GOSHEN, N.Y. — The Glen Arden Continuing Care Community and Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties are partnering to present the award winning film “Consider the Conversation,” on Monday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at Glen Arden in the Rhinebeck Room.
This one hour presentation is intended to help start a community conversation about important “end of life” decisions and issues.
“Consider the Conversation” is co-produced by Michael Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal. Between the two, their experiences of end of life issues within their own personal lives pushed them into this project on a very personal level.
Kaldhusdal said the film talks about the cultural issues people deal with as how they live the end of their lives.
“We treat it as failure,” he said.
Organizers said while no one likes to talk about the topic of death, it’s important to remember that it is a natural cycle of life.
“Talking about end-of-life may not be comfortable but is necessary, especially for those who need the services that hospice care can offer to both patient and family,’ said Janice Valentino, Hospice’s director of community relations and marketing.
The hope is the film will encourage people to have the painful and difficult conversations about medical care and the measures they want taken at the end of their lives. Waiting until the end of one’s life to have the conversation is not a good plan and is something that needs to be avoided, Valentino added.
The documentary was first publically presented in November 2013 at the Downing Film Center in Newburgh and has since been shown to large and small groups throughout the area.
“We recognize the importance of discussions like these,” said Glen Arden Vice President and Executive Director Maureen Torelli. “We encourage families to watch this film and consider having the conversation this film advocates.”
To learn more about the film, visit: http://www.considertheconversation.org.
To RSVP, contact Maureen Torelli via email at mtorelli@elant.org or call 845-360-1446.