End-of-life care is an emotional and deeply personal journey for patients and their families, who often find themselves needing a variety of resources. They soon will have a new place to find the support they need.
“For the last two years we have aggressively ramped up our campaign to build a free-standing hospice facility, complementing the exceptional home hospice and palliative care services that we have provided for more than two decades to 4,000 families in south-central Indiana,” said Robert J. Brody, president and chief executive officer for Franciscan St. Francis.
Financed by privately raised funds and by matching contributions provided by the Mishawaka-based Franciscan Alliance, the freestanding facility features:
- Private rooms for patients and families
- Large common area for families; kitchen
- Chapel and prayer garden
- High-quality, holistic care for all patients, families, and loved ones, regardless of their financial situations
- Only facility of its kind between the far north side of Indianapolis and Columbus
The facility and staff anticipate serving more than 600 families annually after its completion date in 2015. In addition, it is the fulfillment of a mission of Franciscan Alliance.
“One of our core values is the gift of life is so valued, and that each person is cared for with such joy, respect, dignity, fairness and compassion so that he or she is consciously aware of being loved,” said Sister Jane Marie Klein, OSF, chairperson of Franciscan Alliance Board of Trustees, who was present for the announcement. “Whether assisting through the miracle of childbirth, nursing a patient back to health, or caring for them during the dying process—our system carries on Christ’s healing and teaching ministries.”
Total gifts, pledges and matching funds have propelled the project to near its $10 million total construction cost. The campaign will seek to raise an additional $2 million to establish an endowment to sustain Hospice House well into the future.
