Spreading care and compassion through hospice
Hospice is a concept of caring, a program for providing comfort, compassion, and support to individuals and families coping with a life-ending illness. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare nurses, social workers, and chaplains provide a variety of hospice services in our hospitals and in patients’ homes. Specially trained volunteers, however, are another key component of our hospice program, sharing an open heart and a willing spirit with individuals who welcome both.
Jean Kolo is a Wheaton Franciscan Hospice volunteer who visits patients living their last months, weeks, or days. She offers an arm to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, and a smile to take heart in, bringing humor and insight to patients and their families. Jean is particularly attuned to the needs of patients’ loved ones, as she became a volunteer after her husband spent his final days with Wheaton Franciscan Hospice in 2005.