Patient Rights Advocate Visits Princeton to Promote Respect for End-of-Life Decisions

A physician, writer and patient rights’ advocate leading an effort to encourage respect for the end-of-life wishes of patients will speak in Princeton Public Library from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Angelo E. Volandes, MD, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, will talk about his book, The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care, and explain how people in New Jersey can empower themselves to get the right medical care at the right time — and on their own terms.

The talk is sponsored by “Conversation of a Lifetime,” a program of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign in partnership with the NJ State League of Municipalities, that aims to encourage conversations about advance care planning. Conversation of a Lifetime is generously funded by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. In Princeton, a group of local leaders is being led by Mayor Liz Lempert to offer Princeton residents programs that help them have “The Conversation.”

Dr. Volandes also will conduct “Grand Rounds” at University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. He also will serve as Keynote Speaker for Rutgers 250th Anniversary Celebration at a Brown Bag lunch lecture at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“We want to change the landscape so this important conversation is happening in town squares and at family dinner tables,” Dr. Volandes said. “In my book, I tell people not to wait for the doctor to start the conversation. We know that so many medical interventions may induce pain and suffering and many do not prolong life.” One of Dr. Volandes’ talks is called: “Most People Would Prefer to Die at Home. So Why Are We Still Dying in Hospitals?”

The Princeton talk is part of a series of presentations as Dr. Volandes visits three New Jersey communities. He also will visit Tenafly and Gloucester Township.

The issue is especially important in New Jersey, where patients consistently receive more medical care, — including hospitalizations, ICU admissions and visits from specialists — in the last six months of life than patients in almost every other state, according to the Dartmouth Atlas Study.

“We are so pleased that Dr. Volandes is bringing his compassionate and common sense approach to end-of-life care to New Jersey,” said Linda J. Schwimmer, JD, President & CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. “We all want our wishes known and respected and there is much we can learn from Dr. Volandes to help us begin these important conversations with the people we love.”