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Check out Florida's own nursing home guide from the Agency for Health Care Administration. They have their own star-rating system and they also include a basic information guide for each home. We found this to be very helpful.
Hospice Review
Like many hospice families, we wish we had made the decision to let Dad enter hospice care even earlier than we finally did – it would’ve spared him considerable pain and suffering. It’s a sad and difficult decision to make because so many people, as we did, associate hospice care with surrendering to death. But the essence of hospice care is to concentrate on comfort and the quality of life. The focus is no longer on curative measures. Easing pain and suffering is the priority, while allowing nature to take its course.
There are many ways to receive hospice care. Most people decide to take that route at home, in comfortable surroundings, with their family at their side. But hospice care is also available at many hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities, or, of course, at a hospice house, which is where our dad was.
The hospice houses in the vicinity of The Villages are all wonderful. Clearly, a lot of money has been spent to make these houses welcoming and attractive. And the staff we met . . . well, you really need to have a special mentality to do this kind of work, and we were genuinely impressed with the people at these facilities. My sister Karen and I visited all of the houses listed below, and we think the three nicest ones are The Villages Hospice House, The Tuscany House and The Legacy House. We’ve provided all the salient details below.
The Villages Hospice House
601 Casa Bella (off highway 466)
The Villages, Florida 32162
352-343-1341
www.cornerstonehospice.org
Approximately 12 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
It is a beautiful facility – take the guided tour on their website, and you’ll see what we mean.
This hospice was our first choice when we were trying to find a place for our dad. The interior designer did a great job. The main living room is large, open and inviting, with comfortable furniture. The private rooms are elegantly appointed and each has its own private lanai. The chapel is beautiful, as is the outdoor landscaping, which offers a lovely and peaceful view. Beyond the attractive physical space, we were equally impressed with the people we met there, and it also happened to be close to our parents' home in The Villages.
Unfortunately, it was full, and our dad couldn’t get into this particular hospice. Our friend Betty, who was battling breast cancer, was at this hospice house in May 2009, and her family thought the place and the people were just great. Since dad’s passing, our mom has participated in grief counseling at this home, and although we had to push her to go, she ended up enjoying the program and the people. We smile when we hear her recommending the program to other friends in need.
The Tuscany House
17395 SE 109th Terrace Road
(located just off highway 441/27)
Summerfield, FL 34491
352-307-3417
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 4 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
When we were investigating hospices for our dad, Tuscany House was under renovation, and the rooms, at that time, were not so nice. But now The Tuscany House is a beautiful place. You can take a guided virtual tour and see for yourself.
The are 24 private rooms, also some suites. As you can see from the tour, this is gorgeous both inside and out. We love Italy, so it’s no surprise we love the decor here.
The Legacy House
9505 SW 110th Street
Ocala, FL 34481
352-291-5100
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 37 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
Another beautifully decorated hospice home. The main room is large and welcoming with beautiful living room furniture. All 24 of the private rooms are very nice. It is quiet and elegant, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Though you can't take a virtual tour, you can see pictures and tell that this is a lovely place, at the same site as above – they are part of the same company. The Legacy House is located in out a wooded area, and the outdoor space is also well done.
Sylvia's House
2895 SE 62nd Street
(just off highway 441/27)
Ocala, FL 34480
352-629-1313
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 22 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
Sylvia's House is where our dad was. It’s warm and homey – indeed, when you walk in, you feel like you just walked into someone's house. You enter a living room with a couch and chairs with a lanai off to the side, and a nice adjoining dining room. It’s small, but a very pleasant atmosphere and personal space, with 8 private rooms. It’s a nice hospice, though not as luxurious as the three houses mentioned above, which is probably why Sylvia’s website has no tour or photos.
Estelle's House
2897 SE 62nd Street
(just off highway 441/27 and next to Sylvia's House)
Ocala, FL 34480
352-629-4556
www.hospiceofmarion.com
There are many ways to receive hospice care. Most people decide to take that route at home, in comfortable surroundings, with their family at their side. But hospice care is also available at many hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities, or, of course, at a hospice house, which is where our dad was.
The hospice houses in the vicinity of The Villages are all wonderful. Clearly, a lot of money has been spent to make these houses welcoming and attractive. And the staff we met . . . well, you really need to have a special mentality to do this kind of work, and we were genuinely impressed with the people at these facilities. My sister Karen and I visited all of the houses listed below, and we think the three nicest ones are The Villages Hospice House, The Tuscany House and The Legacy House. We’ve provided all the salient details below.
The Villages Hospice House
601 Casa Bella (off highway 466)
The Villages, Florida 32162
352-343-1341
www.cornerstonehospice.org
Approximately 12 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
It is a beautiful facility – take the guided tour on their website, and you’ll see what we mean.
