Frances Sandor & Hospice of San Joaquin Providing Compassionate Support for Families

The Stockton office for Hospice of San Joaquin is nestled in one of the busier parts of town, but both its manicured grounds and its location by the Calaveras River create a peaceful haven from the urban bustle. Frances Sandor, the Director of Patient Access, is a calm and cheerful presence in the administrative office, and her gentle voice and matter-of-fact manner of speaking immediately put you at ease, even in some of the most difficult conversations.

Frances realized she wanted to be a nurse after her labor and delivery experience with her eldest child. The compassionate care of the nurses made a huge impact on her as a young mother, and that’s when she decided to pursue nursing as her career. “I want to help people and be there for people in good times and bad times,” she affirmed. She graduated as a licensed vocational nurse in 2012, and during her studies in the program she rotated through Hospice of San Joaquin. After her graduation, she requested to work at Hospice of San Joaquin, and a position opened for her to work at Hospice House. She eventually moved to work with home hospice patients and as an office nurse, and in 2019 she assumed the role of director of patient access. “Being able to provide compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care and support patients and families as they navigate end of life and terminal disease is hugely important, and hugely impactful,” Frances said. “It’s at the core of what’s important to me.”

When she was young, Frances witnessed the impact of hospice firsthand; at the age of 13, she lost her father to terminal cancer. Although she didn’t realize it at the time, the experience prepared her for her eventual career. At the end of his life, her father was under the care of Hospice of San Joaquin, and she speaks frankly but fondly of the difference the program made for her and her family. “As a young child, being on the cusp of a huge life change of losing a parent, hospice brought a certain sense of calmness. We weren’t shuttling here or there; my whole family was there. I appreciated hospice care and end-of-life care for that peace and for making the best of that situation.”

Working for a nonprofit that fulfills such a deep community need without discrimination is one of the things Frances appreciates most about Hospice of San Joaquin. “Access is not limited–we are here for the entire community. I’ve really grown to appreciate community-based organizations and the impact they have on the community as a whole,” she noted. Hospice of San Joaquin was founded in 1980 as a not-for-profit organization and became Medicare- and Medi-Cal-certified nine years later. In 2004, it also received certification from the Department of Health Care Services. Their mission, as their website states, “is to provide services to all terminally ill patients, regardless of ability to pay.” Frances strongly encourages families who are navigating caring for terminally ill loved ones to utilize it as a resource. “People don’t realize what a great program it is, and how much support is available, not just from the nursing standpoint but also home health aides, social workers, chaplains and supplies. It’s one of the most robust programs built into the healthcare system.”

Frances balances her heavy but indispensable work with grace, taking her daughter to cheer practice or her youngest son to the park after a day of discussing advanced directives and palliative care. The mother of three finds great joy in her family, especially after particularly hard days at work. She acknowledges hospice is not a comfortable dinner table conversation, but she encourages families to discuss plans around end-of-life care sooner rather than later to reduce complex grieving and trauma, and Hospice of San Joaquin is there to help with those conversations. When you are empowered and informed through education and know the resources available, the fear of the unknown is diminished, making it easier for you and your loved ones to live life to the fullest, to the end.

Contact Hospice of San Joaquin at hospicesj.org or (209) 957-3888.