Hospice with Vitas Healthcare: any experiences?

While chatting with everyone from Vitas that has been here in my son's home, so far, everyone has worked for Vitas for several years.

The other half of Vitas is…roto rooter

We went with Vitas in Danbury, Connecticut. They were fine. This was in 2017.

Is this a Medicare Advantage or a supplemental?

It really doesn't matter because MAs have to honor Medicare A&B so Hospice should be paid by them. A supplement, they are not even involved. Traditional Medicare pays for Hospice care.

After doing my research, I went with Vitas in my area (nowhere near you) because my local Vitas has inpatient floors at two local hospitals for periods of extreme pain. My family member has bone mets from their cancer and will most likely need this sort of support.

Here is a link to a search on this forum for comments left on Vitas. You might find them helpful. I have no personal experience.

https://www.agingcare.com/search?term=Vitas+

Here is a second link searching Vitas and Igloo. Igloo is a very knowledgeable contributor who I remembered in conjunction with Vitas.

https://www.agingcare.com/search?term=Vitas+igloo

If you get anything today above and beyond the current norm, you will be so lucky.

Hospice has unfortunately moved from a mission to provide peace and comfort to a mission to get Medicare funds.
They are the new darlings of the hedge funds. Personally, this has been heartbreaking for me, an old retired RN to witness. I had many friends who worked in Hospice when it was what it WAS.
Today you get 2-3 bedbaths from a CNA, one RN visit a week, a call from a social worker and a call from clergy. You DO still get good medical equipment. That and that magic blue Morphine bottle.

I wish you the very best of luck. Medicare pays enormous amounts of money to hospice agencies. They are now more for profit with dictated standards than not. Interview hospice as they interview you. Give them the opinion of an old RN and see what they have to say. If they can provide you more, you are doing well.

I did nursing before we ever got Hospice from across the pond in the UK. I know how people suffered before we got it. But it is sadly changed. I hope you have "one of the good ones" because they are still heard of. But mostly now one or the other agencies are "recommended" by docs, hospitals, and etc. Even by LTC facilities. What the "kickbacks" in that are, I cannot know; and perhaps in case of LTC they simply choose the best they can find and recommend.

I wish you good luck. I hope you get excellent, loving, comforting and professional care. My last experience with a dying friend was not good; The poor young Social Worker didn't have a clue at all. I may be a tad "bitter" about that care, but I remember such wonderful people, such wonderful care.

Look at reviews.
Interview more than one Hospice.
Hospice is like any other medical service. Do research.
If you find you are not happy with the people or the service you can easily transfer to another Hospice.