Free Screenings of “Being Mortal” on June 6 and 21
Film Explores End-of-Life Care
Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice is holding two free community screenings of the documentary “Being Mortal”:
Tuesday, June 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Buckley Room at Valley Regional Hospital, Claremont
Wednesday, June 21 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Summercrest Senior Living Community, Newport.
“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of planning ahead about end-of-life decisions, and 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. The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so that our true wishes can be known and honored at end of life. 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.
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.” For more information about the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/. The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name. More information about the book is at atulgawande.com.
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 this event or to RSVP, call Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice at 603-526-4077.