Twin Cities screens documentary on end-of-life care
Free screening of ‘Being Mortal’ at Twin Cities Community Hospital on Sept. 14
Twin Cities Community Hospital, in partnership with Hospice of San Luis Obispo County, is holding a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:30pm in the Founders’ Pavilion Morgan Conference Room.
After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. The panel of speakers will include Irene Spinello, MD; Cynthia Kellerman, RN; Kris Kington-Barker, Executive Director Hospice of San Luis Obispo County; and Tim Harness, a palliative care chaplain.
“Being Mortal” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a 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.
In February 2015, “Being Mortal” aired nationally on the PBS program “Frontline.” The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name. The free screening is made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.
To register for this free community event, call (805) 434-4965 or visit www.TwinCitiesHospital.com and click on “Classes & Events.” Seating is limited.
