|
For Immediate Release
April 7, 2006
National Author Speaks about Families Facing
Illness
Oklahoma City—With many Americans now routinely
living into their 70s, 80s and 90s, it’s becoming increasingly important
for families to deal with end-of-life issues sooner than later. As a way
to help families face serious illness, Joanne Lynn, M.D.—a national
expert in end-of-life issues and the care of the dying—will speak at
Mercy’s conference center Wednesday, April 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The talk is a part of Oklahoma’s palliative care
week, April 24-28, which is now in its fourth year. While most of the
week’s events, a collaboration of Mercy and The University of Oklahoma,
are geared to health professionals, Mercy is hosting Dr. Lynn’s talk for
the general public.
“Dying is a part of life but it’s not until we have
a case like Terri Schiavo that the issues surrounding death get the
nation’s spotlight,” said Krista Reyna, manager of Mercy’s palliative
care and ethics program. “Palliative care is the care of chronically ill
and dying patients. We want people to die with dignity and mercy, and be
in as little pain as possible.”
Dr. Lynn, president of Americans for Better Care of
the Dying and author of her most recent book, “Sick to Death and Not
Going to Take it Any More!,” participates in research and education
aimed at improving the care of people facing serious, eventually fatal,
chronic illness.
“I’m committed to helping build a care system in
which we can grow old and ill with confidence that we’ll be comfortable
and that we’ll live as full a life as possible to the very end,” said
Dr. Lynn.
At Mercy, Dr. Lynn will share insights on the
changes in how people come to the end of life, as well as shed light on
ways to improve situations for caregivers.
Thanks to palliative care, families no longer have
to make a difficult choice between discontinuing hospital care and
allowing death to take its natural course with hospice. Palliative care
is a bridge to hospice, allowing families to continue using doctors and
hospitals in caring for loved ones.
End-of-life care gives patients the option to choose
whether or not they want to die at home or in the hospital. And death, a
natural process, is made bearable through medical consultation, nursing
care, pain management and supportive care in a compassionate
environment.
For information about Dr. Lynn’s presentation, call
(405) 936-5724. For palliative care events sponsored by OU, call Rita
Presley at (405) 271-9333, option one. Dr. Lynn’s presentations are
funded through the Moe Wizenburg lecture fund.
|