This hospice was our first choice when we were trying to find a place for our dad. The interior designer did a great job. The main living room is large, open and inviting, with comfortable furniture. The private rooms are elegantly appointed and each has its own private lanai. The chapel is beautiful, as is the outdoor landscaping, which offers a lovely and peaceful view. Beyond the attractive physical space, we were equally impressed with the people we met there, and it also happened to be close to our parents' home in The Villages.
Unfortunately, it was full, and our dad couldn’t get into this particular hospice. Our friend Betty, who was battling breast cancer, was at this hospice house in May 2009, and her family thought the place and the people were just great. Since dad’s passing, our mom has participated in grief counseling at this home, and although we had to push her to go, she ended up enjoying the program and the people. We smile when we hear her recommending the program to other friends in need.
The Tuscany House
17395 SE 109th Terrace Road
(located just off highway 441/27)
Summerfield, FL 34491
352-307-3417
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 4 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
When we were investigating hospices for our dad, Tuscany House was under renovation, and the rooms, at that time, were not so nice. But now The Tuscany House is a beautiful place. You can take a guided virtual tour and see for yourself.
The are 24 private rooms, also some suites. As you can see from the tour, this is gorgeous both inside and out. We love Italy, so it’s no surprise we love the decor here.
The Legacy House
9505 SW 110th Street
Ocala, FL 34481
352-291-5100
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 37 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
Another beautifully decorated hospice home. The main room is large and welcoming with beautiful living room furniture. All 24 of the private rooms are very nice. It is quiet and elegant, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Though you can't take a virtual tour, you can see pictures and tell that this is a lovely place, at the same site as above – they are part of the same company. The Legacy House is located in out a wooded area, and the outdoor space is also well done.
Sylvia's House
2895 SE 62nd Street
(just off highway 441/27)
Ocala, FL 34480
352-629-1313
www.hospiceofmarion.com
Approximately 22 minutes from Spanish Springs Square in The Villages.
Sylvia's House is where our dad was. It’s warm and homey – indeed, when you walk in, you feel like you just walked into someone's house. You enter a living room with a couch and chairs with a lanai off to the side, and a nice adjoining dining room. It’s small, but a very pleasant atmosphere and personal space, with 8 private rooms. It’s a nice hospice, though not as luxurious as the three houses mentioned above, which is probably why Sylvia’s website has no tour or photos.
Estelle's House
2897 SE 62nd Street
(just off highway 441/27 and next to Sylvia's House)
Ocala, FL 34480
352-629-4556
www.hospiceofmarion.com
There are 8 private rooms. This house is right next to Sylvia's House. Again, there are no pictures for this house on the website, probably because it doesn't hold up next to the top 3 hospice houses mentioned above. Estelle's House was okay. Certainly not one of our favorites. We haven't visited Estelle's House in a long while – we'll go back and report on rumored renovations.
All of the hospice houses mentioned here accept Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance, and HMOs. If your parent is not on any type of insurance plan, then the rate will be based on ability to pay.
If you're not sure whether or not it's time for hospice, then try answering the questions in the Hospice of Marion County Self Assessment Quiz.
An aside: I'm personally grateful to Dr. Segismundo "Picky" Pares, who was the Senior Medical Director for the Hospices of Marion County (the four hospices immediately listed above). One of my dad's doctors at Monroe Hospital in Ocala, arranged for me to meet with Dr. Pares, because we were struggling with our decision about dad’s entering hospice care. We just weren't quite there yet, emotionally. Dr. Pares patiently helped me work through all the fears of our family. He was very kind. I needed someone to convincingly tell me that Dad was dying, and prolonging his life, in the hospital or anywhere else, was just giving him more days of suffering. I needed to hear that all the signs showed that he couldn't get well. Indeed, when we our family finally made the decision to talk to our dad about hospice, he seemed relieved. Dr. Pares' warmth, knowledge and compassion helped us all make the transition.
Thank you, Dr. Pares.
All of the hospice houses mentioned here accept Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance, and HMOs. If your parent is not on any type of insurance plan, then the rate will be based on ability to pay.
If you're not sure whether or not it's time for hospice, then try answering the questions in the Hospice of Marion County Self Assessment Quiz.
An aside: I'm personally grateful to Dr. Segismundo "Picky" Pares, who was the Senior Medical Director for the Hospices of Marion County (the four hospices immediately listed above). One of my dad's doctors at Monroe Hospital in Ocala, arranged for me to meet with Dr. Pares, because we were struggling with our decision about dad’s entering hospice care. We just weren't quite there yet, emotionally. Dr. Pares patiently helped me work through all the fears of our family. He was very kind. I needed someone to convincingly tell me that Dad was dying, and prolonging his life, in the hospital or anywhere else, was just giving him more days of suffering. I needed to hear that all the signs showed that he couldn't get well. Indeed, when we our family finally made the decision to talk to our dad about hospice, he seemed relieved. Dr. Pares' warmth, knowledge and compassion helped us all make the transition.
Thank you, Dr. Pares.
Is your parent's medication not working? Call the doctor. Don't improvise a solution.
