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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1981)
Hospice movement brings dignity to death By MARIAN GREEN 01 the Emerald Dying with dignity is some thing hospitals and nursing homes often can’t provide. Now, there is another choice — the hospice organization. Peter Elliot-Wotton, Wellness Project coordinator for the Eugene Community Health and Education Center, presented a workshop Thursday on the hos pice movement as part of the Health Faire. Elliot-Wotton said hospices, which originated in the Middle Ages, can improve the dying patient’s “quality of life’’ in a way hospitals can’t. “Hospitals, doctors and nurses are all oriented toward cure — death is the enemy,” he said. In addition, while a large number of medical personnel think dying patients should not be told they’re dying, most dy ing patients want to talk about it, Elliot-Wotton said. This contradiction perpe trates a "conspiracy of lies” that is unhealthy for dying patients, he said. It's unhealthy because the longer knowledge of death is kept from the patient, the longer it takes the patient to accept their imminent fate, he said. A hospice organization provides centrally administered home and inpatient services for those who wish to acknowledge their condition, he said. Vets conference runs this weekend The second annual Western Regional Conference of Viet nam Era Veterans begins to night at the University. Registration for the three-day event is from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. in Room 101 EMU. The confer ence is free. The conference begins Sat urday at 8:50 a.m. with a wel coming address in Room 150 Geology followed by a panel discussion on Agent Orange from 9 a m. until 10:20 a.m. A workshop on the Delayed Stress Response Syndrome is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. until 11:40 p.m. After a lunch break, the con ference continues at 1 p.m. in Room 150 Geology with a dis cussion on women veterans and women as partners of veterans. Scheduled from 2:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. is the workshop “Preventing Another ‘Noble Cause’ ” followed by a discus sion on incarcerated veterans from 4 p.m to 5:20 p.m. The movie "King of Hearts” is scheduled at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in Room 180 PLC for confer ence participants. On Sunday, the conference begins with announcements at 9 a m. followed by a workshop on veteran employment issues at 9:30 a m. until 10:50 a.m. The last event of the conference is “Political Legislation and Ac tivism" from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. For more information on the conference call 686-4098 Career help scheduled A series of career workshops is scheduled April 20-24, by the University career planning and placement office. All workshops will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 101 EMU. Career topics scheduled for discussion at the workshops in clude: • Monday — “Hot Careers For The 80s” • Tuesday — “Majors-Ca reers” • Wednesday — “Help Want ed: Experience Required” • Thursday — “Finding The Hidden Job Market” • Friday — “The Federal Connection” Contact the Career Planning and Placement Center in Room 246 Susan Campbell Hall for more information. rsmu Cultural Forum Invites applications for the following positions: Folk Music Concerts Film and Literature Performing Arts Contemporary Issues If you have the least amount of interest, stop by the office and learn more about the rewarding experience of working on the Cultural Forum. These are volunteer student positions offering intense practical experience coordinating major events. Applications and job descriptions are now available in Suite 2, EMU. Deadline for applying is Friday, April 17. Hospice workers, often volunteers who have taken a hospice course, stay with the patient and family and give “symptom control" support.T his support involves alleviating the patient’s pain and the fami ly’s anxiety. Hospice volunteers must weigh the fear of a patient growing too reliant on pain killers and the patient’s fear of pain, he said. ‘If the patient is cranky, you cheer,” he said. "We want to keep the patient alert by avoid ing medication that deadens the senses." Soon the patient begins to believe it, and the hospice volunteer then can reduce the dosage and still relieve the pain. Elliot-Wotton calls this process “reverse toleration.” Hospice volunteers “make a special effort to ensure the pa tient’s dignity is respected," he said. “The patient, first, and the family, second, should be al lowed to make decisions," he said. "If a patient has six months to live in the hospital and wants to go home where he has only six days to live, that's the pa tient’s decision." If a doctor orders it, patients usually can finance hospice help through insurance. Extra expenses, such as family care after a patient’s death, aren't covered, he said. Volunteers provide those services. More information on hospices can be obtained from the Ho spice Resource Center, which is located in St.Mary's Episcopal Church, 106 East 13th Ave. IIC.INK mm APRIL 18 ** Mirch 'laris at 12 ttQfln ai Uth and Kincaid ■■ Kali* Maris a! I PM ai I ugette Mall (I Ith A; Willamette KallV ** Parking 1 oi) Evening Program ♦* ''3 starts ai 6:30 PM Emerald Baptist C hureh 19th & Patterson Rally Speakers: Richardo Melara - Official spokesperson for the Democratic Revolutionary Front, El Salvador Congressman Jim Weaver Gene Bailey - Secretary treasurer for the ILWU Local 12, representing the International Longshoreman Workers’ Union Marion Malcolm - Clergy and Laity Concerned Susan Morales - American Indian Movement, Seattle Sue Gordon - President, Oregon Church Women United Entertainment, featuring: Grupo Raiz - Internationally acclaimed Chilean folk ensemble CO-SPONSORS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS African People’s Solidarity Committee Birkenstock Citizens Party Clergy and Laity Concerned Coalition Opposing Registration and the Draft Shelia Cordray Cougar Mountain Forestry Workers Country Volkswagon Cooperative Cull Crew Forestry Workers Democratic Party (Lane County) Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee Eugene Club, Communist Party U.S.A. Eugene Council for Human Rights in Latin America Excelsior Cafe General Union of Palestinian Students Genesis Juice Co-op Graduate 'Peaching Fellows Federation (Executive Board) Industrial Workers of the World Iranian-American Friendship Committee Iranian Students Association Latino Club, Lane Community College Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Mandala Family Health Center Mayday Cultural Committee MECHA National Lawyers Guild New American Movement New Frontier Market Northwest Working Press Oregon Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO) People for South African Freedom People’s Anti-war Mobilization May 3rd Proutist Universal Red Star Forestry Workers Search Starflower Sundance Support Committee for Human Rights in l^tin America, Ashland, Ore. Wallflower Dance Collective Wildwood School Willamette People’s Food Co-op (staff) Women Against War Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Cottage Grove) W'omen’s Moneyshare Young Women’s Christian Association Zoo Zoo’s X ENDORSERS X Ananda Marga Arab Student Organization Asian American Center Associated Students, University of Oregon Better Days Black Liberation Support Committee Black Student Union Clients Council Citizens Action for Peace Citizens for Safe Energy Crescent Construction frying pan Publications Gay People's Alliance Goldstein and Drescher Law Office Gwen Hamilton, Vice-president Oregon Nurses Association District 5 Rep. Margie Hcndriksen E.W.E.B. Commissioner Sara Hendrickson Hoedad’s Cooperative Home Fried Truck Stop Kiva Reverend Doug Huneke Jeb’s Jewish Study Group Lincoln Street Market Ted Kulongoski, State Senate Reverend Norm Metzler Councilwomen Gretchen Miller Reverend Polly Moak Reverend Alice Morrison Mother Kali’s Books Multi-Ethnic Women’s Alliance Native American Student Union Non-Violent Tactics Development Project Northwest Media for Social Change Commissioner Scott Lieuallen PAN Typesetters Peace Conversion Center Reverend Pete Peterson People for Prison Alternatives Rape Crisis Network Reproductive Rights National Network Commissioner Jerry Rust Second Nature Used Bikes Son of Koobdooga University Veterans Women’s Resource and Referral Councilwomen Cynthia Wooten Women Fight Back Women’s Press Young Democrats of Oregon