If you are looking at Yelp for guidance about choosing a hospice, you probably are desperately…read moresearching while feeling the pressure of the clock ticking. Even though we had the recommendation of our mother's independent living facility, that's how it felt for our family. So, with nothing more than a 10-minute visit from a nurse who acted more as a salesperson, we signed on to Good Shepherd for at-home "care." In retrospect, of all of the regrets I've had in life, this decision tops my list. One of the main reasons we chose the path of hospice at all was because he told us that, instead of needing to call 911 and having our mother end up in the ER, we would be able to pick up the phone and have instant access to a nurse with answers. Instant often turned out to be 35-40 minutes, with callbacks from overworked, beleaguered on-call staff. When we reached out to the nurse/salesperson by email--twice--with concerns, he did not respond. When the nurse we were assigned called to schedule an initial visit, her very first words were that she had 7 other appointments at our mom's independent living facility before she could get to us. The implicit message: get in line. When we met her, she seemed exhausted, not particularly engaged or warm but competent and knowledgeable. As it turned out, she would be the highlight of our experience with GS Hospice. My sister met with a social worker and instructed her about a matter to avoid if she spoke with me. The social worker called me to "check in" and immediately raised the very issue that my sister told her to avoid. It happens that another family at our mom's independent living facility and whose own mother was also in GS Hospice care had the same social worker. Before we said a word, they described the social worker this way: "She's 12," referring to her emotional age and maturity. The social worker cheerfully called my sister later to check in, oblivious to her mistake. When my sister reminded her, the social worker burst into tears. It gets worse: When we brought these and other concerns to the CEO of the hospice, he was dismissive and defensive, suggesting that these criticisms were clouded by grief. In other words, people who are grieving aren't capable of making rational observations, a condescending and, in this case, self-serving response. GS Hospice provides the services of a grief counselor for the family. Ours called me twice. Each time, I told her I was not interested in grief counseling but the second time, I offered to provide feedback about the experience our family was having with the Hospice and revealed to her that we were planning to take our concerns to the board. The next day, the CEO wrote to my brother trying to dissuade us from contacting the board. Clearly, this counselor went to her boss and disclosed a conversation which should have been held confidential by the standards of every mental health profession. We elevated our concerns to the board. We told them we were not interested in condolences or apologies and had no interest in litigation--that our goal was simply to make sure other families did not endure the same experience. Initially, we received what seemed to be an appropriate reply that suggested they would investigate. We offered the board to call us with any questions. They never did. Instead, we received a carefully crafted reply clearly written by their lawyers absolving themselves of any responsibility. Initially, our assumption with their staff was that they had plenty of caring, compassionate, professionals and that we had simply drawn the short straw. GS Hospice is a large organization but we had naively assumed that as a nonprofit with a long history, they would be patient and family centered. Instead, they turned out to be more like their hedge-fund owned competitors: understaffed, relying on inexperienced practitioners, and responding to concerns from a legal rather than ethical perspective. No large organization is going to have a perfect staff but when leadership is lacking, the problems become systemic and the agency becomes dysfunctional, the outcome for us with GS Hospice. It cost us profoundly in the care of our mother and compounded a family crisis that comes with such a profound loss.

I knew some people who had used Good Shepard for their family member's home-based hospice care and…read morethey all praised the organization and expressed gratitude. So when my husband needed hospice care, I turned to Good Shepard. I expected that as a non-profit organization that their resources would be fully focused on caring for the patient and the family. My son (who took intermittent family leave) and I provided all the hands on care for my husband under the guidance of the hospice nurses. My husband told me that talking to his hospice nurse and her oversight made him feel less anxious. And he was very relieved that his pain/discomfort was managed so well. He had an assigned primary nurse M-F and weekend nurses visited as needed. We had frequent visits in the last few weeks. All our calls when things were difficult in the night were managed quickly and well. I highly recommend Good Shepard to other patients and families.

My Dad was placed under their care for a month in December of 2023 and they were very…read moreaccommodating. The facility was clean and the meals served were delicious. The staff and nurses were very helpful and kind. The staff truly cares about the residents. I am very grateful for their care for my Dad and would recommend Sudbury Pines to family and friends.

My mom has been a long term resident here for years and I can't even begin to tell you how grateful…read moreI am for the caring staff and administration! They have annual picnics and Christmas parties- the staff really do care about the residents and I couldn't be happier with the care they provide. My mom has been wheelchair bound with dementia for years and she has no skin issues- which is a pretty amazing accomplishment . The nursing, kitchen, rehab and housekeeping staff as well as administration really puts their all into the patients, and I am a tough customer being an RN. This is a great facility.

They keep bed pans locked in a closet. My mom was there after multiple strokes and in no condition…read moreto make it to the bathroom even with assistance on her first day. I had to call 911 because she couldn't even get bathroom assistance at night time. In addition, she and I said to multiple people over and over again not to give her pork as she is Muslim. They gave her no protein at all, just a partial meal when they cooked pork for others. I started taking meals from home after that. If you are Jewish, Muslim or just do not eat pork...do not go there. It was horrible

My husband was at Casa de Ramana Rehabiltation Center for 2 1/2 weeks after a long stay at Metro…read moreWest Medical due to Covid 19. Everything about this Rehab was superlative! The faciltiy is remodeled and the huge Physical and Occupational Therapy area has one complete glass wall and is well-equipped with all new excercise equipment. My husband and I cannot say enough about Casa. What really makes Casa so excellent is the quality of the entire staff: PT, OT, Nursing, Aides. Everyone was friendly and kind and skilled. And the food was delicious. My husband could also get a snack anytime (peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese sandwich, etc.) Paula Tamagno

