Coming Home Hospice Residence

I always thought it would be a terrible thing to have to die anywhere other than one’s own bed in one’s own home, but Coming Home Hospice took excellent care of my dying mother-​in-​law (a nurse of 50 years herself, who had high standards, having known ALL about the industry from inside and out). The staff was incredibly attentive and kind, and my mother-​in-​law was kept as comfortable as was humanly possible, under the circumstances. She was kept clean and was checked in with frequently, whether or not she rang her buzzer. The staff was very kind to all of us, her motley crew of friends and family. The dying process is an awful thing. Based on our experience, though, I would feel confident in referring a loved one to Coming Home Hospice.

Sadly my father passed away on 5^th January, 2015.
Hospice staff, as usual, did what they could to keep him comfortable until the end. My family and I will always be grateful for their caring for him. We were not there when he passed unfortunately. The nurse on duty was understanding of our bewildered sorrow. In all honesty, it’s these people who need to get credit not the person who is director. It’s the nurses and the aides who do all of the care and the work and most importantly show compassion and empathy towards the families.
So the only thing-​and it is really shocking to note this-​that we were terribly disappointed with is that my dad’s death seemed to be business as usual, that my father was just a commodity to the director. I realize it’s a hospice, but at least it would have been nice to have gotten a message of condolence from the director, Rich Nasca. What was more tragic (to us, his family, anyway) is that it was shocking we saw my father the day before and he was sleeping peacefully; a little over twenty-​four hours later my father was dead and after receiving morphine. So a bit of empathy and sympathy would have been appreciated I would think! Nothing. Ever been in this situation? Well, I hope not. It is not a nice feeling. My father was not staying in the hospice gratis either; my mother paid for his upkeep. So I have no idea why from the start we, his family members, were somehow discriminated against. My mother even filled out the survey he sent to her; she was not critical to him nor staff at all. One fact though: The survey needs to be returned to his attention. Not sure how this is a fair rating system, but that’s how it was in our experience.
Update on 1÷26÷15: My mother called the director to ask about a refund on pro rated charges for my father’s care that was prepaid. Unbelievably (and this is the reason for the deduction in stars) the director never even extended sympathy to my mother, was very cold. I am shocked and disappointed and so is my mother. From the outstart, we realized he was never expressive with us. I had called to ask for information initially, and I came away bewildered as I felt as though I was intruding. Yet I needed information because no one in my family had ever entered hospice care before. I did not feel welcome by Rich but put it away to reticence/​shyness. Well, shyness was not the cause I know now. Certain things are making sense. On our first appointment he was ill, but he never even called to let us know so we showed up at the hospice to be surprised that he was not there; the duty nurse had to give us a tour instead. We realized that was very unprofessional and downright rude, but we never complained. Thus, I am wondering why other reviewers say he was so friendly with them.
In fact, let me just mention for the record as I did not want to say it before, the old guy who answers the door on weekdays was always unfriendly and cold to my family and myself. Another person who others reviewed as being so kindly yet not to us.
Ironically regarding my father’s funeral service two family members had asked if instead of flowers we had any charity to donate to. And we suggested either the Alzheimer’s Association or Coming Home Hospice. Thankfully one local family member had decided to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, and the other family member (from the UK) we told them to just donate to the Alzheimer’s Society of the UK because after the way we’ve been treated I would not recommend donating to this hospice as it’s being run by someone like this.
Yes. I am beyond shocked as to why the director would not even be humane to my mother in her still existing grief. Every single business establishment that she/​we had to relate that my father died has extended sympathies. Even total strangers (e.g. His health ins. co. reps. being told he won’t be needing a policy again, the bank reps. to delete his name from joint accts., everyone except for…) Very, very poor behavior especially coming from a place like a hospice. Wrong business they are in if they cannot even show a bit of compassion and understanding to ALL people!

I write this review with sadness for my dearest departed friend and gratitude for the staff at Coming Home Hospice. In his final days when it became impossible for him to stay at home, he was immediately accepted without fuss into a clean and comfortable room. My sincere appreciation goes to the staff, especially Tina, Vince and Rich — these people possess special qualities in providing hospice and palliative care, in addition to making loved ones and visitors feel so welcome and comfortable. I thank you for taking good care of my friend.

