Hospice Recommendations

December 19, 2011 11:49 AM

Can anybody recommend a quality hospice provider in the San Fernando Valley?

My father has liver cancer and I need to select a provider very soon. Thanks for your help.

posted by GIRLesq to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Best answer: My 105 year old grandmother enrolled in Kaiser Permanente's home hospice June 1 and died November 14 and I was overwhelmed by the quality of care they provided. As her 24/7 caregiver, I was amazed at the level of care, professionalism and compassion KP delivered. We were assigned an RN as her case manager and 1 doctor who oversaw everything. I didn't click with the 1st RN and all it took was one phone call and she was replaced the next day by the best nurse I've ever met in my life who visited every Thursday at a minimum and more frequently as needed. There was also a nurse available 24/7 if needed.

Our nurse coordinated the delivery of all necessary goods like a hospital bed, O2 concentrator, portable and backup O2 tanks and all other durable goods. She would also place weekly orders for disposable goods like bandages/dressings, diapers, underpads, cleansers and just about everything else you could imagine.

But most importantly, she instilled in me the confidence and strength I needed to provide the care and get through what laid ahead for my grandmother as I helped my grandmother die a good death. Things couldn't possibly have gone any better than they did and I will forever give most of the credit to KP's hospice program in general and that doctor and nurse in particular.

My grandmother's care was at my house near Joshua Tree, but KP is all over SoCal.
posted by buggzzee23 at 12:21 PM on December 19, 2011

Kaiser also provides a social worker and extends that service to the caregiver for 1 year after the patient's death.
posted by buggzzee23 at 12:22 PM on December 19, 2011

My wife is a social worker for GeriNet hospice. They're based in Burbank and service all of the SFV. I'll memail you more information.
posted by incessant at 1:39 PM on December 19, 2011

Also: if you can afford the time, shop around. Get at least two recommendations from your father's doctor -- doctors and hospitals and nursing homes often have prior referral-type relationships with hospice companies. If you can meet with a couple different hospices, you might find you prefer one over another. They're all a little different, each hospice has its own vibe.
posted by incessant at 1:52 PM on December 19, 2011

I've had a similarly excellent experience with Kaiser in SoCal, but not SFV in particular. They were really, really great and helped us care for my friend at his home. He passed away in his own bed, surrounded by his family. I called the nurse and she came right over to do/guide us through what needed to be done.

I'm really very sorry to hear about your father. I wish I had better words.
posted by kamikazegopher at 3:36 PM on December 19, 2011

Response by poster: Thank you all. Kaiser is available to us and I think that is how we will proceed.
posted by GIRLesq at 4:05 PM on December 19, 2011

Memail me if I can be of any help at all. I was fortunate to have someone close who had been through the hospice experience with her mother and her firsthand experience was invaluable to me.

I hope your father's remaining time goes as well as possible.
posted by buggzzee23 at 4:50 PM on December 19, 2011