ATHENS,
Ohio -- (March 13, 2000) For many Americans, thoughts of death are considered
morbid fantasies, even though having these thoughts are as natural as
thinking about other stages of life. In order to help elder patients feel
more comfortable with these concerns, Tracy Marx, D.O., will present "An
Overview of Hospice Programs" on March 20. The seminar will be held at
O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9, from noon to 1 p.m.
"No one wants to talk about death and dying in our society," Marx
says. "There is a lot of misunderstanding and also a lack of knowledge about
hospice, not only among physicians but among lay people as well. This talk
will educate about the role of the hospice team, the services provided, ways
to access the system and what could and should be expected from a physician
during this often difficult phase of life."
Older adults as well as health-care professionals are invited to the
program. Lunch trays and brown bags are welcome. Physicians, social workers,
counselors and nurses can receive one hour of continuing education credit
for attendance. For more information, call the Geriatric Education Center at
(740) 593-2258.
The seminar is part of OU-COM's winter 2000 continuing education
series on geriatric medicine and gerontology, held on the first and third
Mondays of each month.
On Jan. 3, Steven Clay, D.O., spoke on "Evaluating Musculoskeletal
Complaints in Older Adults." Allison Batchelor, M.D., presented "Reducing
the Risk of Falls" on Feb. 7. On Feb. 21, Barbara Pfeiffer, R.N., M.P.H.;
Suzanne Croci, R.N.; and Sarah McGrew, R.N., presented "Strategies to
Increase Physical Activity Among Seniors." On March 6, Wayne Carlsen, D.O.,
presented "Home Visit Case Study."
"The seminars are designed for an interdisciplinary audience," said
Ellen Peterson, geriatric education coordinator. "Health professionals from
the community regularly attend, in addition to interns, residents and
medical students. Members of the public are welcome as well, and the
diversity of disciplines represented by the participants makes for an
interesting exchange of ideas."
Sponsors include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology,
the Ohio University Counselor Education Program, the Western Reserve
Geriatric Education Center, the Consortium for Health Education in
Appalachia Ohio (CHEAO) and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic
Medicine (OU-COM).
Peterson said the seminar series was started by a federal grant that
established OU-COM as a contributing site to the Western Reserve Geriatric
Education Center in September 1994 and has supported many continuing
education programs. Provided by the Department of Health and Human Services,
the grant supports educational programs in geriatrics and gerontology for
physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and other health-care
providers to 22 Southeastern Ohio counties.
