Bob Gasparro

and Ann Kriebel

The Hastings Center, a bioethics think tank, said unnecessary and costly medical procedures -- like having patients first on life support, then undoing it -- occur too often in America because the system for end-of-life decision-making is disjointed and inadequate. A 2002 national report called "Last Acts" labeled Pennsylvania less effective than most states in handling end-of-life issues. What are the end of life medical issues that need to be addressed in the typical legal document called an Advance Directive for Health Care?  More important, what do the various choices mean from a medical prospective, and how will they affect my comfort at the end of life? What is the difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care and at what time is one or the other appropriate?

Bob Gasparro, an Elder Law Attorney and Ann Kriebel, an Oncology Nurse Practitioner and member of the Palliative Care Team at Pennsylvania
Hospital will speak on the above issues.