ASHLAND — Hospice of North Central Ohio is hosting a free community screening and panel discussion of the documentary “Being Mortal” on Tuesday, Oct. 10 from 6-8 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium at Ashland University.
“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 the stories of the families he encounters. When Dr. Gawande’s 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’s focus 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 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” and is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name.
Hospice of North Central Ohio’s free screening of “Being Mortal” is made possible by a grant from The John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America. It will be shown at 6 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Foster Hall at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Area Agency on Aging in Ontario. For more information about the free screenings, contact Kailey Bradley at 419-281-7107 or kailey.bradley@myhnco.org.
Headquartered at 1050 Dauch Drive in Ashland, the non-profit Hospice of North Central Ohio continues to serve 200 patients daily in Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Morrow, and Richland counties with palliative and hospice services. Additionally, free continuous bereavement services are provided for hundreds of families of hospice patients and to anyone in the community experiencing grief. Call 800-952-2207 for more information. HNCO is a partner agency of United Way of Ashland County.
