AMBERCARE HOME HEALTH

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Hugh Wolfe

Two strikes, you’re out… About a year ago my wife was referred by her medical provider for in home nursing care and physical therapy through Ambercare. During that time we became increasingly aware of the fact that Ambercare as a company wasn’t run very well. It’s a very disconnected company with seemingly no one person in charge of scheduling, similar to a company keeping multiple sets of financial books, no one really knows who’s going where when… We would initially received a call from one person who set an appointment only to have someone else show up but at a different time. This happened with all of the Ambercare techs who are apparently setting their own appointments but rarely would they arrive when scheduled. We finally ended the service as we could not deal with one hour notices that someone would be showing up, but then didn’t. We have lives as well and need a bit more notice than “I’ve got some time now, so I’m coming out”… Fast forward a year and again my wife was referred to Ambercare via a different medical provider for in home nursing care, physical therapy and occupational therapy. So we called Ambercare to arrange for these three in home services, not once, not twice, but three times before nurse Deshawn came to our home although that was her one and only visit. We explained the clusterf&#@ that had occurred previously and she assured us that she was the manager now and things had changed from the way they were a year ago… Ok, let’s see how this goes in round two as it sounded like improvements had been made. Like any good story you sometimes have to read between the lines to get the full picture. Nurse Catherine who replaced nurse Deshawn scheduled herself the following few weeks and arrived on time as promised. She was understanding of the medical condition my wife was in and acted appropriately, even wanting to extend my wife’s services when we’d received notice that she was being let go as a patient as everything was good which was far from the truth. She promised to get back to us on the situation but never did… Jigger who did physical therapy made his own appointments and always gave us plenty of advance notices no problems with his services… The person who was supposed to do the occupational therapy hadn’t called to make any appointment so I called once, twice, three times to Ambercare’s office before someone called to make an appointment but it was conflicting with something else on our schedule so it didn’t happen. Several weeks later he called again with about an hours notice of wanting to come to the house which wouldn’t work and then proceeded to tell us that unless we had an appointment that day the insurance wouldn’t pay and that was the last we ever heard from him… Bottom line is this, Ambercare is run like a “cottage industry”. No one entity seems to be in charge of scheduling thus as a patient you are at the mercy of whoever Ambercare assigns to your case to follow up on their appointments. Needless to say some people are better than others when it comes to work ethics… Would we recommend Ambercare for in home services. Not on your life, there is room for a new company to come to the area and do a better job. I will be contacting both of my wife’s providers, Memorial Medical Hospital Las Cruces and UNM Hospital Albuquerque to report on the poor treatment Ambercare provides.

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Earl Williams

It's Friday night pre-holiday. My nurse left here today worried about the condition of my wound. She (DiShean) called the primary care providers and convinced them that this wound was a real problem. She called us tonight to say a new prescription had been called and was now ready. I am just overwhelmed with gratitude.

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Al P

Had a friend who was with Amber care had bad experience with one of the caregiver throwing personal belongings away. My friend went to the office and talked to the staff about the situation. Staff is not doing anything about the situation.My friend talk to lady named Juanita and my friend told me she didn't do anything to help out problem. My friend told me that they even talked to the director and said that caregiver is not going back to help the clients. My friend also told me that they kept the caregiver and assigned her somewhere else. Me and my friend are like what the heck is going on with this situation amber care is awful. How can the agency do this to my friend. My friend also told me that the caregiver went to the office crying to a lady named Juanita saying the caregiver was upset with my friend because she felt like she was not doing her job pretty . Common sense why would she throw personal belongings in a bag like clothes and food that was still good in a bag for garbage to get picked up. Juanita the office staff fell for the caregiver stupidity of throw my friend clothes away. My friend even brought it to my attention that Juanita is not very professional. My friend told me that they even spoke to the director and the director told my friend that they kept the caregiver and assigned her to some one else. AMBER care is so awful how they treat the clients my friend and I don't know how they can get away with this. My friend now sees how they treat the clients who does this amber care does this kind of behavior to keep a caregiver that throw personal belongings away . Juanita is not friendly at all. They are just a joke all sround they should be ashamed of themselves for not being a good company advertising sounds good but not. Been told that they have caregiver wanting to work no office staff calls back hey say that they care about the clients and caregiver well me and my friend sees that they don't Amber care is awful company. My friend also told me that they had a caregiver working with him and took the caregiver away and has had no help for 2 weeks now. Has been struggling ever since then ambercare does not know what they are doing. They are just a joke how can you treat someone who needs help like this. Two office staff at front are very nice and friendly.

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U M

We had an absolutely terrible experience with their hospice. My father was admitted in extreme pain and they did not Have the nurses available to provide crisis care. They did not see a social worker the entire time. The nurse kept pushing their spiritual care advisor on the family even though we told them we had our own pastor. They counted the leftover medication’s right in front of the entire family within an hour of my father’s death. I would stay far away from this hospice. They have no idea what they’re doing and are understaffed. I will definitely be filing a complaint with Medicare regarding the care my father received.

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Michael Hainer

Assisting a friend discharged late from the hospital - that evening received call for a home health visit the next morning. The nurse was very helpful and reassuring. The Hospice team was chosen, and the nurse came the same day after hours on Friday evening. Received calls, visits and follow up from social services, nursing and care assistants. While we had realistic expectations, our experience is positive, and each Ambercare team member assisting is genuinely appreciated! Even the Hospice Director called to help with some details. Thank you team Ambercare for always putting the interests of my good friend first!! Philippians 2:3,4