Hospice By The Sea

Worst experience ever my grandfather is currently patient here and when he went in he was coherent they moved him in the middle of the night with a blindfold on and within one hour he was unresponsive and drugged beyond recognition. The nurses claimed he had pain when I said no he didn’t they asked how did I know I told them I asked him before we came and then I asked how did they know he did they had no answer. He will remain knocked out for the remainder of his stay which as most of you know will be death. This is so cruel his last moments could have been special spent with loved ones instead he slept in a drug induced coma with no interaction if he opened his eyes or spoke at all the nurses ran in and injected him with some more sedative. He was denied food and water the entire time they claimed he did not need it as you know the body cannot survive without water I was aware it was his time but I did not think hurrying the process was important I simply wanted God to run his course. This was so inhumane I cannot express my pain and disgust animals definitely receive better treatment. One more point for you to ponder once you enter hospice you longer qualify for any medication no diabetic medicine, or blood pressure medicine even if it is not related to your main aliment. You no longer qualify as a human being you are just taking up air and are better off dead.

What can one say They are very nice here to the family of the patient. The volunteers are great. This is a very hard job. The object is to keep the patient as comfortable as possible I believe that they achieve that objective.

I contacted Hospice by the Sea in Broward County as my father’s health grew more precarious. I was a little hesitant to use them as his condition wasn’t necessary terminal in the short term. They explained everything to me, including their emphasis on the patient’s comfort and they were willing to modify their default protocols in line with our concerns and needs. From the moment the first nurse arrived for an evaluation at home, I was sold. They were kind and informative and made sure to explain everything they were doing and intended to do. They had necessary equipment delivered in the middle of the night, and additional equipment delivered over the next two days. The individual caregivers and supervisors who attended my dad were fantastic and worked to make sure my father had everything he needed. I recommend them highly.

My sweet mom donated her time at this Hospice for years and when she saw the love and care they give with an open heart she knew when she had incurable lung cancer at 83 she knew where she wanted to drift gently into the arms of God. I was there with her every day for her last days and I was moved to tears at the kindness and care she received. I’m not ready to go yet but I want to donate my time and be a part of such a loving & caring place. She drifted painlessly and peacefully away.

For an End of Life Experience this was way below average and then ended on a very bad note! We were basically ignored the week my dad was there, and they didn’t seem busy. There was no orientation to the place, we had to figure it out as we went along. We had never had a relative in a hospice before and didn’t know what they were suppose to be doing, in terms of the care. On the 3^rd day, I asked the charge nurse, «I don’t understand about why this or that are done a certain way» she turns to me and says, «didn’t so and so orient your family?» No, I said. she said, I’ll send someone right in. Really?! on the 3^rd day!!!
Everything my dad needed, including basic turning, we had to call for help. No palliative care was given unless we specifically asked for the help. Really? this is suppose to be end of life care!
Then the final blow was. We were with my dad from 7:30am to 9 or 10pm, everyday. I have 10 siblings that all live nearby. The morning my dad died, they never called to tell us. When my mom walked in to see my dad, and she had to walk around the nursing station to get to his room, he was lying there dead in the bed. OMG! he was lying there, flat out on his back, with the sheet pulled up. We couldn’t believe it. She ran to the nursing station to ask what’s happening ?? They said, oh he died and we couldn’t get ahold of anyone! We all have cellphones, we were all in our homes. They had at least 4 of our numbers. The main contact was one of my sisters and I was staying at her home, there was NO call! WTF! horrible experience

When my 93 year old maternal grandmother began suffering from congestive heart failure I was forlorn to imagine her living out her last days in a hospital. That’s when I learned about hospice care from my boyfriend’s mother. For those that don’t know hospice provides end of life care. No feeding tubes, endless blood draws, machines constantly beeping or a sterile hospital environment here.
This facility is smaller than another hospice place in West Palm. I chose this place over the other for that reason and because the phone liaison seemed less ‘salesy’. The nursing staff are the best and believe me I know — I’ve been in almost every hospital in S. FL by now. They are gentle and kind, and really connect with patients and family on a personal level. There are also a ton of volunteers milling about.
Hospice by the Sea’s private rooms are like NY studio apartments, minus a kitchen. Family members can stay as long as they like with their loved ones– visiting hours are 24÷7÷365. Rooms have sofas or recliners, cots, and bathrooms. The patient rooms overlook fountains with beautiful flower canopies that hang over the balconies; creating a sense of peace and well-​being. There is also a family area with a lounge, coffee station with cookies, and wifi. They also allow dogs and artifacts from home. I recommend bringing in a few pictures to spruce things up for your loved one. Sneak into the staff lounge to take advantage of the soda and snack vending machines. The door says ‘Vestibule’ and is located in a hallway off the main entrance. There is also a café with limited hours. I recommend the egg salad sandwich on rye which comes with delicious deli style pickle.
I went through all the ups and downs one faces when a family member is passing. At the end of it all, Brenda the Social Worker sat with me and we had such an amazing conversation.
Medicare covered the entire cost of our stay and if you are searching for hospice but don’t have a lot of time or money I recommend Hospice by the Sea.
It’s true what they say, death is a part of life — but it doesn’t need to be as painful and ugly as we sometimes imagine it.