VITAS Healthcare

Arianna Coletto

Vitas was terrible from the beginning. We brought my dad home from the hospital in the hopes that vitas would help us take care of him and make him as comfortable as possible in his last days here with us. A couple of the nurses they sent were nice, but the rest (specially one of the head nurses called Evelyn) were not only unprofessional but also rude, inconsiderate and unknowledgeable. Since day one everything either arrived late or didn't arrive at all. Any request we made was either undermined or ignored. They claimed to make the orders and the next day we would discover that the order was never made. After my dad passed away, without any of the requests we had being met, we have been receiving all the medicine, machines and treatments that we asked for a day and two after. Way too late. Instead of taking the time to cancel them so that we wouldn't have to deal with this, they left the orders in and now we have to keep receiving all of these things. On top of that, they keep calling my DEAD dad's phone instead of my mom's or mine, which are the ones that we gave them multiple times after explaining to them that they had the phone number wrong. We explained this the third day, it's been almost two weeks now. To finish things off, they told us the day of his passing that they would be calling us within 24-48 hours to pick up the bed, the machines and all of the other things they left here. Everything is still here, and no call has been made. My mom was just on the phone trying to get this across to them and the lady that answered was rude, wouldnt let her speak, after she finished explaining she responded with: is that it?. My mom asked for her name and as a response she got hung up. This has all been such a nightmare. On top of loosing my dad we have to deal with all of this. Please do not use this service if you want your loved one and your family to have a peaceful time.

Delyann

We had VITAS Hospice come in to help bathe my mom. They provided a nurse for her meds and to check on her twice a week. The nursing staff was good. It's just the communication wasn't. We had to constantly call them. Some of the CNAs that came in didn't know that she was an amputee. Sometimes we would have to just bathe her ourselves, because they would not show up, or if they did, they didn't know that she needed that much assistance.

Mike3500

They don't answer their phone. Both I and their doctors have tried for 3 days

Hayley B

stay away!!!! The nurses are just amazing. THEY went above and beyond for my Grandmother. The doctor? The Who? He is a whole other story. He blew me off COUNTLESS times. He never showed up to half of her appointments. He would just FaceTime us when it was convenient for him. The professionalism that we are dealing with now that she has passed, is atrocious. Ive been back and forth with the HEALTH DEPARTMENT, and the funeral home to get ANYONES attention, to just finish all this up and get her where she needs to be for her final resting place.. GO with another company. Save your time, save your money. I haven't even been able to say goodbye to my grandmother because of all this. Does anyone care? Find a company that really will go above and beyond. Because this is not the one.

Ace111781

I am the care giver to my aunt. And we have this service.. here let me say the good things first.. The nurse and Manger on her care team are great. But the runners and home aide staff are bad.. the runners show up when ever they want with only a 20min warning even though in my aunts file it says we need a 6hour heads up to make sure someone can be here to let them in.. the runners show up almost every week when in her file it says every 2wks. She would really prefer once a month but they said once every 2 weeks is there max. Then I had a home aide set up for 1 day while I was out of town. On the paperwork it said she was to b cleaned n changed m fed. Then changed her and left saying that was all that was on the list. I was lucky 2 have a family member living near by who could do what was promised by this service but didn't happen. Might look 4 another service

florida3355

Worst company ever to deal with, to bad at the worst time in your life to deal with such Incompetence. Promise help and comfort, try getting someone when needed!!!!! Took 3 days to pick up "equipment" now 2 weeks later still trying to send driver??!!%@$ Nurses and aides were totally wonderful!

