To be fair, when we first transferred my mom from hospice to Hillside Senior Living, it was clean, the residents were well cared for, the staff (Vicki & Shelly) were amazing, and the food was wonderful as was my mom's private room.
What changed our experience from positive, to unfortunate, to outright fraudulent was when my mother decided she no longer wanted to take her medication that were "keeping her in existence" (her words), had made peace with her life and wanted to be made comfortable and to let her go. Originally when we interviewed with the site, and spoke with the owner Nichole over the phone, we let them know this might happen and they said they understood and were able to support her. Even when the request was made, and we reviewed the situation with Hospice to pull together a plan, they were onboard. We stopped her meds and started the anti-anxiety meds in addition to the morphine she was already on WITHOUT changing the morphine amount. I was with her the whole time.
While predicted (as much as one can) that it would take 1-2 weeks most likely, my mother while physically still with us, had relaxed and only made any noise if you tried to move her due to physical discomfort. Hospice again returned to check on her, and while surprised how quickly my mom fell into this state, agreed with the family that while being fairly cognitive when this began, she and her body were ready to let go. I left the place with my sister being there with my mom, so I could take a shower and get a little rest before returning. Before I even made it home, the Hospice nurse was calling me to say there was a problem. Hillside Senior Living was no longer comfortable supporting my mother, and giving her the morphine and anti-anxiety meds and withholding her meds as they felt they were now assisting my mother in committing suicide. Yep, they felt my mom was intentionally ending her life earlier than they thought she should. As mentioned above, she had just been moved to them from hospice.
We chose to honor my mother's wishes, and we moved her back to hospice. She passed the day after we moved her back.
Nichole the owner escalated this situation to fraud, when my father said he wanted some of the monthly payment back because of the forced move. Nichole responded that she owed us nothing per the contract, citing a line that states that if a person has passed, even in the first month of being in their care, there were no refunds. Yet my mother was NOT in their care and was forced to be moved. Nichole's response to that was we did not "have to move her." It was the failure of Hospice as they were unable to provide a nurse to give my mother the morphine and anti-anxiety meds (every 4 hours), at their location. If they had provided one, it would not have been a problem. The contract does NOT mention the need of only giving what they consider to be offending medicine if outside groups, like Hospice can give it. Then it was, we could have simply left her there knowing her wishes would not be honored. So again our moving her was a choice not a failure on the part of her business.
Then the phone calls started trying work things through. She even offered to provide a good faith payment, which to my failure to think I would need to record the call, has now slipped from her mind. Even the $500 deposit, which her contract states is to be returned to us, has not be distributed more than 2 months later. I will only text with her, given her faulty memory, and she dissappered from that until I threated legal action back on 6/9/21. She texted she would send the deposit. It is now 6/21/21, and no check! We tried to work with them, we offered to negotiate on the good faith payment. Hell, back on 6/9 we said just send us the $500, so we can be done with this insanity. I can only guess Nichole has again disappeared in hopes were would also forget the $500.
Anyone who is looking for a place to care for their loved one can find better. One that will honor a patient's wishes, and then not run from you with your money in hand.
