Avow Hospice, Inc., Naples FL

Human Resources: This review is for the HEALTH INFORMATION COORDINATOR position/department/leadership. The woman that is a supervisor in that department should NOT be in a leadership position. While she *does* her job, she does NOT embody leadership qualities. As someone who use to work there and alongside her I can tell you she’s sweet and I admire the length of time she’s been employed at Avow. However, she’s deeply insecure and does not posses the ability to instill confidence in her team. It’s almost as if she looks to her team (those beneath her) for confidence and compassion rather than the other way around. When I worked there I remember feeling as if she would not stand up for her team if needed. She would not be fair if put under the test. I also suspected for these subtle yet overlooked reasons, no one is going to last under her leadership. Interestingly since I’ve left a long time ago, I’ve seen an ad for a HIM coordinator come up every few months. Hmmm ….

The staff is the best. Kind, knowledgeable and always providing communication to the patient’s family.

My mother was in Avow for the past couple of days and was treated so well from all of the staff. They were a true blessing to us and made our sad and strenuous situation better. Our family appreciates the warmth, kindness and professionalism. I highly recommend Avow Hospice.

Such an incredible experience. My family and I will forever be thankful for all they did for my father while he was in his last days of life. True a blessing to have them in our community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We brought our father to Avow Hospice in Naples, FL. The facility is beautiful and the staff are kind, extremely compassionate, and highly competent for end of life care.

There was a desire on our dad’s part …. And ours …. For him to pass away at home. But it became clear to all of us that he needed the care and attention that Avow Hospice could provide in their facility.

For us, and more importantly our dad, this turned out to be the right decision.

With sadness I have to write this: I called Avow Hospice to care for my wife Margaret. We were given the choice of home hospice care or hospice care at their facility on Whippoorwill. We chose the home care hospice and were told they would manage Margaret’s pain and keep her comfortable in her home. The nurses and aides were all good. She was put on oral pain medication which was sufficient at first. As Margaret’s condition deteriorated she became constantly nauseous, vomiting and unable to keep down anything including her pain medicine. Avow then added a small dose fentanyl skin patch which did not help her much. I asked Avow to please increase the patch dosage and was told that it would have to be reviewed by Dr. Cynthia Nehrkorn and that would take some time. I pleaded with the nurse to give her intravenous pain medicine. I was told that they didn’t have a nurse available to come to do that and that they would move Margaret to their facility at Whippoorwill. It was obvious to me that this would only exaggerate her agony and she wouldn’t survive the move. I do believe that it was also obvious to the nurse present that Margaret was only hours away from death. So we were left alone as Margaret fought fiercely in severe pain and agony and died a few hours later. Avow Hospice has failed Margaret miserably and I live with this horrible memory

As a Caregiver, assisting a client for 4 months at home, she later wanted me near while she was passing, at Avow. She HAD wonderful care, with love and dignity! It was a beautiful place!

My husband, a Vietnam veteran, passed away at Avow hospice in Naples, Florida.he was treated with the respect a hero deserves. They had a flag at his door. His room was beautiful. The staff was awesome. His last moments on this earth were made peaceful and comfortable through this great organization I think you with all my heart.

Unfortunately our experience with AVOW, Naples Florida, has not been great. They accepted our Dad into hospice, he was not terminal nor had less than 6 months to live which according to them is the only way someone can be accepted into Hospice. Dr. Nehrkorn certified that he was terminal and stated "He is unlikely to survive 6 months. " (Dec. 7/22) We have been trying to speak with Cynthia Nehrkorn but she will not return my calls. Funny, they were extremely quick to reply on the front end when my Dad's wife called to get our Dad into hospice.
During the 3 months that he was in their care he requested a number of times that he no longer wanted nor needed to be in hospice but it was a struggle to get him out. Our Dad was finally released from AVOW, we are now 7 months out, our Dad returned to treatment and his curable cancer has been eradicated. Thankfully he is doing great.