paul12ruui

Stay away from vitas healthcare they promise you the world during the first interview and then deliver nothing they say you will have a dedicated nurse and case management person and that a doctor will see you within the first 30 days none of that happened had three nurses come three different times three different nurses each time they spent a lot of time complaining about the company they work for the fact that all other companies give laptops to their nurses and these nurses must write things down on scraps of paper because there is no up-to-date computer system they promised me medical supplies for my father's open wounds from his bed sores supplies were never received I finally called the nurse to come to dress the bed sores the nurse arrived and asked me if I had any dressings because she had none I had to go out to the store and buy some even though I am paying them to take care of my father also ask them to change a catheter that is supposed to be changed every month that had been in for over six weeks they said they would come by and change it got a phone call from a nurse saying what size catheter is it what type of bag not being a doctor myself how would I have any way of knowing that I said don't you have that in the medical records their response was a we don't have medical records really we just have scraps of paper and they're all locked up in the office so a nurse will come to your house without knowing your medical history whatsoever I hope she doesn't give you a candy bar when you have diabetes or medicine you're allergic to and kill you also if the doctor comes to the house I asked who doesn't he have the medical records can't you call him and she said the doctor doesn't have access to the medical records after hours so I guess if your family member who is near passing has an emergency it better be between 9 and 5 with this company cannot help you whatsoever they also promised my father physical therapy that never happened they promised my father a nurse would come to help him with his daily chores that never happened they tell you all the great things and then once you sign up you're on your own the nurses have no knowledge of the patients are dealing with every time they came the three times he did come they asked me the same medical questions a over and over does your father have high blood pressure is he allergic to penicillin when was the last time you was in the hospital excetera excetera I thought it was just because they are thorough it is not as because they have no access and no way of keeping track of their patients so they must ask you every time so they can fill out the government form so they can receive their Medicare funds they don't care anything about the patient or his medical history just that they had documentation they were here and my home so they can charge Medicare it is a disgrace

perfect timing

This is a horrible company I have watched them break rules treat patients horrible. Not show up to fill meds on time. Seen the patient go a whole day without meds nurse doesnt call back cna not showing up to give showers and then talking bad about the care givers that are there from other companies. This has been a huge nightmare dealing with this company for the family and caregivers that were already in place before they got involved. My opion for anyone thinking of using this company is RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION they are unprofessional rude and uncaring

bettyannrang

What i saw hospice is suppose to care and give comfort let the family know how they come to make a decision on meds and how much and why give the extra comfort from the beginning but none of that was done martha and kelly not good at all they are supposed to clean and move the client so for comfort if i asked questions loud remarks were made that people ask stupid questions its a disappointment and it sadness me these 2 nurses never aaked questions or introduced themselves no professionalism no compassion no respect so if you are looking for someone to care this is not the company you want its really hurt breaking all the 2 nurses did is sit and be on the phone and write the interactions with caregiver there was none my request send all caregivers to classes on professional caring giving respect to inform family and ask questions on client and do there job

Provider Response

I am saddened

In 2009 Vitas provides great care for my aunt. However the current care TEAM IN Orlando has provided terrible service. I have not had a supervisor simply refer me back to a staff person once I had expressed my concerns. Also the nurse did not call the next day to assist my family with the issue. A visiting friend described her as uncaring. However the urgent care nurses and customer service staff were awesome. They advocated, provided information and instructions which my family really needed.

Provider Response

Deborah

My dad is receiving hospice care at home with VITAS Healthcare now and it's absolutely excellent. The nurses in the evening are amazing. We get CNAs during the day, but sometimes their skills are not quite up to par. We have excellent communication from the attending physician and even the staff, so we have no issues with that whatsoever. They provide medication, nutritional needs, incontinence products, wound care products, and DME. They're just very supportive and they have social workers who can speak with family members who are coming to terms with the final stages of life. It's just an amazing organization.

Nancy Boulin

Five Stars are not enough to describe VITAS staff & professional compassionate members of team 190. My Mother was a Client for a very long period of time. COPD & Dementia took her away in August 2017. From Dr..Rosendo to our Nurse Daphne our Pastor Noel our Social Worker Sharon and Everyone else that responded to her needs.An amazing dedicated group! My Dad & I have no Family here in Florida. We did once VITAS entered our lives. VITAS cares for the entire Family. My Parents were married 67 years. It was devastating to watch my Father's heart break in her final days.. Every member of that team came to comfort him and assure him she was not in pain and was preparing to be with her Family & God. In her last days we were so fortunate to have around the clock VITAS members with us. They are Angels.We will never forget them.

