Being Mortal: Medicine & What Matters in the End Documentary and Discussion

Description

The community is invited to attend a free screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on May 11, 2017, from 6-8 p.m. at Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium located at 401 Huntsinger Ave. in Park Rapids, Minn. This event is free, but pre-registration is required because seating is limited. Register at http://bit.ly/beingmortalevent or call (800) 237-4629, ext.1525 to reserve your seat.

After the screening, you 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 discussion features Dr. Tricia Langlois, medical director with Hospice of the Red River Valley, Vicki Teske, CNP, with Essentia Health and Pastor Laurie Kantonen with Hubbard United Methodist Church. See this moving documentary, join the conversation and explore what matters to you.

The Emmy-nominated documentary, “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.