Thunderbird Home - Hospice of the Valley

My mother is under hospice care at Thunderbird Palliative Care Unit at Hospice of the Valley. Everything is wonderful. They're kind, caring, and giving. Her room is very comfortable, clean, and nice. She is fine. The food is adequate. Because of the way they handle things, I don't think they can do much, but they are fantastic.

While my family had a good experience with our father in home and facility in surprise in 2007, unfortunately times have changed and with a mother who has Alzheimer's dementia and related behavioral problems, they did not have a clue how to provide continuity of care in terms of working with the family to get meds straightened out. The RN's would repeatedly call the POA's sometimes twice daily , ask the same questions, yet would alter their own Dr's orders for meds that were recommended . This was like stopping and starting meds repeatedly. When they became frustrated with her behavior and confusion, they transferred her on her 87th birthday without telling the family who was coming with gifts. They said it was an unfortunate error, but it's our belief the PA at the other very dilapidated facility just wanted to make the nurses happy and instigated the transfer . Imagine our shock not finding her on her birthday , only to find her in a place on the outskirts of Phoenix , in a place where when you enter through the front door your first impression is there are 3 near comatose individuals near death within 12-20 yards. This is not the stage of the disease out mother was in. Were she to see this depressing sea of doomed humanity, she would have thought we had just thrown her away. We asked that the staff keep her away from this area until we got the right meds and could get her back to her group home. Finally a Dr there listened to me, gave her the meds she needed, and she was able to go home 3 days later. Because the transport was late, she didn't get her meds and again became very agitated, confused as it was near sundowners time of day. Then we had to deal with the homeowner who doesn't have enough help to save money , and had to put up with threats of eviction and displays of frustration over the top. When meds have since been given as directed, our mom has been calm and responded well to her surroundings. I find myself second guessing everyone on the healthcare field here and have a huge case of buyers remorse due to demographics in this area . Fortunately she has arrowhead hospital to go to of needed and not the other major system I would not take my dog to. People in the SCG area are stuck with this system in hospital care unless the opt to go to glendale area.

Hospice of the Valley sent nurses to my home routinely while my Mother was living with me in Arizona. The nurses even arranged in-hospital care when my Mother had a bowel obstruction and dehydration. Towards the end, my Mother decided she wanted to go back home to Wisconsin for the remainder of her time here on earth, so Hospice of the Valley coordinated the transfer of her medical records and care to Hospice of Wisconsin. By the time we transported my Mother back to her home in Wisconsin, the nurses at Hospice were prepared and provided the same quality of care until my Mother passed. They are angels of Mercy, and I don't know how we would have coped without them.

The assisted living area was very comfortable and my grandmother was very pleased with the help she received there. Some days we take her there when we go on a vacation that she can't attend with us. The food was very good, the helpfulness of the nurses and care providers was outstanding and they were very pleasant and nice when speaking or in contact with anyone I saw