Yes, I know, who writes a review about hospice? But if you're wondering whether this is a place for…read moreyour loved one, I want to reassure you, the answer is yes. You will do right by your loved one by bringing him or her here. This facility is very nice. The rooms are tasteful, comforting and calming. The staff is soooooo wonderful. They were knowledgable, supportive, charismatic without being overpowering...I cannot say enough good things about the wonderful nurses, and the incredible social worker. Every condition update was explained to us in the kindest, gentlest way possible. For the patients, you'll find respectful care, and absolute dignity. Terrific pain management. My dad was perfectly clean shaven every day, which meant a lot. For the family, there are several rooms to sit, think, talk and breathe. Which you'll need. Each room has a small patio with nice rocking chairs. In the day before he died, my dad flatly stated that he did not want to leave. That right there says a lot about the integrity, care and comfort provided by the excellent FirstHeath Hospice. They will forever have my heartfelt gratitude.

These angels provided my mother with loving and compassionate care. Everything was provided for her…read morecomfort ~ from making her favorite chicken salad to wheeling her bed over to the wide patio doors. My family will always be in their debt.

Mom was on hospice for almost 5 months. I know how some hospices can really fall down on the job…read moreso I did my homework carefully before selecting someone. What an amazing team! Jessica was our weekday RN - she was so knowledgeable and caring. Yvette, the office director, bailed us out of some tight spots. Chaplain Bishop went above and beyond duty to help us when we needed him. My Mom was comfortable and well-cared for to the end. Our family will be forever grateful to the whole team!

Recently we lost a loved one who was transferred here for hospice care. The staff was very kind and…read moreengaging whenever we visited or called the nurse's station. Joanne and the social worker on site really provided excellent bedside manner and compassion. Palliative care is difficult for families to navigate having worked in the field myself previously. The staff here truly care and the grounds and facility are in pristine condition. When it was time for my uncle to transition, the social worker had him discharged home to us so that everyone could say their final goodbyes at home. Thank you to the wonderful women who work here.

From the owner: Specializing in: - Hospices…read more- Nursing & Convalescent Homes - Physical Therapists - Assisted Living Facilities - Home Health Services - Assisted Living & Elder Care Services

Transitions LifeCare was an amazing facility. The staff, from start to finish, were genuine and…read morecared for my husband and all family and friends they came into contact with wonderfully. They listened to me and respected all of my wishes for my husband's care. They spent time with our family and listened to our stories. They were very quick to respond to all of the calls I made for nursing care. They kept my husband comfortable and free of pain in his last days. The nurses explained everything that would happen to my husband as his time drew near. It was really a comfort to my three teenage kids. When my husband passed they explained how they would prepare his body and gave us all the time and space we all needed. The room they provided to our family was large, clean, and well stocked with chairs, pillows and blankets. The social worker, chaplain, and nurses checked on us periodically to address any needs that may have arisen. We made the best decision by choosing Transitions LifeCare.

What I've come to understand about hospice orgs is that they seem to attract nurses who may be…read moreburned out from other jobs. This results in transactional care, checking off boxes to comply with Medicare but a lack of genuine compassion for the patient. (hospice enrollment recommendations below) Hospice affords more normal hours than working at a hospital. However, the trade off is probably that the nurses may have to drive 100 miles a day all over the county to serve patients. It's a crap shoot when it comes to the nurse case manager (weekly nurse) you get based on when you enroll in hospice care. And it's a crap shoot for the nurses too, who gets assigned to them. (see #4 below) Transitions was recommended to me by someone I trusted. I didn't know what I didn't know but my initial instinct during the first transaction with the intake nurse seemed off to me. She didn't listen, was not paying attention to what I said (about my Mom's care needs) and not educating us on how we should be looking at the whole hospice experience, especially medication management. We lasted a month and a half before I went to another company. The whole point of hospice is having continuity of care. The nurse case manager kept scheduling other nurses to come in her place which consequently caused us to have to orient a new nurse almost every week. Recommendations for Hospice Enrollment and Ongoing Management 1) Trust your instincts if your first interactions with the hospice org aren't stellar. Unless your family member is very close to death you probably have time to interview another company. 2) How medication is administration is explained and distributed (by mail or pharmacy pick up) is critical. 3) Understand that the first several intake people who call or visit may not be the regular providers you will be seeing. They have to check boxes for Medicare so they may only be marginally helpful. 4) The Clinical Manager who manages schedules and nurse performance is THE most critical role in the process. This person MUST be a great problem-solver, compassionate, caring, understanding and a good listener. Spend time up front describing your loved one's personality, likes and dislikes to hopefully get the best match possible nurse case manager (weekly nurse). 5) Once you get through the initial process, if you don't like the hospice care you're getting it's fairly easy to transition to another company (assuming you have POA for your loved one). 6) Make sure your POA and Healthcare POA are updated. If you had documents drafted years ago, they may not be specific enough for today's requirements. 7) If you have a life alert system you can give the hospice company number to the life alert system company so 9-1-1 won't get called in an emergency. 8) LPN's have more authority with medications than RN's but Medicare requires RN's to visit at least once every other week. 9) Hospice nurses understand that the closer to the end of life someone is, the less interested in eating they will be. Also, people at the end of life will sleep more. So keep track of eating and sleeping because the nurses will be most interested in that in addition to pain management. 10) Document changes in health in advance of nurse visits even if it's jotting small notes on a calendar because over time all the days blend together.

