LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Las Vegas Valley’s only non-profit hospice is among many facilities urging families to thoroughly research their choice of hospice care, after doctors see a rise in patients seeking transfers after suffering from neglect or poor care somewhere else.
FOX5 told you how numerous doctors called for tougher hospice care standards across Nevada, as Assembly Bill 161 progresses through the Legislature.
Nathan Adelson Hospice tells FOX5, from 2022 to 2024 alone, the non-profit took in more than 150 transfers from other facilities across the Las Vegas Valley.
The rise coincides with another trend: more than 250 new facilities opening up across the Las Vegas Valley, as other neighboring states enact tougher regulations.
Transfers of these vulnerable patients from one facility to another are rare, and doctors seek to avoid such measures; the surge alarmed the non-profit organization.
“We started inquiring with the families and the patients. Why are you calling us? Why are you transferring? We started to see an actual trend in people saying that they just weren’t receiving good care,” said Karen Rubel, president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice.
The non-profit documented cases of bedsores, fever and bleeding among transfers — or even families who didn’t know their loved ones were in hospice.
“It’s important to be your own advocate or have a loved one be your advocate,“ Rubel said.
The non-profit created a website, ChoosingHospice.org, to help families navigate the process and ask the right questions.
Some advice:
- Make sure the hospice is state-licensed. (you can find licensed facilities in Nevada at findahealthfacility.nv.gov)
- Search for Medicare-certified facilities. (Doctors say those facilities must meet high standards and face greater scrutiny)
- Ask plenty of questions about care and communication. (How often will a nurse visit? When loved ones call for a checkup, who will answer?)
- If you have concerns, report it to the state.
The Nevada Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance reported, from fiscal year 2020 to 2024, 107 complaints and 18 violations (violations occur after an investigation is launched; the agency may mandate a correction and compliance, first, before a violation is issued).
Healthcare advocates tell lawmakers, they worry that complaints are underreported.
“If you feel or you see something that you had a question about or wonder why this is happening: people are not answering their phone, or ‘I haven’t seen a nurse,’ or ‘I didn’t know my loved one was on hospice,’ call the state and file a complaint,” Rubel said.
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