flore

My Dad had to be rushed to the Emergency Room recently. Tests were done and doctors explained his prognosis was not good. They recommended hospice and I agreed. Shortly after I received a phone call from VITAS. The gentleman was very professional and caring. He told me someone from VITAS would be at the hospital soon. He gave me the names of the team and a phone number to call if I needed anything. As they were getting ready to move my Dad to a room, the lady from VITAS arrived. She was wonderful! She was so caring; very knowledgeable; very understanding of what I was going through and very supportive. She went with me up to the room and explained what VITAS does. She was very caring with Dad as well and made sure he got the meds he needed to keep him comfortable. Dad was too ill to be moved so she made the arrangements to have him receive the services there at the hospital. She stayed with us until Dad had settled down and was asleep. It was past 2:00AM when we left the hospital and she walked us out. She explained someone else would be at the hospital later that morning. We left for home and she returned back into the hospital. We were back there before 9:00 AM. Dad was calm and sleeping. Soon after the other VITAS lady arrive. She was also great. She provided comfort and support; completed the paperwork and was there for us if we needed her. Dad passed away just after noon. She asked if she could call their chaplain and we agreed. He arrived shortly after and also provided comfort and support. All the VITAS people were wonderful to us and we appreciated it immensely. This was a very difficult time and having their comfort, support and knowledge made things easier to get through.

Pepper9

When we signed the contract for services, the VITAS representative gave us her card and the name of a team that we could call after business hours. She said that Dad was at a stage that required 24/7 care. Within a week of engaging VITAS for my father who was in the later stage of Alzheimer's, he had died. The nurses, all seemed to be contracted and not employees, who attended him were very good. On his last day the woman who arrived at 8 a.m. left at 7 p.m. She had tried for hours to find out from VITAS who would relieve her and when they would arrive. She was unable to get any response from VITAS . We insisted she go home since she had already been there for 11 hours, hoping that surely someone would arrive since Dad was already in a coma. They never did appear. We called VITAS several times and were initially told that, "Oh, the person who was supposed to arrive called out" so she would not be coming. They obviously had no one else lined up and seemed to be making no attempt to find a replacement. Having the name of the team made no difference. Yes, Dad was in a nursing home so staff nurses were able to administer his medications. VITAS, consequently, seemed to put no priority on his care, despite appearing to think he required such care earlier in the week. At my prompting, they said they would find someone and they would arrive by midnight. When they were not there by 1 a.m. I called again. They said they had been unable to find someone--and yet again had not called to say so. I asked them to keep looking and to call within an hour if they were unable to find someone. They never called. Dad died about 2:30 a.m. When we notified VITAS that Dad had died and no one from VITAS had arrived after the woman left at 7 p.m. the night before, the response I received was that they would pass on that information. Days later someone called to offer grieving services. Needless to say, we wanted nothing else to do with them.

Provider Response

ragately

My father was transported from the hospital in an ambulance to my home where a Vitas RN had been patiently awaiting his arrival. My father had 24 hour nursing care with two twelve hour shifts. The Nurses were very attentive to father. They kept him calm and pain free his last week with us. Vitas is a wonderful organization.

Provider Response

Ralh

My Dad is currently with Vitas and the service has been adequate at best. Their biggest problem seems to be lack of communication...with the family,and among themselves. I have continually asked them to call and they continually don't get back. The nurse says she's coming at a certain day and doesn't she. Aides may or may not shoe up. We admitted my Dad to their special unit and they didn t inform their team and both the nurse and aide showed up at the house. If we didn't call I'm not sure anyone would ever contact us! My mom was with another agency which provided much better service. Frustrated!

Brenda36

The nurse at the assisted living where my father was recommended that we needed to call hospice in. She told me that it was a timely situation; that he was doing a lot worse and was declining very rapidly. So she came out and called in VITAS, and they were there within a couple of hours. The nurse from VITAS came in, and she immediately called in 24-hour service. She stayed there with my dad until she called me and asked how far away I was because he looked like he was only going to survive for another fifteen to thirty minutes. I got over there and I sat with them for about thirty minutes before he actually passed away. So they were there. They ran around. They got the medications he needed from the only pharmacy in this little town that was open. She worked through all the paperwork through VITAS with his doctors. It was a well-oiled machine and very comforting. The staff was completely comforting to me during this period. All my emotions I was going through, they cared for that. They still are caring for me. Someone from VITAS gives me a call every now and then. They came in and knew what to do, knew what to say, just all of it. I would put out a recommendation for them. This is our second experience with them. The first time was with my husband's mother, who passed away and who they cared for on and off for a very long time.

