Jane’s Gift – Because…Comfort at Home Matters.

Sharing stories is a way we use to connect with others. For Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice the stories of individuals and families we care for become a part of our story and is used to help others learn about us and the care we provide.

It is an honor to meet with families following the death of their loved one and hear about the passions, life experiences and even the times of adversity their loved one had. Thank you to all the families who share their story with us and in turn with others. It sustains us!

Today, I share with you the story of a woman who was in our hospice care in the comfort of her home and provided us with a wonderful gift.

Jane Kraemer, a resident of Manitowoc, passed away on June 9, 2019. She was 86 years old. It is what she and her family did in the months prior that begins this story.

In March 2019 Mark and Kathy Kraemer, Jane’s son and daughter-in-law, recognized that the frequent emergency room and clinic visits, confusion with medications and potentially declining quality of life was not a path that they wanted Jane to have. Kathy said, “I told Mark that it was time to consider hospice because they were going to have the answers and be able to coordinate her care.” Not sure on who to call first, Kathy shared with Mark the good things she had heard about Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice.

Within a few hours of Mark’s call, Jane was our hospice patient receiving comfort care in her home. As Mark said, “it changed everything for us and put us at ease.”

Now our story takes a unique twist. In April 2019 the hospice hosted an open house for our new Manitowoc office. Jane, Mark and Kathy attended. During the event, Jane made it clear to those in attendance that she wanted to be the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice spokesperson for hospice care. So we granted her wish!

On May 21st, the hospice scheduled a videotaping of Jane, Mark and Kathy for them to share their experience. Hearing Jane’s perspective in her own words is a testament to what hospice is all about and there can still be moments of joy. As Jane said, “I know I’m going to be going, so I enjoy my life now. I’m not going to sit there and cry all the time. They make sure I’m happy. I love them all and look forward to their visits.”

We are grateful in so many ways to our families for sharing their experience with our team, family, friends, and neighbors. To have the unique opportunity to hear directly from Jane was truly a gift. To see a clip from the Kraemer family testimonial, please view it on our YouTube channel. (Video Link: https://youtu.be/wxpXilnMQ94)

Following Jane’s death on June 9th, Mark and Kathy shared that the week before her death, Jane had been celebrating life with friends and family and enjoying every minute of it with moments of joy in the comfort of her home. Thank you so much to the Kraemer family for sharing this moment with us. Rest in peace, Jane.

By: Charmaine Conrad, Director of Development and Communications