After my experience with Avow this evening I will NEVER recommend Avow Hospice! My grandma met with a wonderful nurse Eileen (not sure of the correct spelling) to go over if hospice or palliative care would be a better option. After looking at my grandma she thought hospice would be better to offer comfort care so my grandma agreed to give them a try. Not even one week later my grandma passed away in hospice house! Nobody from Avow reached out to offer any sort of support I had to call them! I spoke with the social worker Allyson and gave her my information, my mom's information and my brothers information and my four year old daughters information I was told we can come to a grief support Monday at 5pm. Today my family showed up at 5pm at RITA over in the Lyons Center and did not greet us but immediately said my children cannot come in because they don't offer support for children WHEN I NEVER SAID THE SUPPORT WAS FOR MY DAUGHTER but the only family I have was with me to also get support so I told my mom and brother to go ahead I'll sit outside with my kids. The super sweet lady at the reception center said if I was okay with it that she would watch my daughter so I can join my family in getting grief support for the passing of my grandma. RITA again said well no where are your kids I said the lady is going to watch her so I can join she said I can't ask her staff to watch my kids AND I NEVER ASKED ANYONE to watch them she offered out of the kindness of her heart. RITA then said she all of a sudden didn't have my brothers name on her list so he can't get support. RITA has not one single compassion bone in her body. The way she spoke to us infront of people and denied us of grief support after just losing my grandma not even a week ago. RITA just doesn't know how much it took us ESPECIALLY my mom to even get in the car and go back to where we watched my grandma take her last breath, RITA doesn't know the extent of our grief and if we were going to go home to commit suicide because we can't bare the pain anymore and she denied us grief support. RITA was not nice, she did not have sympathy, she did not have compassion not one time. Maybe she stuck her nose up at us because I had my kids with me, or because we are brown skinned and my brother has tattoos and dreads. I am so disgusted and cannot believe how she treated us! In no way has hospice been there for us like they said they would be!

My dad was in Avow's hospice care. I have never encountered such kind, compassionate, and skilled people. Their tender care allowed my dad to live out his final days in dignity and comfort. My family is forever grateful.

This is a very quiet and well-run facility. The staff were wonderful, and efficient and undertook constant checks on my mother till she passed.

I cannot say enough good things about Avow Hospice. The understanding and warm-hearted nature of everyone we encountered made it so much easier for my family. We would like to thank; Michelle (social worker), Helen (chaplain), Michelle (RN), Willie (APRN) and especially Hector (RN). Hector is such a compassionate soul, he felt like part of the family. I would recommend Avow Hospice to anyone and everyone. My Mom was my best friend and I am so well pleased that she was in the care of these amazing people. Thank you, Tami Hughes

The team that cared for my mother at her memory care was wonderful. Patient, caring & loving. Even added musical fun & massage to her stay. Thank you.

My grandfather went on hospice on a Thursday and by Saturday he had passed. He was placed on Depakote two weeks prior. I had asked he be taken off of it. I worked with elderly people for many years and if they were placed on Depakote there was a chance of increased agitation amongst other side effects. We witnessed this with my grandfather. We asked that he be taken off the medication and have a medication adjustment. My mom called the nurse from hospice to stop by his Assisted Living. She asked if he could go in for a medication adjustment and if they could work with him. They said they could take him to the facility and work with his medication there and slowly take him off the Depakote. On Friday night he was taken and by Saturday night he was gone. We were told he was violent. I had been around my grandfather for 47 years! He’s never been violent. They knew him for 24 hours. They never tried adjusting his medication. Instead, basically medicated him “to relax him” and called it “terminal restlessness. ” They stated it wasn’t the Depakote. How do they know this for sure after knowing him for 24 hours? I would understand this if everything else was tried after taking him off the Depakote but nothing was done accept to medicate him to the point he would not wake up again. He died a week before Christmas. The last thing I told him on Friday was that I would take him shopping when I returned from work and he told me to be careful driving home. They can say they did everything by the book but for me what they did, in 24 hours, they medicated him so much “to relax him” his heart stopped. They did not give him a chance. They can respond with how they take the reviews seriously and all of their other legalities but it’s a little to late when your loved one is gone.

I would like to thanks nurse Mary Pagano for the care she gave to my husband Richard Murphy. She was very professional but at the same time very compassionate.

Some of the most caring people in the world work at Avow. Top pick for hospice care in Naples.

Needs better organization, entrance, coordination, it feels like you're at a abandoned building, hard to find help

The best place, people, and loving atmosphere.
Thank you for making our loved ones final days the best we could have hoped for.