Gentiva Health Svc

Pros

• Michelle is described as one of the most compassionate people in the hospice industry.
• Kindred Hospice is described as a lifesaver for families.
• Lydie Cavalier is described as exceptional in grief counseling.
• Kindred's home health and hospice team are described as over-the-top amazing.
• Gregory and Terrell are described as awesome, resourceful, and consistently available.
• Kindred receives five gold stars.

Cons

• Gentiva shows they do not care about providing support and abandon clients in need.
• They were never informed and drove 45 minutes each way only to find they had zero support.
• There is a national hospice intake rejection rate of 40?50%.
• The experience was marked by bad management, no supplies, and a worse experience, with a half-star rating.

Review

In reviewing a cascade of personal experiences with hospice and home health care, a clear pattern emerges: there are remarkable individuals who embody compassion and dedication, and there are organizational missteps that can undermine even the best efforts. The emotional tone ranges from deep admiration for specific caregivers to sharp frustration with management decisions. One constant thread is that the people who show up with kindness and resourcefulness can make an enormous difference for families at some of their most vulnerable moments.

Several voices center on Kindred Hospice as a beacon of humanity. One account highlights the extraordinary empathy of individuals within the organization, noting that Michelle stands out as among the most compassionate people encountered in the hospice arena. The writer emphasizes that the staff's spirit and commitment feel almost contagious, suggesting that families are fortunate if they are selected to work with such dedicated caregivers. The rhetoric here carries a tone of gratitude for the "hospice spirit" that seems to elevate the experience beyond routine care, underscoring that personal warmth and attentiveness can significantly ease a difficult journey for patients and their families.

Another segment of the narrative recounts Kindred Hospice as a lifesaver after a loved one's death, specifically praising grief counseling services provided by Lydie Cavalier. The praise is vivid: Lydie's support is described as exceptional, a crucial source of comfort during and after a loss. Yet the story takes a painful turn when, during a scheduled visit, the family learned that Lydie had been laid off with no notice. There was no advance communication, and the family drove a substantial distance - 45 minutes each way - only to discover they no longer had that support. The message carries a sting: even when one caregiver has been a lifeline, corporate changes can abruptly sever that lifeline, leaving families feeling abandoned and scrambling to fill the gap. The reviewer links this upheaval to broader concerns about Gentiva, implying that corporate decisions are disconnecting families from essential support at a vulnerable time.

Amid the praise for Kindred's daily care, there is also a strong defense of the organization's hands-on, in-the-trenches care. A separate testimonial gushes, "I LOVE Kindred," declaring that the home health and hospice teams are "over the top amazing." In that voice, the decision becomes simple: given a choice for home health and hospice needs, Kindred would be the obvious pick. Two staff members - Gregory and Terrell - emerge as exemplary figures: described as awesome and resourceful, always ready to assist with whatever is needed. This account highlights a pattern of proactive engagement, with caregivers consistently checking in to ensure needs are met and to gauge emotional well-being. The ongoing post-hospice outreach, with continued contact to see if families are holding up after their loved one's death, is singled out as a meaningful and reassuring form of aftercare. The message is unequivocal: when the team shows up with steady presence and thoughtful follow-up, it earns lasting gratitude - "5 gold stars for Kindred!"

Not every voice in the mix is aligned with unreserved praise. A contrasting note punctuates the collection with a stark, urgent dissatisfaction: "Bad management!! No supplies!! Worse experience!!!" This terse, emphatic critique culminates in a single, stark judgment - "I give a half a star only!!!!" It contrasts sharply with the gratitude and warmth described elsewhere, pointing to a perception that organizational deficiencies - specifically in management and resource availability - can severely undermine the caregiving that individual clinicians strive to deliver. In that perspective, the neglect of systems and supplies becomes an obstacle that blunts even the best intentions of frontline caregivers.

Taken together, these experiences paint a nuanced portrait of hospice care in practice. They reveal how much depends on the people delivering care - the compassionate clinicians who remember a patient's name, who listen, and who follow up - versus the organizational structures that must sustain those efforts over time. When staff like Michelle, Lydie, Gregory, and Terrell bring genuine empathy, resourcefulness, and ongoing support, families feel seen, supported, and less overwhelmed by loss. But when staffing changes happen without notice, when counselors are laid off mid-journey, or when supply chains and internal communications falter, even the most devoted teams can feel hamstrung, leaving families with a sense of abrupt disruption and abandonment.

Ultimately, these accounts underscore a dual truth about hospice care: it can be an extraordinary lifeline built on human connection, yet it is also vulnerable to procedural and logistical gaps that can undermine that care. The most hopeful messages center on consistent, compassionate engagement from individual caregivers who stay with families through thick and thin - before death, during bereavement, and in the delicate period that follows. The most sobering reminders remind us that staff changes, communication lapses, and resource shortages can erode trust and stability at precisely the times families most need reassurance. The takeaway for families and providers alike is clear: investment in compassionate staff, transparent communication about staffing changes, and reliable access to supplies are not luxuries but essential pillars of truly effective hospice care.

Physicians

• Sunhill Medical Center (0 miles)
• Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA (0.2 miles)
• Jsa Medical Group (0.3 miles)
• Marquez Medical Clinic (0.6 miles)
• Troxler Thomas C DDS (0.6 miles)
• Tampa Bay Family Physicians (1.8 miles)
• Suncoast Community Health Centers (1.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Winn-Dixie (0.6 miles)
• Sun Rx (0.7 miles)
• Sunrise Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• Walgreens (0.8 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.3 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (1.7 miles)
• Beef 'o' Brady's (5.5 miles)
• McDonald's (5.9 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (6.1 miles)
• Mandola's Italian Kitchen (6.4 miles)
• Zaxby's (9.4 miles)
• McDonald's (10.1 miles)

Parks

• Apollo Beach Skate Park (4.6 miles)
• Sterling Ranch Park (13.4 miles)
• Ballast Point Park (14.1 miles)

Hospitals

• St Joseph's Hospital-South (5.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• South Bay Church (5.5 miles)
• Fishhawk Fellowship Church (12.7 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (5.9 miles)
• Starbucks (12.7 miles)
• Starbucks (12.8 miles)
• Foxtail Coffee Bb Riverview (13.8 miles)
• Starbucks (13.9 miles)
• Starbucks (14.6 miles)
• Starbucks (15.1 miles)

Theaters

• Xscape Theatres Riverview 14 (12.5 miles)

Transportation

• Macdill Air Force Base (MCF) (12.5 miles)