Heartland Hospice

My loved one began hospice care less than a week ago. Rather than waiting until this is all over to write a review, I’m documenting the experience in real time—the good and the bad—while we continue using Heartland Hospice. I’ll also be sharing this with other local locations, because I find it hard to believe the issues we’ve encountered are unique to just one branch. So far, the people we’ve dealt with—the case manager, the primary nurse, the dispatcher, and the on-call nurse (barely)—have been… fine. Not exceptional. Not reassuring. Just fine. He’s scheduled for nursing visits every other day. The first visit went smoothly enough, except they refused to change his wound dressings because they didn’t have the right supplies. These aren’t new wounds. The case manager knew about them. A supply box had been sent, but instead of gauze and proper leg wrappings, it contained two small square bandages. That level of disorganization was frustrating, but since the wounds are healing, we let it go. Then the next scheduled visit came. And went. Yes, it was snowing. But ensuring staff can reach patients in need isn’t optional—it’s the company’s responsibility. We called the “triage” line three separate times before someone finally arrived, about five hours after our first call. And then came the worst part: the on-call nurse didn’t know how to operate the machine that administers his medication. He left without resolving anything. We were left sitting there, hoping there would be enough medication to last through the night. There wasn’t. Thankfully, he can go a few hours without it. That’s where we are—less than a week in. Update — One Month Later I had hoped to update this review more frequently, but dying is hard, and this hospice has not made it any easier. Let's start with the good. The nurse who visits my loved one is pleasant enough, though he is always rushed. I suspect that says more about his caseload than his character. The social worker has been genuinely lovely and has spent hours talking with my loved one — she has been a bright spot. (I'll note: I'm not entirely sure whether she's employed by Heartland or through the county or state of Virginia. Either way, her efforts have stood out precisely because so little else has.) That's about it for the good. When my loved one was first admitted, the case manager made it sound straightforward: supplies would be provided, medications would be refilled, requests would be handled promptly. That turned out to be a promise that has not been kept. My loved one has had to repeatedly request basic supplies — gloves, body wipes, bandages — that should have arrived without him having to ask. Then there are the medications. On the day of admission, the case manager told us clearly that my loved one would be weaned off his IV drip and transitioned to an equivalent oral medication. Three weeks later, that plan quietly disappeared. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she may not have had full information. But if you don't know, don't promise. We had been holding onto that hope. Now he has no cardiac medication at all. On the diuretic: I was already surprised to learn we were expected to manage refills through his regular doctor — that's not how hospice was presented to us. But the larger issue is what happened after a month of use. My loved one began noticing it losing efficacy. Both the nurse and the hospice physician have treated this as a minor concern. It is not. This hospice's stated purpose is to keep him comfortable. Letting his legs fill with fluid is the opposite of that. There is more, but I'm reaching the limit of how long Google reviews can be. Please look at the photos that I will add that continue this review. This review continues with the photo that starts "Finally, physical therapy...".

My dad was placed on hospice around the 15th of December 2025 because he had dementia and his mobility was very low, his eating had rapidly declined and he was losing weight. I contacted Nicole with Heartland Hospice and she immediately went into action to get my dad seen for an evaluation. She also gave me some recommendations for private care that could help me with my dad. She was phenomenal and because of her that made my decision to go with Heartland easy from the very beginning. The nurse who evaluated my dad for hospice was very kind and very thorough. She made it clear what items hospice could provide as well as the services they would provide and the items were delivered the next day. They were able to provide a hospital bed, a wheelchair, gloves, wipes, cleanser for his body, and diapers. The items were such a blessing especially the hospital bed because he could not get out of a regular bed. Diana was our social worker assigned to us and she was able to meet with us to explain things further and she went over any questions we had. If I had questions I could even text her and she was incredibly helpful. Diana has a way of easing your mind and she has an incredibly kind heart! You could tell she really cared for us and what we were going through. The nurses aid that came (her name was Z-sorry that is her nickname and I am not sure what it was short for) would bathe my dad and change him and she was very good with him and very patient. She would explain what she was doing and she was very hands on and just got the job done and got it done well so my dad didn't have a lot of pain when she had to move him. The nurse we were assigned was Katie. Katie was great! She was able to get us several prescriptions for medication they said we might need later and I was thankful we had the medicine because my dad rapidly declined on the 19th of December. Katie helped get us anything we would need whether it be a bedpan or order more supplies. My dad went from being checked on 3 times a week to daily. Every time she came she explained the changes she was seeing in my dad and what to expect going forward. She was great to us and to my dad and I am really glad we had her! Anytime I had to call Heartland to ask a question and spoke to the nurse line they were kind and considerate. They would walk me through dosing and it was incredible. Even when I had to call to tell them when my dad passed they were so sweet! My dad passed on 12/23/25 two days before Christmas. That was so tough but because we had the team we did the process we went through was easier. I am thankful for the support and kindness we were all given from Heartland Hospice and I highly recommend them for your loved one.

As an Executive Director of a Memory Care community, I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is for families to choose the right hospice partner for their loved ones. End-of-life care is deeply personal, and the hospice team becomes an extension of both the family and the care staff. Heartland Hospice has consistently demonstrated compassion, professionalism, and responsiveness in every interaction. Nurse David is truly exceptional — knowledgeable, attentive, and deeply compassionate. He supports not only the resident but also the family and care team with patience, clarity, and genuine empathy during some of the most difficult moments families face. The entire Heartland Hospice team, across all departments, works collaboratively and responds quickly to resident needs. Their communication is clear, their support is consistent, and families frequently express gratitude for the comfort and dignity their loved ones receive. Our families routinely share positive feedback about their experiences, which speaks volumes about the level of care provided. I highly recommend Heartland Hospice to any family navigating hospice care. Their team brings comfort, dignity, and peace of mind when it matters most

My mom was in hospice for seven months. It was not easy to get my mom in hospice care as she didn’t have insurance coverage but with the help of Kathleen Brady we were able to. She is an incredible person and very caring. Kathleen checked on my mom often and even came to visit on her birthday with a gift. I want to take the time to thank everyone at Heartland Hospice - Fairfax. My mom’s nurse, Emmanuel, nurse-aid Christiana, Bishop, social worker and everyone that helped my mom during her last months of her life! No place is perfect. You are not going to find a hospice care company that doesn’t have internal problems or with the staff. Most of those problems are out of their control. But to us what was important was the care and love that they gave to my mom. They were always available and willing to help not matter the time. They were patient with my mom and made her feel love, comfortable and safe! Thank you and God Bless you all! 🙏💕

If you want an aide to treat your mom with dignity and compassion, look for another hospice provider. The nurses are fine but apparently overworked and understaffed. Rarely does the same nurse show up two weeks in a row. Sometimes you might get a great nurse but then not see them for weeks. Lots of promises made but no delivery. Why is it so hard for a human being to treat another human with dignity and respect? I’m sorry if your job sucks and you are underpaid and overworked but would you treat your own mother this way? Perfunctory care at best.