party organization. She died in early October 2022, and I have still never received that survey. Which just makes me believe that Compassus is not interested in actually improving. read more