My 88-year old aunt recently went to Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center for in-patient physical…read moretherapy after being discharged from the hospital. I'm sorry to report that the care there is NOT good. In fact, it's terrible. My cousin (a nurse) said that she had to have confrontations with the staff on a DAILY basis because they were "horrible." The aids are rude and hostile foreigners, who barely speak English. Here is one example of the mistreatment my aunt received: Despite having communicated very clearly that my aunt is severely allergic to wheat gluten, the kitchen has REPEATEDLY sent her gluten-containing foods. Naturally, this causes my aunt's stomach to get "upset." She wasn't able to get to the bathroom on time. When this happened, the nurse's aide scolded her and said, "Look at the mess you made!" My aunt was taken aback and said, "Do you think I wanted this to happen??" Then, to make matters worse, she said that the aide was very rough with her as she was cleaning her. What kind of disrespectful nursing care is that??!! My aunt is supposed to have physical therapy, daily, but my cousin said that, many times, "she stays in bed all day." When she does have PT, it is good, but there just isn't enough of it. Half of the time, my cousin said, she would go in to visit, and my aunt wouldn't have her oxygen on! Then, the nurses would proceed to argue with her about whether or not she needed it. (My aunt has fluid in her lungs from cancer!) It hasn't even been a full week yet and we want to transfer her out of this place. I can't believe Mary Ann Morse has the AUDACITY to treat our elderly citizens this way, and then send a bill to insurance and our government, calling it "healthcare." Do I need to I say anything more? Beware! Do NOT go here!

Went through a tough time with my mother recently with a shoulder replacement, scary with delirium…read moreand big safety concerns. The care she received at Maryann Morse from the staff there could not have been better. Her therapists were attentive and taught my family great ideas to care for her at home and she ended up spending a lot of time laughing with her roommate. It is great to see the difference being there made for her and my family. I am out of state and the communication was outstanding. This was very scary for us as a family and I couldn't be more grateful to the staff for their kindness and understanding. It is the people in a facility that make it what it is and you can't find a better group.

We were so fortunate to have an amazingly compassionate, thoughtful and caring hospice team at…read moreFaith and Family. All members of the team were tightly coordinated and in sync in supporting us as my husband's transition accelerated after a very painful fracture of the shoulder. From Faith, a very experienced hospice aide, to McKenzie, the case manager who visited us almost every day, to Connie the weekend nurse whose wisdom, insight and patience carried us forward, to Catherine, the social worker, Valerie, Reiki specialist, and Frank the Chaplin - all brought unique and supportive perspectives as we navigated this challenging time. My husband and I wanted to do hospice at home and as his decline accelerated, this hospice team made the journey possible. I am forever grateful for the wonderful care my husband received and the comfort care my family was given. I would strongly recommend this hospice! Hard to express how truly outstanding the team was!!

Faith & family hospice has the most compassionate staff. From the beginning, with our intake…read morenurse,Emily to our primary nurse, Lindsay we were treated with respect, caring & expertise. If someone was unable to answer a question, they admitted it & got the answer for us. As a nurse, I can be very picky with medical care. We were so lucky to have Lindsay as the primary nurse for my mother in law. She guided the entire family ( 6 children!!!) through the dying process. She was able to anticipate needs of everyone & facilitated them, while always putting my mother in law first. She was also able to arrange for a well needed massage from Poppy who was perfect. I cannot say enough about this hospice team!!! The best- don't go anywhere else.

I worked for parmenter hospice yrs ago had them for 3family members with great service. Just now…read morehad them care was awful.never again

We had a great experience with Parmenter in home Hospice. The nurses were knowledgeable,…read moreprofessional and compassionate, the home health aid Marie who came to wash and change my father was caring, competent and connected with my father with her kindness at a time when few others could connect with him. The support system such as social worker, chaplain and office were also very supportive and did all they could to support us through this difficult time. We never felt alone because they were just a phone call away and would come as quickly as possible. They are new in our area, so there is little information about their services, but I highly recommend them.

They say they care about the family but don't show it. My brother had been on hospice for…read more11 months and had the same nurse for at least 10 months. He passed away 2 wks ago and we did not hear from her for 10 days. Then she has the balls to send a card with other people that we have no idea who the hell they are. What is wrong with these people, they should not be in this business. She would come in for a visit that lasted maybe 10 mins and when asked how things were it was always the same, " no change". She never involved "the family" in the care plan, didnt even speak to anyone else in the home but me, and i would have to ask. If they had reached out to us in the days of his passing maybe we would feel differently, but nothing, not a peep for 10 days and the only reason she called was for paperwork to be signed. They can wait for it!!! And they are getting no donation......Sorry, this just really hurt

i have had thees peoplpe for a couplle weeks and i an jusst about ready to throwthem ou t the…read moredoor.I am uncompleteerly with the wwy the go about there business here at my home.I got theaqe peoplple as a refreal from a family member which has turned out to be one of thne biggigeets mistakies i have ever made i my life time and hopefulluly last mistake i will have made.anothewr thing they have taken me off of medicines i was on and now i am at the point i do not know what meds to take and what not to take.Yes,the enemy has completed ther course of totally ruinineedthe schedule of meds i am to take dailyi imagine with the amt of people who have been comming in here from ther company this is the total main reason they have screwed up my medication regimem.I am so sorry they ever set inn foot into our door,There days are nimmbered here as i am,very soon tell them to get out of here and ruin someoneslses life and not mine