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Film explores end-of-life care

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Mon, Mar 27th 2017 11:10 am

Free screening of 'Being Mortal' on April 19

In recognition of National Healthcare Decisions Day, Hospice Buffalo is hosting a free community screening of the PBS "FRONTLINE" documentary "Being Mortal" at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at their Mitchell Campus in the Education Center (225 Como Park Blvd., Cheektowaga). After the screening, the audience can participate in a guided conversation on how to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences.

"Being Mortal" delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness, recognizing when hospice and palliative care may be appropriate, and identifying that the patient's quality of life outweighs the pain and suffering from the current treatment plan.

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 Gawande's own father is diagnosed with cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest.

"Being Mortal" underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about health care decisions.

Hospice Buffalo states:

•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.

For more information about the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/being-mortal/. The film is adapted from Gawande's 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name. More information about the book is at http://atulgawande.com/book/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.

For more information about the free screening, contact Clarice Otminski at 716-686-8070 or [email protected].

Hospice Buffalo provides care, support, advocacy and education to people in Erie County impacted by serious illness and loss, regardless of age, setting, diagnosis and ability to pay. Hospice Buffalo is one of the nation's largest nonprofit hospice and palliative (comfort) care organizations, serving over 800 patients daily in their homes, hospital, and nursing homes throughout Erie County, and the Mitchell Campus in Cheektowaga.

 

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