This will probably be the most somber review I ever write, and certainly one of the most grateful. I am absolutely awestruck with gratitude for Rich Nasca and the wonderful staff at Coming Home Hospice, who cared for my 90-​year-​old neighbor in her last weeks. She had no money, no physically close family — and when it became clear that she was dying and could not remain where she was, all of the options available looked terrible. Coming Home provided not only a positive alternative and outcome, but a nearly miraculous one.
Coming Home Hospice accepted my neighbor as a charity case, although there were certainly no shortcuts in the care they took of her. She was kept clean and comfortable, and the nurses were patient and sweet to her even when she was far from at her best. The staff was compassion, kindness, and practicality incarnate. They were honest, they were caring, they were direct and specific. They were also almost absurdly adaptable and obliging. They allowed me to visit at the only bizarre hours my work schedule would accommodate, and to bring my cat to visit my neighbor, which gave her great comfort. The facility is clean, spare, and beautiful, and the residents treated with immense respect and dignity. I hope your lives and the lives of your loved ones are such that you never need to visit Coming Home Hospice, but, if the circumstances necessitate it, I can imagine few nicer places to die.

I am so glad I took my mother to the Coming Home Hospice. I have tremendous respect for the employees there and I greatly appreciate the exceptional care that they gave her. It was quite clear that taking care of people is a passion, and is not just a job for the employees at the Coming Home Hospice. My mother was given good food, compassionate care and was kept clean and comfortable for the last two weeks of her life. I highly recommend this hospice for families who are dealing with the loss of a relative. Knowing that your loved one is well taken care of and comfortable at the end of their life is priceless, and the hospice isn’t even expensive.

All the staff at Coming Home Hospice was so kind and compassionate with my friend John R. I was his caretaker for the last four years of his life. We were both so lucky to have been referred to Coming Home Hospice. He had lived a long life of 96 years. His spirit was bright and yet in the last six months of his life, his heart and lungs began to fail. He was in alot of pain and he told me was ready to pass. They provided him with a safe and comfortable place to made his final transition with grace and dignity. I will miss him and he will be fondly remembered. Thank you all for your touch of gentle kindness that you gave to John in his last days.

This facility is associated with California-​Pacific Hospital (Sutter Group). If something goes wrong, one has little recourse for justice due to the politics of big corporations and municipal interests. And something went very, very wrong with Leah Forsmann. As Mother’s Day approaches, Sylvie Forsmann relates the tragic events at Coming Home Hospice in which a hospice nurse murdered Sylvie’s mother using toxic medications. Sylvie was in the room but at first did not realize what was happening. When she became suspicious and asked the nurse to stop administering medication, it was too late.
This is documented in last year’s special report on Insider Edition:

My father recently passed away at Coming Home Hospice. I can’t thank the staff enough for taking great care of him and for helping us during this very difficult time. Everyone made us feel at home and gave us support when we felt overwhelmed. The staff is so compassionate, caring, kind, and thoughtful. They all manage to keep smiles on their faces and hold your hand when you need them to, from the front of the house to the back of the house. If you have a loved one who is near the end of his or her life, I would highly recommend this hospice. They will be in great hands.

After my grandmother passed away, we were left with a mountain of medical supplies. Mainly, a ton of adult diapers in different sizes, and a bunch of un-​used tonics and pastes meant to stop skin breakdown.
My family was about to throw it all away, but I knew I should take it home to the city and try to give it away.
Lucky for me, Coming Home Hospice is right around the corner from my home in the Castro.
I called, and a nice older fellow named James invited me to come over right away with my donations.
When I arrived, several staffers came out to my car to fetch bags of stuff.
Richard Nasca came down to speak with me for 15 minutes about my career (Registered Nurse), my family, the Hospice, etc. What a nice gentleman.
He gave me his card, and I realized that he was the program director.
I got a very good impression of this place… and was touched that the director would come speak to me just for delivering a truckload of adult diapers.
Thank goodness for places like this. I will certainly stay in touch and volunteer.

We brought our mom here when she was very ill. It took a while to decide where exactly we wanted to send her, since we wanted her to be comfortable and cared for. We ended up choosing Coming Home Hospice and don’t regret our decision. I don’t mean to give this place 4 stars, if anything I would give them 4.5.
I took off .5 since some of the CNA’s seemed a bit rude when we asked them to do something for our mom. Also, before she had passed we had told the nurses to specifically notify us when they think she was going to die since we wanted to be there by her side. Unfortunately whoever was on the shift that night either forgot or didn’t see the note and didn’t inform until after our mother had passed.
Aside from the above statement, everyone else was very nice and compassionate. My mother was taken care of, she always looked clean and never had an odor (trust me, she used to look filthy before she came here). I used to always clean my mom at the old facility she stayed at, but at Coming Home Hospice, I didn’t have to do that anymore. Julie the Head Nurse is awesome. Most of the CNA’s were really nice and friendly, constantly checking on us, offering us refreshments and bringing us chairs when we needed it. They even allowed you to do some of the cleaning if you preferred to They have their own kitchen and chef, the food there is pretty decent. It’s also located in the Castro, so there’s a lot of other places you can shop at for food.
The inside may look old and not as nice as more modern Hospice locations, but what mattered to us was the care that was being provided. The care and team here at Coming Home Hospice is excellent and I would choose that over looks any day.

