Hospicare and Library Partner for Program on Defining the Good Life--at the End of Life

Hospicare and Palliative Care Services, in partnership with the Tompkins County Public Library, will present, the Third Annual Sandra L. Bem Lecture, a program to engage public dialogue on end-of-life issues, Monday, October 16 at 7 p.m. in the Library’s BorgWarner Community Room.

This informative panel discussion will feature panelists: Daryl Bem, local psychologist; Dr. Dierdre Neilen, medical ethicist for the State University of New York and editor of “The Healing Muse”; Elaine Mansfield, Hospice family member, volunteer, blogger and author; and Dr. Suzanne Anderson, Hospicare physician.

Many doctors, ethicists and family members have worked in or experienced times and places where the frail, soon-to-die and dying are given unnecessary operations and life-prolonging treatments without their wishes fully considered. This program will encourage respectful, engaged dialogue about end-of-life issues, including death with dignity legislation.

The Bem Lecture Series has been made possible through an endowment by Daryl Bem, husband of noted psychologist, Sandra Bem.  Through an annual lecture, given by outstanding professionals in the field of end-of-life issues, Hospicare endeavors to raise community awareness of death, dying and the possibilities and limits of contemporary medicine.

For more information about hospice, contact Shawn Galbreath at sgalbreath@hospicare.org or 607-272-0212. For more information about TCPL contact Carrie Wheeler-Carmenatty at (607) 272-4557 extension 248 or cwheeler@tcpl.org.