A series of programs and exhibits this month, presented by the Springfield-Greene County Library, is designed to get people talking about what, for some, is a difficult topic. “Death & Dying: Conversations about End-of-Life Matters” continues through November3.
Sarah Rosendahl, copywriter for the Library District, said the series is possible with grant funding through Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks for those wanting to provide services, information and programs on end of life issues. According to Rosendahl, the library saw it as a chance to create community conversations on an important topic that, for the most part, no one wants to talk about.
"We want to help people put aside the taboo of talking about death and end-of-life matters to provide them with a little bit of information that will encourage open, honest conversations with themselves, family members and medical practitioners," she said.
The series touches on many topics, but a big focus, according to Rosendahl, is end-of-life healthcare.
"And what changes you would like to see in the medical system and also what people should be aware of and know for their own benefit," she said.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Angelo Volandes who will talk about his book, “The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life-Care,” Thursday night (10/13) at 7 at the Springfield Art Museum. Other speakers will include Caitlin Doughty, star of the YouTube series, “Ask a Mortician” and author of “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and Roz Chast, cartoonist for the New Yorker who will discuss the realities of what it means to get old today in America.
