Hospice of Hilo, in partnership with Community First, Hilo Medical Center and East Hawaii Independent Physicians Association, is hosting a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on June 24 at the William Charles Lunalilo Center–Kamehameha Schools Hawaii campus.
Hospice of Hilo, in partnership with Community First, Hilo Medical Center and East Hawaii Independent Physicians Association, is hosting a free, community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” on June 24 at the William Charles Lunalilo Center–Kamehameha Schools Hawaii campus.
Doors open at 10 a.m. and the screening begins at 10:30 a.m. After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation about how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences.
“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 Gawande’s own father is diagnosed with 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.
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.
For more information about the free screening, contact Lisa Kwee at 969-1733 or email lisak@hospiceofhilo.org.