Provider Response

abcdefghi

My mother past away in August 2013; Vitas stayed with my mother 24 hours a day, I wasn't sure how this would work out, it worked out great I must say I know for sure that my mother was very comfortable in her last days, she was at a skilled nursing home which had an open door policy and on those many nights when I could not sleep I would pop in to be with my mother and would find the nurse right by her side this made me feel good knowing that my mother was never alone. Thanks to team 196. Davis's family.

Provider Response

moses32

I contacted VITAS when the hospital told me we needed a hospice provider. They recommended VITAS. I couldn't be more unhappy with the service they provided. The first night my mother went home the nurse didn't show up for the second shift. VITAS contacted an agency to send out another nurse and she arrived five hours later. My brother had to call someone to come stay with my mother because he had to go to work. There was another lapse in coverage when another nurse didn't show up. One nurse said she cleaned my mother up and my sister had to do the cleaning because the nurse was sitting down reading a book and the smell indicated additional cleaning was necessary. Another nurse thought it was fitting to explain in detail the horrible death my mother was going to experience because it had happened to both her parents and she thought we needed to know. My sister and I were horrified and depressed the rest of the day. There were a couple of good nurses. One was from an agency and she sat right at my mother's bedside and watched her. She even ate her lunch sitting at the bed. The agency nurses were better than than VITAS employees. I was disappointed and annoyed the entire time VITAS cared for my mother which turned out to be five days. I would not recommend VITAS to anyone.

Windwalker

I can not speak to the entire Company, but that said, I used Vitas team 191 in Sanford Florida for My Wife. After Her third major heart attack in April 2012 She was sent home from the hospital and told She had maybe 6 months left. With the best nurse and nurses aid coming in She made it a year less four days. I could call or text Our nurse 24 / 7 rather than a long wait for call back going thru office staff. The two Ladies were the most caring and loving folks I ever met. There was almost nothing They could not get done for Me. It allowed My Wife to stay with Me till the end at home. Why not 5 stars than, only because the office staff dropped the ball sometimes and did not get messages to nurses aid to not come for bathing next day etc. but it did not have a negative affect on the over all level of care My Wife received. The craziest part of the whole experience was the nurse promised the Wife that She would not pass on Her watch, and as it would be, the nurse was on two weeks vacation when the Wife passed. Could more have been done? I don't know, but all I needed was done with love by two wonderful Ladies. Thank You M. and C.

Caring 9480

We hired caregivers from Vitas to take care of my father before he passed away. I wouldn't recommend Vitas because first, I'm still waiting for them to pay bills. Since they haven't paid their bills, the hospital where my father was in put a hold on my father's estate. Second, Vitas hired outside agencies to manage patients. As for the services, if the caregivers came from Vitas itself, the service was good. But if the caregivers were from those outside agencies, the service wasn't satisfactory.

Provider Response

staffordshirestateside

The caregivers were warm and competent. Response time when really needed was VERY poor. My mother suffered for four hours because nobody came though I had made the dire situation clear. They arrived AFTER she died. There's no excuse.

Sherrygulley

We are very pleased with the service provided by the facility and have no complaints regarding them. They have been really supportive and helped out in every which way possible. This has made our journey of taking care of my mom very easy. We would not be able to do this without the support and help of this agency.

AIDAROSALIA

I WANT TO EXPRESS TO YOU OUR MOST SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR THE EXCELLENT CARE YOU PROVIDED TO OUR MOTHER AIDA DURING THE MONTHS WICH SHE WAS UNDER YOUR CARE. WE HAVE OUR MOST SINCERE RECOGNITION TO THE VITAS PERSONNEL FOR THE LOVING CARE RENDERED TO MRS. NUNEZ. FROM THE PERSON WHO INSTALLED THE POSITION BED TO DR. AND NURSES, EVERYONE DID AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB. THANK YOU AGAIN AND GOD BLESS YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL JOB YOU DO FOR THE PATIENTS WHO ARE TERMINALLY ILL. AIDA (MRS NUNEZ daughter )

kahunafla

When the doctor recommended Hospice for my mom, I was very confused and emotional. Vitas helped me make rational and caring decisions about my mom's final days and the aftermath. They have a team of people in place including a nurse, doctor, social worker and chaplain, along with their many other dedicated and caring professionals. I was overwhelmed with feelings, and Vitas just stepped in and made it a LOT easier.