Daughter grateful for parents’ end-of-life care
When Jeanne Wise’s parents moved from Atlanta to Pierce County to live with her and her husband in 2020, she knew they were in their last stage of life.
At 88 years old, her parents struggled with mobility, other health needs and paying bills.
Gene and Ann Russo had lived a full life, raising Wise and her three siblings in Miami Beach while working for the Communications Workers of America for many years, where Gene served as a regional vice president before retiring.
After they settled in the Pacific Northwest, Wise didn’t know how this final chapter would play out.
“I had no experience with death,” she explains. “I didn’t know what it looked like. So, when their health turned, I just kept trying to fix things.”
Care close to home
MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital’s emergency department soon became a frequent destination. Although those visits signaled a further health decline, Gene and Ann quickly bonded with their local hospital.
“They were obsessed with Good Sam every time we went,” Wise recalls. “My parents felt that (the staff) were their friends. That’s how they were treated. … It was like somebody in the family was helping us.”
As the appointments and specialists increased, Wise struggled to be the primary caregiver while maintaining her full-time job. It dawned on her that her parents weren’t going to get better.
When Wise received a referral to MultiCare Home Health & Hospice — where services are often provided at no cost, thanks to donors — she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I didn’t know what (hospice care) could do,” she says. “Until then, no one told me, or them, that they were dying.”
The moment the hospice team arrived at the house, however, Wise’s fears began to subside.
“My parents instantly lit up,” she remembers. “They said they felt like royalty once the team started taking care of them.”
Compassion comes knocking
Gene was the first to receive care from the MultiCare hospice team, which included massage therapy, pain relief, hygiene assistance, chaplaincy, social work and more.
Case manager Briana Shannon, RN, was glad to reduce some of Wise’s responsibilities and provide wraparound care for her dad, and later, Ann.
“A lot of people don’t know much about what happens at the end of life because it’s not a fun topic,” Shannon shares. “We get to normalize the process and provide a lot of education, as well as reassurance to family members that they’re doing a fabulous job.”
Wise will never forget how dedicated every team member was to her parents’ well-being.
“They treated them with such dignity and respect,” she reflects. “And they were so present, never hurried or rushed. You could never tell that they had a life outside of right here, right now.”
The gift of life
Gene peacefully passed away in November 2024, and Ann followed in July 2025.
Wise remains grateful for their entire experience, which taught her a lot about hospice care. Rather than solely focusing on the pain of saying goodbye, she now has memories like her mom laughing and smiling while surrounded by family in her final weeks.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions I had is that hospice ends someone’s life,” she shares. “It’s really the opposite — it gave me my parents of 25 years ago. It gave me them for the last month of their life.”
As a provider, Shannon appreciates hospice’s ability to offer joy and quality of life when people might least expect it.
“This is such a special part of health care that allows something scary and sad to be a little more smooth, and a beautiful thing,” she explains.
Being a light for others
Each November, MultiCare Foundations invites the community to honor loved ones no longer with us through the Light Up A Life campaign. Every tribute gift supports hospice care and is represented by a shining light on the Trees of Remembrance at MultiCare Tacoma General and Good Samaritan hospitals.
Donor generosity helps ease the financial, physical and emotional strain that patients and their families often face.
“Hospice is so different from the other parts of health care,” Shannon says. “The change of trying to fix someone to making sure they’re comfortable is such a special opportunity to support.”
Wise knows firsthand what a difference it can make.
“I don’t know what I would have done without our team,” she reflects. “You just help so many people when you give to hospice.”
