Hope is not a plan

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Hospice of Hope Ohio Valley and Highland County Senior Citizen Center will host a free screening of “Being Mortal” on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This documentary investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows nationally renowned surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters.

When Dr. Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest.

The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end. “Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions. Seventy percent of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, but nearly 70 percent die in hospitals and institutions. Ninety percent of Americans know they should have conversations about end-of-life care, yet only 30 percent have done so.

The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name and was originally aired on PBS program “Frontline.”

For more information about the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/. The free screening is made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.

This free screening will be on Oct. 11th from 2-4 p.m. at the Highland County Senior Citizen Center in Hillsoro. After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation facilitated by Deb Weber, LCSW, on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. This screening is also approved for nursing CEUs. For more information about the screening contact Michael Parker or Pam Tribby at 606-759-4050 or 1-800-928-4848.

Submitted by Michael Parker, director of public relations and development, Hospice of Hope.

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