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University of Missouri-St. Louis and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R) Present Play About End-of-Life Care

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 October 2008, 18:00 CDT

A free one-act play about a terminally ill African American woman and the choices that she and her family must make as she approaches the end of her life will be presented as a theatrical reading by the University of Missouri-St. Louis and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R) of St. Louis.

"Vesta," will be presented on Thursday, October 23, 2008, at the JC Penney Conference Center Auditorium at the University of Missouri-St. Louis North Campus, 8001 Natural Bridge Road. The reading will be held at 7 p.m., following a 6 p.m. reception.

Written by Bryan Harnetiaux and distributed by the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, Durham, N.C., "Vesta" introduces the audience to the real-life issues surrounding a terminal diagnosis, offering an in-depth look at how to deal with the loss of independence, economic hardship, family dynamics and care giving.

The reading is part of VITAS' ongoing effort to use community partnerships to promote conversations about end-of-life care issues. It kicks off a two-day training known as "APPEAL" (A Progressive Palliative Care Educational Curriculum for the Care of African Americans at Life's End) to be conducted by the Duke Institute Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, 2008, at the J.C. Penney Conference Center.

"Vesta" examines a family's struggle when the matriarch is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Following a series of complex medical, economic and personal issues, the title character, Vesta, must confront loss of independence and, inevitably, her life's end.

A discussion and Q&A session will follow the reading to offer the audience additional information regarding end-of-life issues.

For reservations, call 314.682.3400, or e-mail Beverly Dotson at beverly.dotson@VITAS.com, or Alan Smith at alan.smith@VITAS.com.

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care(R) is one of the nation's oldest and largest providers of end-of-life care. A pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978, VITAS has been caring for the terminally ill and their families in St. Louis since 2005.

The Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, based at Duke Divinity School, works to improve the care of suffering and dying patients and their families by growing knowledge about caring for people at the end of life with special attention to spiritual support and care.

Source: Business Wire

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