UNICARE Hospice - Austin

My grandmother has been using services with Unicare(UC) for about a year now. I am very involved in making sure that she is getting the services that she needs. Since we began with this company I encounter attitudes with the staff almost everytime I call. I hate having to call here so much that I asked the D.O.N Jaquline if I can just call her directly if we need anything and she agreed. Bec Shegan is impossible most times. The other girls start acting like her bec she is their mentor or something. My grandmother's Nurse Lola turned out to be great praise God. The nurse reported a supply request for pee pads, gloves & pull ups 2 weeks go and no supplies come. I then call which I absolutely dred and am told by destiny that, "yes the nurse let us know but we ask that the family call when refills are needed". I expressed that is not right, I have to work and their own nurse is reporting that her patient needs supplies, yet u want me to call each time? That's inconsiderate, inconvenient and just why? U want me to call while I'm working to reiterate what your nurse has been reporting to you? They try to give caregivers a hard time. It's not right. Halfway through the month I call again. Bec gramps is out of supplies. The nurse let me know yes she reported the supply request again and nothing came. I called UC Wednesday and this time destiny gives the phone to Shegan and Segan says that they only send my grandmother 50 bed pads for the month. What? My grandmother uses min 3 pads a day. 1 for bed, the couch and another for when she goes to the restroom and returns to sit on the couch. This should be limitless and ordered upon request by the attending nurse along w the gloves, disinfectant, pull ups and any supplies that they are able to provide. It's not right. I asked to speak with Jacqueline the d.o.n and no call back it's now Saturday morning that was Wednesday and gramps has been out of supplies for the past week. So I went and purchased some for her for next week. They provide a nurse to her weekly and a Chaplin that stops by every 3 months or so and she had a social worker for 2 months to assist w her signing up w provider services. I had already applied on my own though. I called back yesterday to ask to speak to someone else since Jacqueline who was so nice at one time and actually seemed to care about my grandmother and I's concerns, did not make an effort to call. I am now waiting to hear from Molly. This company is stressful for caregivers. Its All black woman that have attitudes it's overwhelming at times bec it's just me having to face this every single time. The previous lady Dominique began to be nice to me after a while but she left the company so now I have to deal with the other women there. I ask God for Grace and strength everytime single time I call. Jesus I just want peace and to not have to call, if the nurse can just communicate what gramps needs to UC and they send it, is all I'm asking. When I read the reviews, they can't be real. Absolutely not. Anyone can post a 5 sentence compliment. I truly believe that the actual Real families and customers are afraid to write reviews because they are currently getting services from unicare and their loved one is in a fragile condition and they dont want to risk making things hard with unicare. Things are already hard with them so I have to speak up. Things should not be run like this. We need a supply refill for my grandmother that's it and they have refused. This is an issue. She gets no aid services bec I canceled them and hired my own ppl bec the aids would go see her at 1pm saying that she had to wait bec they have other patients, which I understand but they should rotate times so that 1 patient is not always put off til the afternoon, meanwhile she's sitting in wet pee pants bec she can't get out of bed herself. The aids also never brought supplies. I would still have to call. Unicare is not easy. I will update my review if things get better.

My loved one was on their service for palliative care for a chronic condition. When we moved her into a skilled nursing facility, I was appalled. Her feet were so dry they looked like they were about to fall off. Her toenails were like talons and clearly had a fungus. At the time she was under their care, I was in the beginning stages of recovering from a total knee replacement and readmitted to hospital for 22 days and her son, my husband, works 4.5 hours away. I've read the 5-star reviews and the theme seems to be that they'll do anything and everything when family is hovering over them, but that isn't the case when nobody is watching. The true character of a person or company is what they do when nobody is watching. It is also important to note that I instructed Unicare to send her clinicals to the skilled nursing facility. I was questioned by Unicare as to why I was doing so - I said because we were in the process of moving her. I shouldn't have been questioned. They should've just complied. I am her DPOA. Then, after moving her, I get a call from Unicare requesting that I sign a recision of services would leave them able to bill for services to her while she was already in the skilled nursing facility. I instructed them to correct the dates and then eSigned the correct form. Today I received a call asking me to eSign the form I already signed. To me, that is disorganization. They may be good for hospice, but whatever you do, stay with your loved one if you expect them to do their job. Almost immediately after posting this review I received a call from the representative from Unicare who questioned my instruction to send clinicals to the skilled nursing facility. She wanted to speak about my review. The initial issue she wanted to discuss was the billing issue, not my concern regarding the actual care of my loved one. Next, she wanted to defend herself on the issue of her prying when asked to send clinicals. Once I pointed out to her that her concern for the condition of my loved one seemed not to be her priority, she then went on to say that an aide had documented her feet and that a consult request for a podiatrist was in process. She had no good answer why I, her son or the owner of the home had not been advised of the same and she had no real answer. She proceeded to tell me that the moisturizing of her feet was the responsibility of the home, not Unicare, to which I advised the home is not permitted to provide personal grooming as a matter of county law and that even with a consult request pending the CNA is responsible for the same. After being on the phone with her for 30 minutes, I explained that I needed to get going which she completely ignored and begin speaking again regarding her questioning my instruction to forward her clinicals. Ultimately, she tried to shift responsibility, tell me things regarding the roles and responsibilities of palliative care services vs. homes which, from experience, I knew to be false and then disrespected my time after I told her we would have to agree to disagree after giving her ample time to take responsibility. My initial review has not changed, but my opinion of Unicare has only gotten worse. I understand we are all people who make mistakes. It's how we deal with the mistakes that determine who we really are. Character is what you do when no one is looking. My loved one's feet tell the story of what happened when nobody one was looking.

I used these services for my father before he passed, and I can say that the staff made everything so easy and comforting for my father and my family. If you’re looking for great care for a loved one this is the place to use.