MCPL’s Urbanna branch library to host presentation on hospice

by Michael Kunzinger – 

The Middlesex County Public Library (MCPL) system will host “Hospice 101,” a presentation by Mara Still, LPN, at the MCPL’s Urbanna branch on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. A Q&A time will follow her talk and there will be light refreshments.

Hospice, as defined by the Hospice Foundation of America, is a program of care for those with “an anticipated life expectancy of six months or less, when cure isn’t an option, and the focus shifts to symptom management and quality of life.” 

“The two most intimate times in a person’s life are when you are born and when you die,” Still said. Much attention is given to the former, but far less to the latter. “My specialty is caring for people at the end of their life.”

While working in hospice, Still came face to face with a number of harmful misconceptions about the service. The most common — and to her, frustrating — misconception about hospice is that it means “giving up hope;” that it is a place people go to die. “If their symptoms are well managed and they don’t decline further,” she said, “patients may be discharged to home health for ongoing needs.”

Another misconception is that it is for people expecting death within days, when it can actually last “up to six months before an expected death. Studies have shown that patients with certain illnesses live longer with hospice care than those with the same diagnosis who were not on hospice.”

Mara Still will address these and other issues surrounding this critical part of healthcare, as well as best practice for those facing a loved one entering hospice. She will have reading material to distribute and be available for Q&A time afterwards. 

For information, call 804-776-7362.