It is rare that people have the opportunity to have a “doctor’s-eye-view” of end-of-life discussions or experience the challenges they face when having to deliver bad news to patients. The documentary “Being Mortal” does just that as viewers go on a journey with Dr. Atul Gawande who uses this film to explore the practice of caring for the dying. Regional Medical Center is holding a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on Thursday, September 22, 5:30-7:30pm at the CVPS/Leahy Community Health Education Center at Rutland Regional Medical Center. The screening is significant for the general public as well as for caregivers in our region.
“Being Mortal” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film 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. The screening, which includes a light supper, is a presentation of the Palliative Care & Hospice Film Discussion Series hosted by Bayada Hospice, Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice and the Palliative Care Program at Rutland Regional Medical Center.
After the screening, audience members are invited to participate in a guided conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. “Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions. “As the film asserts, there are two life events that are inevitable for everyone: we age and we die. This film creates the space for us to respectfully learn how we can improve our discussions around end of life issues”, said Eva Zivitz , RN, CHPN, Palliative Care Program Coordinator at Rutland Regional Medical Center. “We always want the best for those we love and care for and that kind of caring is especially needed toward the end of one’s journey in this life.” 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 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. To RSVP and for more information about the free screening, please contact Kim Flory-Lake at 802-747-1655.
United States