My dad lived at Gianna for only 28 days: from the first day when he walked in on his own 2 feet (able to ambulate, eat, and interact) to the day he passed away.
We moved to Gianna because we were promised low staff to resident ratio, more individualized care, a "medication last" approach, experienced staff and a warm environment that treated residents like family. While the ratio was as promised, I felt the care, staff competency and medication approaches were not.
Often, I found my dad sitting alone, in the corner, unable to move or open his eyes from sedation. With drool down his cheek and leftover food on his face. He would often have globs of liquid medicine in his mouth from staff trying to give medication while he is unresponsive to verbal commands and touch. I would often find him in this state with no interaction from staff leaving me to advocate for his needs. We felt like outsiders and an inconvenience. This was not the care I was promised.
We had multiple instances of their staff not following hospice medication orders. We witnessed staff administer anxiety medication labeled for as-needed use when my dad was already so sedated that he was unresponsive. I was able to intervene while present, but who knows how much extra, unneeded medication was given when I wasn't.
It was also administered incorrectly. Instead of administering sublingually (as stated on the medical order), they were dissolving the meds and shooting them down his throat with a syringe. This is incorrect and can be very dangerous especially if the person cannot swallow as medication can be forced into the lungs. I believe this was occurring as my dad would often cough after being given medicine this way.
There was an instance where the doctor ordered a stop to a medication, yet staff continued to administer it for four days! For four days my dad was given discontinued medication IN ADDITION to the medication that replaced it. The head RN at Gianna locked the medication in a cabinet in her office to prevent staff from continuing to administer it. Apparently, she was not confident enough in her staff to be able to verbally tell them not to give this medication. When my dad was bedridden at end-of-life stages and NEEDED this medication, it couldn't be accessed. This caused a 2.5-hour delay while we waited for the medication to arrive. If that wasn't bad enough, once the medicine arrived, staff administered the medicine incorrectly. My dad began vomiting and choking after a few doses. We immediately alerted staff. There was no urgency by them to help which is VERY alarming in this type of situation. I would hate to see what would have happened if he was alone during this episode. After alerting the hospice nurse of what occurred, she had to call Gianna's staff to educate them on how to give medication sublingually as written in the medication orders. After the medication was given correctly, relief was seen almost immediately. I believe that none of the prior doses were effective due to incorrect administration. All this to say there was so much prolonged and unnecessary suffering that took place because of mistakes that should never have happened at a facility of this caliber. Sublingual medication at end-of-life stages is extremely common. It was shocking to me that their "experienced" staff were not familiar with how to give medication this way.
These events support my experience of lack of competence and compassion within the staff and lack of proper RN oversight/direction. Medication mistakes are unacceptable and can be life threatening. This was far from the end-of-life experience I wanted for my dad and family. It certainly was not the experience I expected given what was advertised to me and the price that came along with it. While I should have been focused on enjoying what little time I had left with my dad, I felt forced to monitor staff to ensure they were performing care properly, giving the right medications, and administering medications correctly. I feel robbed of this time. The only silver lining is that my dad and family didn't have to suffer through the poor care and experience of this facility for long. Although our stay was brief, the damage caused by this facility was large. If you care for your loved one and the end-of-life experience you have with them, I recommend you steer clear of this facility. read more
