Vision Viejo Hospice & Palliative - Mission Viejo, California

Erin S.

Our family shall always be grateful for the compassion and care given by Vision Viejo Hospice and Palliative to my mother during her last two weeks with us. I’ve dealt with a few different hospice companies for other family members and Vision Viejo is clearly one of the best. The staff presented themselves with professionalism and knowledge. I felt Gemma especially showed extreme compassion. One stress of mine was finding a special home for mom’s beloved cat Bonnie. Gemma felt that stress and mentioned it to others therefore leading us to a most loving home for Bonnie. Gemma was easy to talk with and always sensitive to my concerns. I felt so thankful to have Vision Viejo by our side during this very difficult time in our lives.

Bill S.

The Vision Viejo Hospice team walked alongside my Mom and I during her last 8 months of this life. Gemma and her team, along with volunteers and Chaplain Jim, supported and cared for my Mom in some of the smallest, but most meaningful ways.

This team provided a kind of adopted family that would support us through this process. Compassionate, knowledgeable, empathetic and authentic. This team; Susie who bathed my Mom twice a week. This was Mom's highlight and she always enjoyed talking with Susie! After bathing, Susie would make Mom her coffee, (not in her job description, but she did it just to help). Michelle, was the main Nurse, she would keep her finger on the pulse of how my Mom was doing physically, pun intended. Always understanding and patient and helping identify next steps. Chaplain Jim, he was the spiritual leader. From day one, my Mom cried the minute he started asking her questions. He helped her process her pain, fears, regrets and joys. She was always calmer after speaking with Jim. Gemma the leader of the team. She was managing the team to make sure everything was taken care of. The midnight phone call asking for a bandaid or some other urgent, but not urgent matter, calmly making sure Mom was cared for. LOL, Honestly, Gemma has a skillset that is perfectly aligned for this work. Gemma was my soundingboard, helping me understand where Mom was in this process. Her guidance and knowledge was invaluable. Michael a volunteer with the heart of a Saint. He just came by to talk, and Mom loved that.

In reflection, I think about the importance of how the family care takers spend those last months, weeks, days or minutes with our loved one. The Vision Viejo Hospice team enabled and allowed me to spend my time focusing on Mom rather than being consumed with some logistical matter.
This was invaluable and no price can be placed on this.

This Vision Viejo Hospice team is amazing and I cannot give them as many stars as the deserve! Now with my Mom in Heaven, with our Lord and Savior, Jesus I am certain that Mom smiles at the gift Gemma and her team gave to us in the end!!

Sincerely,

Bill Sanderson

Bill V.

There aren’t enough stars or superlatives to describe the loving care that Gemma and the awesome staff provided for my Dad during his final passage. I know my Dad wanted more than anything to stay in his home and pass quickly and quietly and that is what happened. While I was not able to be there in the final days, Gemma was wonderful in communicating important details as well as being so thoughtful and caring throughout. I know the staff also gave incredible care to make the final days as comfortable as possible and provided such amazing support to my Dad and his wife down to his last breath. Responsive, compassionate, respectful, genuine, professional with a deep caring heart. I am deeply grateful Gemma and her team!

Jeff G.

I am so grateful for Gemma and Vision Viejo Hospice. We had the opportunity of working with them off and on for several years and Gemma was always so responsive and helpful - The last 6 months especially. She was always easily reachable and was even able to help me find a wonderful place to move my mother when the situation at home became too much. The nurses, especially Olena and Michelle, were so knowledgeable, helpful to us and good with my mom. So very pleased we found them when it was time to turn to hospice care.
I’ll be Forever thankful for them making such a stressful and difficult time so much better.
Dana Graff

Erin F.

The assistance of Vision Viejo Hospice & Palliative care is the reason I was able to stand strong beside my mom in her last few months of life. Simply put, their could be no greater representation of understanding, support, and/or expertise than Gemma Benson.

Shanda S. M.

Unfortunately, I cannot give Vision Viejo Hospice a positive review. I was attracted to this Hospice due to the high references I read online, and was quite pleased with them at the start of their visits. In my experience, however, to offer proper care, there need be an adequate number of staff members to handle things properly. If illness (Covid, in this case) among the staff were to occur, then there is a big problem being able to handle all the patients needs.

In our case, my 98 year old father declined over 41 days, and was seen 2 times per week by medical personnel, and 3 visits per week by a bather. (In my previous hospice scenario, hospice increased their visits as my husband’s health deteriorated.)

With my father, he was seen by no one for a medical visit during his last 6 days of life. I do not believe that Vision Viejo has any more staff than two part time LPN’s, and one RN. The LPN mentioned on her last medical visit that we should now be using some of the items hospice provides in the “Comfort Package”, for my father’s comfort. When we questioned her about this and asked her why we did not have this, she said she would call the RN and have it delivered to us. It took two days before it was received, without any real instruction on the usage of the Lorazepam or Morphine.

The last Thursday of my father’s life, I needed information from the RN, regarding my father’s deterioration and medicine usage of the “Comfort Package”. My father had become delusional and was nervously fidgeting, being unable sleep for hours, most of that day. The caregiver suggested that we could use the Lorazepam to calm him, but the dosage we administered was too low and had no real effect. I contacted the RN who sounded shocked when I told her (incorrectly) that we had used 2.5 ml when it was actually .25 ml that was used, and a higher dose of the Lorazepam was then suggested by her. We were very surprised that she never again called to check if things had been successful, or if there was anything else that we could or should do for him.

We were very pleased and felt lucky that we had 24 hour caregivers. They were very knowledgeable, and were always there to give my father the care he required, even when the Hospice team was unable to call or visit due to their personal illness. Otherwise, I am not certain what we would have done.

I cannot honestly recommend Vision Viejo, at all, for the reasons I detailed. We felt we had been abandoned by them in my father's final few days of life. I have had great success and comfort from Hospice in the past, and just hope that you will be most cautious in your questioning and selecting of a Hospice team for your loved one.

Bob J.

Really outstanding and caring. My 95 year old dad and his wife lived alone in their home. They resisted any outside help. After some discussion we contacted Gemma at Vision Viejo Hospice. Once the Hospice Team got involved we were all very excited about the extra help. It really made all the difference. Gemma and her Team became part of the family. As my dad progressed through to his final days, the genuine care and kindness and expertise added so much comfort. I always felt our communication was excellent. We are forever grateful. Thank you.

Katya K.

Our experience with Vision Viejo has been truly incredible, and we could not recommend them more highly. They really swooped in and saved the day in the eleventh hour, when we needed them most.

My father was declining rapidly and we needed hospice to come on board asap. Gemma was so responsive and got us care immediately. That love, care, and responsiveness continued until the very end, and we are so grateful. Gemma and her entire team were so lovely with us, so kind and gentle with my father, they always answered every question, helped advocate for my dad in the facility he was in, and constantly made sure we understood what was going on and that we were getting the support we needed through an incredibly difficult time. They even made the impossible happen and got us permission to bring our cat in to say goodbye to my dad one last time. They are miracle workers!

If you are looking for a hospice with people who are absolute angels on earth, and who are passionate about the work that they do, Vision Viejo is the right place.