September 6, 2001

Seminar on Advance Care Planning Set for Oct. 12

Questions that need to be asked about making medical decisions at the end of life and how to involve persons in the advanced care planning process will be the focus of a training seminar sponsored by the Matters of Life and Death Project, the NDSU Extension Service and the State Division of Aging Services. The seminar, "What Is Advance Care Planning?," will feature Dr. Bud Hammes, a well-known medical ethicist from Wisconsin. It will be held at multiple sites around North Dakota Oct. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m (Central Time).

The Matters of Life and Death Project is a statewide coalition effort intended to improve care at the end of life. One of its focuses is the process of advance care. "We expect to provide training through this seminar to different groups of people across North Dakota in thinking about how to help people who would like to plan for future medical decisions," said Dr. Hammes.

The training seminar will address advance care planning for healthy adults, including steps in the planning process and the content of advance care planning efforts.

While many individuals are aware of advance directives as legal documents, this seminar is intended to assist those who work with adults to become more familiar with the planning process that underlies good medical decision making. Hammes says, "Without a good process of planning for advanced care, advance directives developed may be poor and actually may not help or even make things worse."

The seminar will introduce key aspects in the advance care planning process, provide concrete examples of such planning, and allow for discussion and question-and-answer about advance care planning in North Dakota.

Hammes was educated at the University of Notre Dame and has served since 1984 as the director of medical humanities for the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation and the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in LaCrosse, Wis. His work has focused primarily on improving care at the end of life and has resulted in two nationally recognized programs on advance care planning, " Respecting Your Choices" and "If I only Knew."

Interested persons can register for the seminar by calling Tess Frohlich of the Matters of Life and Death Project at (701) 223-9475, by sending a FAX to (701) 223-9476), by e-mail to tess@ndmed.com or by calling the regional aging services representative or local county extension office.

Seminar sites include:

Bismarck - Bismarck State College, Vocational Technical Center, 1200 College Drive, Room 228

Devils Lake - Lake Region State College, Administration Bldg., 1801 College Drive North, Room 171

Dickinson - Dickinson State University, North Campus, 1679 Sixth Avenue West, Room 104

Fargo - North Dakota State University, E. Morrow-Lebedeff Hall, Centennial Blvd., Room 170

Grand Forks - University of North Dakota, Gamble Hall, Centennial Drive, Room 120

Jamestown - State Hospital, Education (12 West) Building

Williston - Williston State College, Main Building, 1410 University Ave., Room 120

An on-site presentation on Advance Care Planning will be provided at the same date and time in Minot by Rodger Wetzel, chair of the Matters of Life and Death Project, at the North Central Human Service Center, 400 22 Ave NW, Conference Room A.

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Source: Sean Brotherson (701) 231-6143 and sbrother@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu