Hospice Austin

If I could give zero stars, I would. If you're looking for a hospice provider that will honor your loved one's final wishes, I cannot recommend this one based on my family's experience. Avoid the heartbreak by avoiding this place. Although my father passed away nearly three years ago, this experience has stayed with me. Shortly after his passing, I contacted the hospice to express my concerns. I was simply told they would speak with the last nurse who "cared" for my father so that it "wouldn't happen again." That response did little to address what our family went through. From the very beginning, my father made it clear that his wish was to spend his final days and pass away at home. This was communicated repeatedly to both the hospital staff and the hospice team. Despite knowing his wishes, there were constant delays throughout the process. Paperwork for my family member's FMLA leave was delayed, even though she was traveling from out of state to be with him. The delivery of the medical equipment needed to bring my father home was also delayed. One of the first hospice representatives who came to the hospital told me I would have to pay for staff to come to our home to care for and bathe my father. When I called the office to confirm, I was told those services were covered, but that staff would only be available two or three days a week. Knowing that, I immediately began making arrangements with members of my father's church congregation, who generously volunteered to help care for him everyday so that he could be surrounded by people he knew and in the comfort of his own home. That opportunity—to spend his final days at home, surrounded by people who loved him—was taken away from both my father and our family. One conversation with the hospice nurse has stayed with me ever since. She told us, verbatim, that if my father made it through the difficult moments ahead, she would like to see him recover at Christopher's House. Hearing that was heartbreaking because my father had already made his wishes clear—he wanted to go home. Despite knowing that, it felt as though decisions were being made that did not reflect what he wanted. The last thing my father ever said to me before he passed was that I had lied to him about taking him home. I didn't lie to him. I fully intended to honor his wishes, but because of the delays and the way his care was handled, I was never given the chance. That is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My father never got the opportunity to spend his final moments at home, surrounded by the people he loved. That is something our family can never get back. No family should have to fight to have their loved one's final wishes respected during such a difficult and emotional time. Again, based on my family's experience, I would encourage others to avoid the heartbreak by avoiding this place.

Care takers and nurses have no idea what they are doing. We had an over night caretaker who sat on her phone and slept the whole time. She had no idea how to do common things like change my mom (which is what she was hired for). Our nurse was 3 hours late when we told him it was an emergency. We were told he was prescribing medicine as soon as he left, it took him 5 hours to prescribe medicine needed asap. My mother died in excruciating pain because of this nurses unwillingness to do a common task. Do not recommend.

Terrible place for my Dad to pass away, I was not allowed to give my blessing to my Dad when I rushed to the Chrisopher House after receiving a phone call that my Dad passed away. My mom and I had pre-arranged a blessing service for my Dad's passing. The social worker at the Christopher house promised that we would have a few hours of chanting and blessing right after my Dad's last breath. We received a call about my Dad's passing and we rushed to the Austin Hospice Christopher house. When we arrived, we were stopped by the security and forbided to view my Dad's body. The hospice directed the funeral home to send the body away as soon as possible. We stoped the transport at the lobby before it was loaded to the van form the funeral home. Out the compassion of the transporter of the funeral home, We were allowed to say good bye to my Dad for one minute despite the protest from the staff at the Hopice. The promise and arrangement of the blessing based our faith were not honored by the staff. They operator out of quick turn over despite of claiming as a non-descrimination organization.

Hospice Austin and Christopher House were an absolute godsend and salve to a very difficult time. We interviewed multiple hospices and decided on Hospice Austin. They came highly recommended from MD Anderson and we had multiple comments along the way - from our medical equipment delivery people down to our cremation company - who all said they are the best to work with. Our nurse, Katie, was so incredibly kind and gentle. Whenever we needed anything - at any hour - we would be responded to quickly. We used Christopher House as a transition point when my mother left MD Anderson and then in her final hours as we needed a medication change. We also appreciated that Christopher House doesn't feel clinical and they have many kind volunteers throughout the day. Hospice Austin has checked in with us along the way and post my mother's passing, always ensuring we had every ounce of support they could give. The doctor signed off on her death paperwork right away, which allowed us to remove one stressor off of our plates - apparently, not all doctors/facilities are so swift. If you are in need of hospice for a loved one, you can't go wrong here. We wanted a hospice that had a facility if needed, and that was the right choice for us.

Hospice Austin’s Christopher House cared for my Mother in April 2024. All the staff including Doctors, nurses, and volunteers provided excellent care. My sisters and I could not have asked for a better place or group of people to have taken care of our Mother and us during this very difficult time. If you or your family is in a situation that your loved one needs hospice I would recommend Hospice Austin’s Christopher House. You would never be able to find a better place.