I didn’t think this year could be any more sadden but my Mom’s dad (grandpa) passed away today at 1pm. I have now lost two grandparents in one year and have only one left. My grandfather fell on his birthday on Oct. 12 and was put into general hospital for a wk and then was transferred here to Coming Home Hospice. The nurses and staff were once again very helpful and kind to my grandfather. They took really good care of him and in the end when he passed Julie, one of the nurses was with him. I am thankful that he went peacefully and the mourning process will begin again. I love you grandpa
RIP Eugene Chu 10÷12÷22 −11÷18÷09

Of all the reviews I’ve written, this one has to be the most painful.
I went to Coming Home to see a dear friend who is dying which is what you do at a hospice.
My friend had been at California Pacific Medical Center when he received the terminal diagnosis with a much shorter time frame for living than expected. Dying is a hospital, no matter how good it is, is unpleasant. Best if you can to die at home, but if that’s not possible, then I’d want to die at Coming Home.
As the name suggests, it feels like a home. Considering that it was a convent many years ago, it was a home for nuns, and fittingly, is now a temporary home for those who can’t die at home. The rooms are small, but have been painted to be inviting and calm. My friend’s room has clouds and other «landscaping» that makes it feel larger than it is. There’s a bulletin board so you can post pictures, cards, etc. for the resident to see during their stay.
I arrived before dinner. The aide saw me and brought a tray for me as well. Dinner was surprisingly tasty. My friend and I both ate all the entrée and dessert. If you’re dying, why not have great tasting food? Eating may be one of the few pleasures left.
The staff I interacted with were pleasant and helpful. I also found it helpful to call ahead to check on the status of my friend so I’d know if it was a good time to visit. You have to ring the bell to be admitted, but someone comes pretty quickly.
Coming Home is in the Castro so parking is a challenge.

Yesterday, I visited a friend here. I felt horribly sad and even scared coming in. I walked out still feeling sad, but peaceful and with a new sense of understanding.
As soon as I walked in I was greeted by a woman with a bright, welcoming smile, she had me sign in and directed me to my friend’s room. His room was cozy and bright, with lots of light coming in through the window. The walls are painted a pretty blue, and there was a tree outside in full bloom. We sat and talked and I felt comfortable and calm there.
My friend told me to get some lunch downstairs, that the food was really good. It looked great, so I went down and the cook said to wait while he prepared my soup (that’s what I really wanted, it smelled awesome). There was a donation jar where they say visitors are welcome to order something to eat, but to please donate $ 3. I donated $ 10.
I spoke with another visitor who was there to see her daughter who was admitted 4 days before, only 49 years old. We cried and talked while I waited. She was very sweet and it felt good to connect with someone.
I ate with my friend upstairs and the soup was great, obviously made with a great deal of care. He then told me to check out the living room down the hall. The architecture in that room feels like a big, warm hug — tall ceilings, with light streaming in through stained glass windows. The furniture you’ll see was donated by Sharon Stone, apparently… lots of big cushy couches and chairs and lounges, and there’s even a piano.
This is a beautiful place. The thing that struck me most was the sense of peace that washed over me during my visit there. The peace and tranquility I felt partly came from my conversation with my friend, which was filled with honesty, sadness, and even humor. But I also know that the people, the architecture, and the service provided contributed greatly to what could have been a much harder visit.
Thank you to the brave, kind people who work there and who contribute their money and time to this extraordinary and special place.

As part of my clinical work as a student I just got to experience working at Coming Home Hospice. I can say that working with the staff and getting to know the patients and their daily routine was one of the best things I have ever done. Coming home is such a peaceful and warm facility with a hard-​working staff that offers outstanding and loving care to their patients. Everyone there has a such a positive caring attitude as if it were their own family members who have come to the end of their lives. The kitchen personnel does an amazing job serving delicious home-​cooked meals! The facility is immaculate — without the sterile feel you get in hospital. Flowers and plants decorate the patients rooms, wooden furniture inside and on the patio add to the warmth of the house and beautiful peaceful wall paintings along with curtains and colorful blankets and sheets add to the home-​like atmosphere. During the time that I have worked there, I could truly feel and say that the caretakers at Coming Home Hospice really care about the patients and treated them with utmost respect and dignity! I was very nice to learn that dying does not have to be scary… What a wonderful experience!

I just put on a fund raiser to help this place, before we started out we toured and met the staff and wow! A place where people come at the end of their lives should be comforting and positive and they do an amazing job. The staff works harder than anybody I have ever met to ease the stress of the patients and their families.
Dying should not be this awful experience that we all dread. They help you understand that it is part of life and we need to embrace and respect the process.