1 /5 Patricia Hittner OConnell: Montage Health appears to be the parent company of the hospital based in Monterey, as well as the affiliated hospice. Because of this association, healthcare for elderly patients appears to be compromised. This is the review I wrote for Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. My Dad was hospitalized there on August 28, 2023 for a kidney infection. He was then pushed into hospice, which has been disastrous. Here is my Google review for CHOMP: "This hospital has an affiliated hospice, which, quite frankly, is a conflict of interest. Be careful if your loved one is elderly. As your loved one is recovering, and getting ready for discharge, hospice will descend. Or at least thats our experience. The hospital/hospice tried to recruit my Dad three years ago. He was hospitalized after a fall. Fortunately a family member was able to fend them off. Dad returned home, became ambulatory and enjoyed a decent quality of life. I hate to think of what would have happened if we had agreed to hospice back then. Recently, we werent so lucky. Dad was hospitalized again late last summer with a kidney infection. Despite his age he made a remarkable recovery with antibiotics. But instead of helping him get back on his feet, the hospital allowed its affiliated hospice to do what it does best: Recruit vulnerable patients. Hospice has been disastrous. Going on hospice means plans are being made for your impending death. (We were told Dad was going to die soon.) Thats why nothing is done to rehabilitate you. Dont expect physical therapy. Dont expect anyone to care if you ever leave your bed again. Dont expect anyone to do anything other than prepare for your death. In fact, within a week of being on hospice the nurse passed along a message to a family member that Dad would probably die within a "few days." However, this made no sense. Dad had just rallied, responding very well to antibiotics. He was alert and talking in the hospital. Why was he suddenly sleeping all the time now? I called the nurse and begged her to consider that he could have another UTI. Everyone with a passing knowledge of geriatrics knows that urinary infections in the elderly can cause a wide range of symptoms, and can even mimic impending death. Plus Dad had just been hospitalized for a kidney infection. However, the hospice nurse was dismissive when I called her on September 14, 2023. At that time, she would not agree to culture his urine. No one took my concerns seriously, until Dad began urinating blood. Finally his urine was cultured. He began showing signs of another possible UTI in late October/early November. Once again, no treatment until he began to urinate blood. Ive reached out to hospice, begging them to please do something proactively, to prevent these repeated infections. All I want is decent care for my Dad. He deserves it. Ive reached out to the CHOMP compliance department with various complaints about hospice. (No response.) Ive reached out to Medicare to try to get help. Medicare was wonderful, going so far as to call hospice on my behalf. My Dad is a strong man. He is a US Army veteran. He survived two tours in Vietnam. He also survived cancer twice, including a recurrence of the original cancer. But I fear he wont survive hospice and its lousy care. (Dad would be off of hospice if it were up to me but its not.)"
