SARANAC LAKE – High Peaks Hospice and Palliative Care Inc. and Adirondack Health will host a free community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal” at 6 tonight in the Adirondack Medical Center’s Redfield Room.

After the screening, audience members can participate in a guided conversation, facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Buck, Peggy Wiltberger, RN and Marc Johnson, CSW on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences.

“Being Mortal” delves into the hopes of patients and families facing terminal illness. The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters. When Dr. Gawande’s own father is diagnosed with cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest.

The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end.

“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions.

In February 2015, “Being Mortal” aired nationally on the PBS program “Frontline.” The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name.

The free screening is made possible by a grant from the John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.

For more information about the free screening, contact Tania McCabe, outreach coordinator at 518-891-9631 ext. 107 or at tmccabe@hphpc.org.