My mom was in hospice care with Heartland and I thought it was going to be a good thing. However,…read moreI started watching the videos in her room and was shocked and appalled at the treatment given. The last straw was when the aide had given her a shower on a Monday that I came to visit. Mom had a podiatry appointment and I was SO glad I was there to see the seeping wound on her middle toe with the redness starting to go up her foot. That should have been noticed by the aide. But it gets worse. On Wednesday of that same week, I saw an aide drag mom up by her arms after roughly pulling her legs over the side of the bed and then she picked her up and basically threw/dropped mom in her chair. Mom was screaming the whole time and the aide never said one single word to her the entire time she was in the room. This is not the care I would have expected from a company that is supposed to be taking care of elderly frail people. In addition, I talked to Heartland and explained what happened and that I was very angry. The person I talked to said they would send a different aide. I offered to send the video but they declined. I decided to change companies and when Heartland called me to ask why, the person on the phone had no idea that I had any problems with them and was not aware of my mom's treatment. There should have been communication of some sort and I doubt if the aide would have been pulled since there was no communication with the management team. Don't trust them !!!!!!

Heartland started strong--within a day of signing up for home care for our mother, we had oxygen…read moreand a hospital bed delivered, and they sent in prescriptions. Yay! The caregivers, for the most part, were wonderful, as were the people who answered the main phone number. The process needs work. After the first week, performance declined precipitously. There seemed to be bad communication between the field staff who visited our home and "the office." A nurse would request prescriptions via their archaic computer system, but half the time, the pharmacy wouldn't get the order. We would have to call the office ourselves to get any action. Initially, we were to get nurse visits on Tuesday and Friday, but we often got just one visit. When mom was transitioning to dying, we were told that we would get daily nurse visits, and we needed them badly to help care for mom. That didn't always happen, but we were never notified or given a reason why. On mom's last day, the nurse didn't show. The prescriptions that were supposed to have been called in the day before were not received by the pharmacy, and then the nurse didn't show, didn't answer our requests to talk. We were terrified, because mom was in terrible pain, and we didn't have enough medication to get her through the night. We called and called, and ended up having to drive to a farther pharmacy, racing to get there before they closed. We got mom through the night, and she died the next morning. But that last day was filled with confusion and panic, and we were never told why the nurse didn't show. I will never forgive them for making mom's last day so horrible, for her and for us. Then, we got a sympathy card that said "Remembering...[mom's name]." It was signed by about a dozen people--none of whom ever dealt with us. Not one nurse, PA, caregiver, or doctor that we spoke to or met signed the card, just a bunch of strangers. Find a different hospice company. Heartland Hospice broke our hearts and made the end more difficult than it should have been.

Quality Care - Compassionate Caregivers - High integrity company…read more We used Homewerks for one of our family members and can personally attest to the high quality care and compassion provided by Paula and her team. Similarly, we have referred them to many of our friends and business colleagues who consistently give Paula and her team rave reviews. Paula started the company after caring for one of her own family members so she approaches each case at Homewerks with the understanding and personal experience of what it means to have someone warm, competent and trustworthy at the person's side. While we are supporters of the quality care provided by Homewerks, we also cannot say enough about Paula and Tom as individuals - high quality people with unquestionable integrity.

I have immeasurable gratitude for the team at HomeWerks. 24-Hour in home care for my Mother, who's…read moremental health was progressively deteriorating from dementia, was accompanied by a lot of challenges as well as several emergencies. However, Paula and her team stepped up 7-days a week & at all hours of the days/nights. The caregivers always communicated with me and treated my mother with dignity & respect, even in the most difficult of circumstances. And, when I needed medical guidance, along with some personal support, Paula rose to the occasion often speaking with me late at night and on weekends and she always placed a follow up call to see how things were going- - even after my mom made the transition to full time memory care. If you are looking to find an extended family for your loved one/s, look no more. Have the utmost confidence in choosing HomeWerks

Comfort Keepers was recommended by a friend who appreciated their services for her aging mother…read moreseveral years ago. When my 97 year old aunt, who has some dementia, moved in with me we needed a consistent caregiver several times a week. We feel so fortunate to have found someone who not only brings her competent skills and caring attitude, but provides joy and laughter. In addition to the necessary care, she brings poems or an inspiring story to share and she plays my aunts favorite game of Rummikub. We look forward to the days she's here and I'm a little jealous because they have so much fun. Comfort Keepers staff has been so very supportive and attentive to our needs. I know my aunt is getting quality care while enjoying our caregiver's company, and that's a blessing! Laura W 6/26/21

Comfort Keepers in Wilmington cares deeply about their clients and their caregivers. They take the…read moretime to create a plan of care, visit the client, and create the best situation possible. They also make sure caregivers are professional and dependable. Alyssa Kelly, owner, has been owner of the company since 2007. She takes the time to pick the best of the best. I've even met some of their home office employees and I really appreciated their kindness.