Healthcare in the villages
 

My husband and I moved to the Villages 2 years ago and love it. Unfortunately my husband became gravely Ill one month after we moved. This is an actual response after reading talk of the Villages this morning about the woman going to Villages Regional Hospital and sitting on a gurny in the ER hallway all night. This is not just the flu causing this horrendous service at the Villages regional. My husband has been rushed by ambulance or we walked in and every time he was taken in the back only to be put in an Er room to sit there 17 hours to overnight. If this isn’t bad enough no one ever comes in and tells u the status or what’s going on. My husband has since passed away in November with never being able to enjoy his passion, golf.

It got so bad when my husbands doctor advised me to take him to emergency I refused. We’ve had so many bad experiences in the Villages ER I felt I’d rather have him die at home in comfort then in a cold ER room on a rack of a gurney.

This issue HAS to be addressed. We need to stop building additional communities in the land that is purchased and start building more hospitals. AND SOONER NIT LATER.

I worked in the medical industry for 10 years and my husband for 30 and I have yet to see such atrocious health care as we have in the Villages.

Gail I am so sorry for your loss..As a retired Nurse practitioner I totally agree!

So sorry for your loss. Hoping things get easier for you in time.

I was in the emergency room last month waiting for a bed in Critical Care for several hours. I was in a small room with monitors on me for vital signs. I disagree with your assessment.

I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the sadness you are feeling.

It seems to me that a large community of seniors inevitably requires a lot of medical services, much moreso than younger people enjoying their prime years of health. At my present age of 76 having quality hospitals and physicians nearby I consider a must have even though for now I feel healthy and require no medication.

In my midthirties I was hospitalized for pneumonia and am grateful I lived near a hospital that could take me right into a room, no waiting at all. My physician put me on five intravenous antibiotics immediately as they had no time to obtain lab results before starting them. I was in hospital five days. After I got out my physician, a personal friend and a very bright guy, (he was a grandson of Dr. Goddard, the rocket scientist) told me he did not know if I was going to make it. I am so thankful they could act so quickly!

Although it might be pleasant to live say in a rural part of a Hawaiian island as some close friends do I hear about their primitive medical facilities and say thanks but no thanks.

Whether one can quickly obtain high quality medical assistance can be a life or death matter, especially for seniors IMO.

Was this before they put in your pacemaker or afterward when you had to return because the surgeon punctured your lung putting in the pacemaker?

It is wonderful that you had a good experience but that does not mean everyone else does also. My husband was lucky also as there were still ER rooms available but while he was there that changed and there were people in the hallway on gurneys waiting for one of these rooms.

I agree. We need more hospitals. I also had a bad experience with my husband's illness and on top of that he was mis diagnosed. He died a year ago. I am so sorry for your loss.

I preferred my room in the ER. Unfortuately, I was only in it for a couple of hours before being taken upstairs. I had a tv, they brought me dinner, and I was kept informed about what was going on. I can understand people being upset about waiting in a hallway on a gurney, but if you got an ER room, thy're basically the same as the room upstairs but PRIVATE! Not sure why everyone is in such a hurry to get to a semi-private room.
Also, the state has to approve a new hospital so you can't blame that one on the developer.

I think you have discovered the real issue. We live in a very rural area that happens to house a concentration of people in their heavy medical utilization years. We have the need but lack the highly skilled medical specialists and teaching hospitals you would find in larger cites. People need to understand before moving here that complex medical problems and emergencies will require travel outside the area.

Well said. We continue to take Daughter Helene to Cincinnati for monitoring of her congenital heart defect.

Excellent explanation. Those considering moving anywhere need to do due diligence and carefully evaluate risks. Quality and availability of healthcare is one of those risks. No place is perfect but to avoid disappointment, one should know what to expect before taking the plunge.

Don't get me wrong; I'm a big fan of the developer, he created a fabulous retirement community.
However I think the developer has a huge influence on what happens in our area as far as the state of Florida is concerned.

:agree:

Look at the incredible pace of megadevelopment in spite of possible future water issues and the golf cart bridges and tunnels.

Moffitt leaves The Villages hospital, replaced by Florida Cancer Specialists - Orlando Sentinel

I agree......when we lived in PA we had great medical facilities but we were so close to major cities and those facilities had major financial investors. I have told many, that if HC is critical to you maybe you should consider someplace else. Not saying it is bad here, just that there are better places in this Country. I'm not sure how they can fix the ER issues this time of the year....making the investment for peaks in the winter is probably not a good business decision. Finally, I would love to see them change the name of hospital, too many people here believe it is affiliated with The Villages

I must disagree with you. I grew up in Boston, know the outstanding medical facilities in most of our major cities, and ran two very large teaching hospital systems in addition to two large private systems. And I still moved here, despite having a couple of chronic medical conditions.

