HEALTHCARE LIBRARY IN LA MESA TO HOST FREE MEETING ON HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE ON JUNE 26

Source:  Grossmont Healthcare District

Photo:  Janine Lortscher, Sharp HospiceCare representative  

June 25, 2019 (La Mesa) - The Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library will host a program on hospice and palliative care from 10 to 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2019, as part of its monthly “Wellness Wednesday” health education series.

Presenter on June 26 will be Janine Lortscher, a community representative for Sharp HospiceCare. Lortscher will help attendees become better informed consumers by exploring the similarities and differences between hospice and palliative care.

Hospice care is provided for a person with a terminal illness whose doctor believes he or she has six months or less to live if the illness runs its natural course. Palliative care is treatment of the discomfort, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. It works together with, and can begin at the same time as, the primary treatment the patient is receiving.

Since 2001, California has required most physicians to complete 12 hours of continuing education courses in pain management. In 2014, it enacted a law making palliative care services available to the state’s Medicaid managed care population.

“California has done more than other states to encourage palliative care,” said Herrick Library Director Kathy Quinn. “Studies show that patients who receive palliative care report improvement in pain, nausea, and shortness of breath, as well as improved communication with their health care providers and family members.”

Quinn said the discussion will also cover facts about the eligibility and timing for various end-of-life and palliative care options.

Herrick Library is located at 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa. The library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series is normally held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Admission is free and advance RSVP is not required. Light refreshments and informational handouts will be available.

About Herrick Library

Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and online. The library is operated by the Grossmont Healthcare District, a public agency that supports health-related community programs and services in San Diego’s East County. For more information, phone the library at (619) 825-5010 or visitwww.herricklibrary.org.