A Lakeland hospice care service is facing licensing issues, and the loved ones of those who use their services hope to see those issues resolved soon.
Officials at Compassionate Care Hospice in Lakeland said they sent the proper paperwork to Agency for Health Care Administration but the state agency never received those documents. So now the company’s license is technically expired.
With the company’s license in jeopardy, many people who use the service are scared. Vic Lovallo’s wife, who has Alzheimer's disease and dementia, is one of those patients.
“I’m waiting to see what happens," he said. "In the meantime, she’s being covered by that other company."
Elaine Sullivan’s husband of 30 years is also a patient of the hospice care services. She said dealing with her husband’s terminal cancer is bad enough, so she wasn’t too thrilled to find out she may have to deal with yet another obstacle that may mean changing companies.
“I’m very, very upset," she said. "I would hate to think that we have to start all over and loose all these fine, good, caring people who have been wonderful to us."
In an emergency hearing this week attorneys for the Compassionate Care Hospice were given permission from a judge to keep their doors open while this is sorted out.
However, it could be another week before they learn the fate of their services. Until then people like Lovallo and Sullivan will have to consider other outside companies.
“It’s gonna take time and my wife don’t got that kind of time,” Lovallo said.
“They just need to sit down and think how helpful they are and how hard this is and to be established with these wonderful people, to have them yanked away from you is just crushing,” said Sullivan.
Compassionate Care hospice has locations all over the country. Their Polk County location is the only one affected by this incident. Attorneys for the company say they’re confident they’ll get this issue resolved quickly so they can continue providing services to their patients.
In a statement the Agency for Health Care Administration said, “It is disappointing the company allowed their license to expire. AHCA has offered any needed direction to pursue a change to the current law.