Perfectly acceptable care is readily available here in TV for most issues. If you have a more serious problem, there are 5 Level 1 trauma systems in FL, high level transplant programs, etc., etc., etc. Within a two hour drive almost anything you can imagine can be provided. And one of a handful of NIH approved national Comprehensive Cancer Centers is available in Tampa - the Moffett Cancer Center.

It really puts me off when people who don’t have a clue about medicine or health care recommend someone consider someplace else for a home - because of a perceived lack of health care resources.

Do your homework and stop giving advice when you really don’t know have all the facts at hand.


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Listening to an expert, you have enlightened me. [emoji1303]


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Alot of the issue is that they are under-staffed. I was recently in the hospital (it was scheduled). The care was very good BUT the staff is stretched. "POWERS THAT BE" who are in the suits and make the decisions need to help the employees who have a true calling feel that they are valued. I wonder if that happens!?! Also, rather than one nurse, one CNA on each wing during a shift should at least be doubled. I've heard the "well it thins out after 'high season' so it would be hard to justify! Well we've grown and the busy-ness of the hospital has shown that as well. I for one, am thankful we do have a hospital but it's my opinion they need to do more to keep up. A new hospital would help....but I wonder if that would truly help. I chatted with a health-care professional and they agreed with me but also said this is becoming a national thing and is throughout the whole health industry and not just here. ONE way to possibly put "feet on this issue" is to write the folks who run the health organization as well as the county and state officials instead of the complaining on social media. I know once I'm up and around from my experience there, I will be doing something like that!!

For the lady who lost her husband, I'm so very, very sorry for your loss! My words ring hollow to what you're going through.

Well stated!!!!

Thank you. I am very happy to hear this. I know the ER issue is a nationwide one and that they need to continue to look for a way to make it more efficient but all in all the care we have received has been fine.

Well said. The Boston Area is well known as the pinnacle of medical excellence in this country and possibly the world. It is comforting to hear you say this.

Smart and caring!:angel:

I was in the emergency room last month waiting for a bed in Critical Care for several hours. I was in a small room with monitors on me for vital signs. I disagree with your assessment.

I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot imagine the sadness you are feeling.
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Great post dbussone and thank you. I'm from the Boston area and all my doctors were at the Beth Israel. It's one of many great hospitals in Boston, but have you ever been in a major teaching hospital ER? Well I have and be assured it is like nothing you have ever seen before, other than what you see on a television reality show. People being brought in every second, gun shots, drug overdoses, heart attacks, people in labor - the noise is unbelievable, it is a nightmare. I've also been in the ER in The Village hospital, the care was excellent and I am grateful to have this hospital right here, as dbussone said - if you cannot get help here we are within acceptable reach of several excellent medical facilities.

Could It Be?
 

You are right in many ways.

Healthcare here in The Villages is not a one way street. After personally witnessing some of the abuse, yes abuse, dished out to nurses and their techs and many other staff members, could it just possibly be part of the reason for the shortages? Who can blame them for not wanting to work here. With today's communication, they too, can read what is being written here and in other venues. I just wonder (and doubt it) if Ocala, Gainesville, or the bigger cities in FL would put up with it.

Years ago (many), I had the unfortunate experience of having to share a room with just such a person. Apparently, the staff had had it up to their eyeballs. So had I. Her doctor came in and told her something that I will never forget: "This is a hospital. It is not a five-star hotel. We are all here to help you to get well. Now, if you want the luxuries of such a hotel, then I will dismiss you from my care and you can go there. Otherwise, you will settle down and let us get you well and out of here. What is it going to be?" She then became a very pleasant patient and roommate.

Excellent post! If you are in need of critical services that our hospital cannot provide, they will stabilize you to the point that you can be safely transported elsewhere.

gail so sorry for your loss. my husband passed away in 2017. he went by ambulance to leesburg hospital. went from er to overflow areas 1,2,3,4 etc. no medical care. finally put in room(but not admitted to hospital). test & visits by doctors were scheduled but after waiting 8 hours for test & doctor visits htwere cancelled due to overcrowding. this happened over & over. my husband's condition steadily declined.

I had a terrible experience. I was taken by ambulance and the driver was told the only hospital excepting patients was TV, Leesburg and Ocala were not. They brought me in and they would not accept me and told the EMT. The EMT is not allowed to leave until the ER accepts you. I lay there on the ambulance gurney for hours and the EMT was forced too stay. My Bp was decreasing and my pulse was up to 200. The EMT are not allowed to administer any medications in the ER and the ER would not accept me and administer anything. Finally the EMT gave me something in my IV against ER rules. My wife said there was 4 ambulances waiting outside.

WHY didn't "they accept" you. I was brought in with no identification, no insurance cards, nothing, and they treated me.

