Skirball Hospice

jaimiee

First off, i used Skirball end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020, so, hopefully, they have improved. But ... for one thing our RN was Nurse Ratched—the first day she showed up without a working BP monitor & was totally nonplused about it, she had a terrible bedside manner, was incommunicative, gave conflicting info to the dr & took forever to address it, which is kinda crucial when we're talking about morphine! Although she clearly figured the patient, my mom, was dying anyway so no big deal! I should have asked for a replacement from the get-go, but it was hard enough to get my mom to agree to the service & get on a schedule & we loved the practical nurse, & they came in pairs, & the practical nurse agreed to take on as much of my mom's care as possible. Upside: The nurse's assistant was incredible--bath day was like spa day for my mom! Also, Nurse Ratched chastised me when my mom needed an extra visit, about which: We were told when we signed up that we could have as much care as we needed, but clearly one nurse's visit a week & one dr's visit a month was supposed to suffice, at least in Nurse Ratched's view. Also, I was given no training about how to care for a bed-bound patient—diapering, moving, etc.—& given no indication that I could ask. My mother & I had to wing it—thank goodness my mother was a good sport! The final straw was Nurse Ratched telling me absolutely positively that my mother wasn't going to pass for many more days when in fact, as an aide I'd hired told me, she passed the day after Nurse Ratched & i talked about it. Well, there is one more truly final straw, but it's too emotional for me to share. ... Yeah, no, not the experience I'd hoped hospice would be ... at all!

catharina

This is the best hospice place. My aunt who had dementia was managed by them for a year. Her caregiver belonged to a caregiving service that she had for 7 years and not Skirball. The last year of her life, we used Skirball Hospice. Everyone was wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable. This a first class operation.

unachikafina

I am a past client of this provider Content: If you are in the situation of needing a hospice provider I strongly recommend that you look elsewhere. We had the worst experience with this agency. When we interviewed them, we were told that we would get round the clock nursing care for our father. This was not the case. We were told that they could only come if there was a change in his condition, i.e. if he became agitated. They never showed up. When my father passed away, no one from hospice was there. In fact, when the mortuary asked us the time of death, and I was unsure of the exact time, they asked us what time hospice had recorded as the time of death. I informed them that no one from hospice was with our family, they told us that they were the ones that needed to legally provide the time of death. When I called to talk to the director, calls were not returned and when they did call back, everyone was "passing the buck". It was a horrible experience that left our family with emotional trauma. After my father's passing, they were scheduled to pick up the equipment and they were over 3 hours late to pick it up. Overall, it was a NEGATIVE experience and I would steer clear from using them for hospice services. I just came from a friend's house. Unfortunately, her father is in hospice care. They used another provider, which provided the equipment in a timely manner and had a nurse there, round the clock. It is criminal that they are in business. Do not entruset the care of a loved to this agency.

AnnieNR

My brother Jim died in July 2014. It’s taken me this long to gather my thoughts for this review. For the last three months of Jim’s life, Skirball hospice staff helped me take care of my brother in my home. For the most part, all things considered, it was a positive relationship. Importantly, my brother, who died of liver cancer, experienced relatively little pain and nausea, thanks in large part to help, advice, and sound medication management from the Skirball staff. So why am I docking the hospice one star—and I seriously considered docking it two stars—in my rating? Primarily for this reason: NO ONE from the hospice visited my brother and me in the last week of my Jim’s life. Granted, we did not know then that these were his last days. But that said, I reached out to the hospice numerous times that week, desperate for help. Jim seemed to be growing weaker by the hour and I found myself struggling to help him to the toilet and keep him clean and comfortable. I was beside myself with worry, while Jim was in more agony than either of us could bear. The nurse who usually visited us on Fridays did not show up that day. On the weekend, I called the hospice hotline and the nurse assured me someone from her agency would come out to my house to help me. A few days later, when I did not hear back from the hospice, I called our usual nurse and requested her help. She said she would come, but not that day, for she had other business to attend to. Jim died the next day. Our nurse never even stopped by to express condolences. Jim enjoyed many of his final days. I struggle to remember that. That last week still haunts me.

Edward Z.

Sadly, we had to switch from Skirball to another provider after a month of frustration, miscommunication, and unnecessary stress. The care providers are exceptional; however the admin lacks professionalism. Wrong supplies, empty promises, and ultimately RUDE comments sealed the deal.

kimkdep

They are wonderful, caring and fast. Our doctor recommended Skirball on Thursday and on Monday we met the social worker at my mom's apartment and from there everything was handled for us. I can't say enough good things about them.