Hospice Of New York LLC

Pros

• The family found the hospice services to be very good and supportive during a difficult time.
• The care provided through the Medicare program, with assistance five days a week, was appreciated for its consistency and reliability.
• Having a dedicated person available for four hours each day offered comfort and companionship to their father.
• The approval of an overnight nurse significantly alleviated concerns about his care, ensuring he received the attention he needed.
• The family valued the quality of care that helped ease their father's suffering in his final days.

Cons

• The hospice evaluation nurse seemed to lack the necessary expertise to properly assess the father's condition.
• The denial of hospice home care led to unnecessary suffering for the 93-year-old disabled veteran in his final days.
• The staffing at Sunrise was inadequate, resulting in insufficient care and attention for the father.
• Without proper evaluation and support, the father's health declined significantly, leading to a distressing hospitalization.
• There was a clear disconnect between the initial hospice assessment and the actual needs of the patient, causing frustration and disappointment for the family.

Review

The journey of providing care for an aging loved one can be fraught with challenges, especially when navigating the intricate landscape of healthcare services. One family recently shared their experience regarding the critical moments leading up to the passing of their 93-year-old father, a disabled veteran who faced significant health issues in his final days. Their account sheds light on the sometimes frustrating interactions with healthcare services and the stark contrasts between different caregiving options.

At 93 years old, their father was experiencing debilitating health problems, including clogged catheter issues and swollen feet, which left him incredibly weak. Despite these evident struggles, an evaluation by a hospice nurse concluded that he did not qualify for hospice home care. This decision proved distressing for the family as they felt that the nurse's assessment lacked a comprehensive understanding of his condition. As a result, their father’s decline continued unchecked; he suffered in silence until he eventually required hospitalization due to congestive heart failure—a tragic outcome that might have been mitigated with more appropriate end-of-life care earlier in the process.

Following this harrowing experience with hospice evaluation, the family turned to a different service through Medicare, seeking more immediate assistance as their father's health further deteriorated. They discovered a compassionate caregiving agency that provided structured support five days a week. This service sent caregivers to spend four hours each day with their father during selected hours from noon to 4 PM. The family expressed great appreciation for this tailored approach as it allowed them to remain engaged and active parts of his caregiving team while ensuring he received adequate companionship and assistance during vulnerable times.

Furthermore, one of the standout features of this new service was its capacity to provide overnight nursing care—something crucial given that staffing at other facilities had become strained and unreliable. The presence of a dedicated nurse from 8 PM until 8 AM brought immense peace of mind not only to the family but also ensured that their father received consistent monitoring throughout night hours when traditional caregivers were often lacking. In tightening circumstances characterized by staffing shortages in many healthcare environments, this level of dedication underscored how essential continuous support is for patients facing severe health challenges.

The family's narrative emphasizes how vital it is for families confronting similar situations to seek out resources diligently and advocate vigorously for their loved ones' needs—particularly when evaluating different types of long-term and end-of-life care options available in today's healthcare system. They learned firsthand about advocacy’s transformative power: while one evaluation led them down an unfortunate path riddled with suffering, another choice ultimately provided comfort during distressing times when every moment mattered most.

Ultimately, this poignant story serves as both a cautionary tale about inadequacies in certain assessments by healthcare professionals and an enlightening perspective on finding quality care solutions amidst adversity. It encapsulates both heartbreak over missed opportunities for better care initially offered through hospice services and gratitude towards alternative caregivers who stepped in effectively during difficult days filled with uncertainty and loss. Their experience underscores not only the importance but also the necessity of navigating complex health systems skillfully to secure compassionate support at such critical junctions in life.

This area of Long Island City, New York offers convenient access to various transportation options, including several subway stations and the LIRR Woodside Station. There are multiple pharmacies nearby for easy access to medication and healthcare needs. The neighborhood boasts several parks such as Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunter's Point South Park, providing opportunities for outdoor recreation and leisurely strolls. Additionally, there is a variety of dining options ranging from casual cafes like Ikraveit Foods to upscale restaurants like Sarabeth's. For medical care, there are reputable institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center within close proximity. The area also has theaters like AMC Kips Bay 15 for entertainment options. Overall, this part of Long Island City offers a mix of amenities that cater to the needs and interests of seniors looking for a vibrant community to call home.

Transportation

• MTA - Queens Plaza South Subway Station (0.5 miles)
• MTA Subway - 21st St/Queensbridge (0.6 miles)
• MTA Subway - Lexington Ave/59th St (1.7 miles)
• MTA Subway - 72nd St (1.8 miles)
• LIRR Woodside Station (2.2 miles)
• MTA Subway - Metropolitan Ave (2.3 miles)
• MTA Subway - 86th St (2.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Duane Reade (0.6 miles)
• Duane Reade (1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Duane Reade (1.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)

Parks

• Gantry Plaza State Park (0.7 miles)
• Hunter's Point South Park (0.8 miles)
• Newtown Barge Park (1.1 miles)
• Rainey Park (1.3 miles)
• Astoria Park (1.3 miles)
• Transmitter Park (1.4 miles)
• McCarren Park (1.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Ikraveit Foods (1.3 miles)
• Sarabeth's (2.1 miles)
• Kimbap Lab (2.2 miles)
• La Grande Boucherie (2.2 miles)
• Daily Provisions (2.4 miles)
• The Loeb Boathouse (2.4 miles)
• Le Pain Quotidien (2.5 miles)

Physicians

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (1.4 miles)
• David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (1.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Bellevue Hospital Center (1.7 miles)
• VA Medical Center (1.9 miles)
• Metropolitan Hospital Center (2.7 miles)
• Manhattan Psychiatric Center (3.1 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Kips Bay 15 (1.7 miles)
• AMC 34th Street 14 (2.7 miles)
• AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 (2.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• St. Patrick's Cathedral (1.9 miles)

Cafes

• Ralph’s Café (2.1 miles)
• Starbucks (2.3 miles)
• The West (2.4 miles)
• Matchaful (3 miles)