Caring For A Loved One's Last Days: Jane's Story

Even a difficult decision can result in peaceful outcomes. It's not easy to consider hospice care for a loved one.

Hospice recognizes dying as a natural process that neither hastens nor postpones death. With Franciscan Health, hospice exists in the belief that loving care will help patients and families remain in control of their lives. It can emotionally and spiritually prepare one for death when curative treatment is no longer possible.

Still, Indianapolis resident Jane Jankowski and her husband, David Banner, experienced what a calm and caring hospice house can bring to a person preparing to rest peacefully.

See what you can expect from the Franciscan Hospice House in Indianapolis and how it can keep families close after a difficult decision.

'The Outpour Of Support Was Extraordinary'

Jane Jankowski lived in the Indianapolis area for about the last 20 years.

"I met my husband shortly after I moved to Indianapolis," Jankowski said. "David Benner was a lifelong Indianapolis area resident who was very well known in his community."

Jankowski explained that David was known as a sports writer for the Indianapolis Star and later for the Indiana Pacers.

"The outpour of support for David before and at the time of his death was extraordinary," Jankowski said. "In 2021, still undergoing treatment, David decided that he would retire the following year, and with his job, the Indiana Pacers graciously allowed him to have what we called his farewell tour, and he traveled from city to city that whole year kind of saying goodbye to people."

Jankowski explained that the toll of the treatments and the cancer started to affect David. Toward the end of the year, they had a series of setbacks that ultimately put him in the hospital in mid-January.

'We Decided That Moving To The Franciscan Hospice House Was Best'

"After a period of time with David's family's help, we decided that moving to the Franciscan Hospice House was best," Jankowski said. "I think one of the best things for us is that David had many friends and colleagues, and I knew that a lot of them would want to see him in his last days."

Jankowski explained that the central location of the Hospice House was very convenient for loved ones to visit David.

"I was a little bit worried at the beginning that the staff would think that we were running some sort of visitation clinic because there were so many people who came to visit him," Jankowski said. "David being at the Franciscan Hospice House gave people the freedom to know they could come into a facility instead of feeling like they were bothering us at home. I know that that was a great help to David in his last days."

'I Wave At The Franciscan Hospice House Every Time I Drive By'

Jankowski's family experience with David at the Franciscan Hospice House was calm and quiet.

"I can't say enough about the staff and the selfless nature of the staff who work at the facility, in making you feel comfortable, in understanding what your needs are," Jankowski said. "It's a very confusing time. You do not know exactly what the path forward is going to be. Still, I found that the advice and counsel that the staff at the facility provided was spot on in terms of how this was going to work."

Staff provide around-the-clock care at the Franciscan Hospice House, including physicians, skilled nurses, certified hospice aides, social workers, counselors, chaplains and volunteers. The hospice staff takes a team approach to providing families with physical, spiritual, social, and emotional support.

The Franciscan Hospice House also includes pet, music and massage therapy, which can provide loving comfort and an engaging environment for patients and their families. Franciscan Bereavement Care begins with admission and extends its full supportive service to the hospice patient's family at no cost.

"Many of the people who came to see David had no idea that this facility existed," Jankowski said. "It's a wonderful resource for this entire community. I wave at the Franciscan Hospice House every time I drive by on I-65 and I know that some of David's friends tell me the same thing."

"I feel that if the best decision for a family member is not to be at home, I could think of no other facility that I would recommend for an individual to spend their last days than the Franciscan Hospice House," Jankowski said.