Where one goes with a medical condition can matter. Many of you probably heard about the Canadian couple getting hookworm in the Dominican Republic. According to the news release the Canadian health system would not provide them the drug they needed (ivermectin) so they had to get it in the United States. Couple contract hookworms while on vacation in Dominican Republic

There are a couple of things that bother me about Gracie's experience. The first is that a surgeon nicked her lung (reported by GG to be a rare occurrence), and the second that she had to wait several hours to get into a critical care section. I am obviously very glad that she is okay, but a week stay in the hospital seems like it could have been avoided by better surgical care. And having to wait for a critical care bed with a punctured lung, well... I just don't know.

I'm not a doctor. Maybe db or GE have an answer to my concerns.

:agree:

GG spent a long time in hospital!

NO NO NO. I came in with a very slow heartbeat not a punctured lung. They gave me two doses of atropine in the ambulance and my heart rate kept dropping. I was in a small room in emergency, just like a hospital room but smaller, NOT an alcove with curtains but a room and I had all vital signs monitored and constant supervision. I was given a huge room in about six hours and 48 hours later after they (several cardiologists from the group I use) had carefully confirmed the exact problem with the electricity of my heart a pacemaker was inserted into my chest and the surgeon used a port in my front chest wall that had been there for chemo for the cancer I had ten years ago. He used it to access my heart and attach the electrodes. I am curved all wrong in my back and chest area because of my increasing scoliosis and he removed scar tissue from my port, an expected occurance as the chemo burns the tissue.. Two things most people don't have when they have a pacemaker inserted. The pneumo thorax occurred a few hours after the pacemaker was inserted and a BOARD CERTIFIED pulmonologist was called and he inserted a chest tube to release the air and allow my lung to reinflate. I was observed then for several days to be sure my lung was stable and my vital signs were no longer dangerous.

I was cared for and had the pacemaker implanted by BOARD CERTIFIED CARDIOLOGISTS that are ON CALL to the hospital, not part of their staff, actually they are those I have seen before I was admitted as my cardiologists and by our BOARD CERTIFIED primary care physician and by amazing nurses, most with quite a history working at the hospital. They were excellent and treated me as if I were a family member.

There are actually people on this forum who defend going to a doctor who is not board certified. Those are the ones you should be second guessing.

I was questioning the fact that your lung got nicked. Glad you are okay.

Thank you. I am sure that the surgeon didn't want it to happen. I certainly didn't want it to happen. I did have the healed port opening in my front chest close to where the Pacemaker was inserted and I also have scoliosis and I cannot lie flat. Those are things I think. Not excuses given by the doctor. The pulmonary physician came in and inserted the chest tube on Christmas day.

I had the Director of Nursing as my Critical Care nurse on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Her name is Ree, she made me a milkshake and gave me cookies that were not on my "diet" but I wasn't eating. A nurse named Kathy who has been at The Hospital since it opened (16 years) is one of the finest human beings I have ever met. I have met some super heros and heroines. I am very lucky and blessed.

I'm sorry that the surgeon "nicked" the lung Gracie. I think folks think that surgeries go truly smoothly all of the time. BUT think of it folks, we sign those papers for a reason. There are risks with ALL surgeries and I believe Gracie said early in this dialogue that this was one that she was made aware of and she knew it. I concur with her that the care in TVRH is excellent....been there, done that on a few levels. UNLESS people are truly "in the know" with how medical procedures go then don't be an "armchair coach" please. My recent surgery was potentionally a life-threatening one (or at least what it was addressing was) but I'm quite sure my surgeon, the nurses and ALL the folks who are following up on me have been very good in what they do and I'm "just" a lay-person/patient. You'd think by reading many of the comments on social media that the medical folks here are all hacks. Read their credentials, their training, the schools they went to...I always do my due diligence with my care-providers.

Wow! I had no idea you had such critical health issues, so so glad that you are back to normal. You are a very very special lady that we all love. :bigbow:

Funny, when your real estate agent goes on and on, about the wonderful first class healthcare facilities minutes away away from your new home...Never have to relocate to a hospital many hours away, it's all right here in The Villages!!

The thing is one needs to deal with a medical emergency no matter where one finds oneself when it occurs.

A woman of my acquaintance was an international flight attendant. Her need for GBM brain surgery arose while she was overnighting in China. Airline people look after their own. Another airline flew her to Australia for assistance ASAP. She then was flown back to the USA for her successful surgery, radiation and chemo treatments at a world class facility. She has survived over five years now which is amazing since median life expectancy is about 16 months. GBM is what killed Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden's son. John McCain is dealing with it now.

I developed a terrible sinus/ear infection in Greece on a cruise. The doctor on the boat gave me just what I needed for about 30 euros: an antibiotic and an antihistamine which saw me through. I was able to fly on to Italy for the next two weeks of my trip although I experienced the most painful earache of my life during landing in Rome.

No person selling homes here has to embroider anything. We have had four homes go up for sale in our Village of 54 homes in the last three weeks. Three are pending.

When we bought our first home here, we waited a half an hour too long. Poof. Gone.