End Of Life Issues

HARTFORD —  As life nears its conclusion and illness begins to have a greater impact on the quality of life, questions faced by patients, family members, caregivers and clergy become complex.

To address these questions, which sometimes seem unanswerable, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and the Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Studies at Sacred Heart University will present a special conference on ethics, “Issues at the End of Life,” on Wednesday, November 3.

The conference will feature Rev Dennis Brodeur, a theologian, writer, lecturer and health care ethicist. In his presentation, Father Brodeur will discuss withholding or withdrawing medical treatment, nutrition and hydration; palliative and hospice care; and support for patients’ spiritual, physical, mental, emotional and familial needs.

The program will be held from 8:30 am to noon in the Chawla Auditorium at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, 114 Woodlands Street, Hartford. The cost of the conference is $15. For more information, call 860/714-4190.