The Orange County Department on Aging invites the public to attend a discussion on the, Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED): A Little Known End of Life Option.
The discussion will take place on Thursday, March 7, from 5-7 p.m. at the Seymour Center, located at 2551 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill.
As modern technology prolongs our lives, a life well-lived can often end with a long and painful struggle. Increasingly there are more end-of-life options available that afford greater personal control over the time and manner of death. A “good death” is more likely when medical practitioners and those supporting the dying person are more informed about these options.
The Project EngAGE End of Life Choices Senior Resource Team, a program of the Orange County Department on Aging, proudly hosts Elliott and Susan Schaffer for a discussion of the medical, ethical and legal issues involving VSED. They will share the end of life story of Susan’s mother, Beatrice Belopolsky, a resident of a retirement community in New Jersey.
Elliott Schaffer, MD, is a retired geriatrician who was formerly the Medical Director at Martins Run Life Care Community in Media, Pa. Susan Schaffer, JD, is a retired attorney who was formerly Senior Counsel at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
The event is free and open to the public.
Participants are asked to register by Wednesday, March 6. For more information and to register, please call the Seymour Center at 919-968-2070.