The Public Libraries of Birmingham/Jefferson County the READER

VOL. 10, NO. 3   AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER 2000

^Contents

• ON OUR OWN TERMS : Improving Care at the End of Life
• Alabama Virtual Library . . . Is Here!

• eBooks are now available 24 hours a day – on-line, all the time!

• Mattise Adult Reading Program, August 1-23

• How I Conquered the Homework Monster

• Brown Bag Lunch Programs
• Hoover's Library Theatre
• Gallery Exhibits
• FREE Computer Classes

• Calendar of Events Adamsville Avondale Bessemer Birmingham Public Central East Ensley Emmet O'Neal (Mountain Brook) Eastwood Mall East Lake Ensley Five Points West Fultondale Gardendale-Martha Moore Homewood Hoover Hueytown Inglenook Irondale Leeds Jane Culbreth Midfield North Avondale North Birmingham Powderly Pratt City Slossfield Smithfield Southside Springville Road Titusville Trussville Vestavia Hills Walter J. Hanna (Fairfield) West End Woodlawn

   

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ON OUR OWN TERMS : Improving Care at the End of Life by Haruyo Miyagawa

This song from long ago has become an inspiration for the program that bears its name. At the Balm of Gilead Center in Cooper Green Hospital, physicians, nurses, social workers, clergy, and volunteers work together to make the passing of life a time of peace and healing for the poor and uninsured in Jefferson County.

"It’s about living life abundantly as long as we can," says Carol Padgett, Coordinator of Community Education and Caresharing at "The Balm". She and the other dedicated staff and volunteers go to great lengths to make sure that the patients’ last days are spent in comfort, as pain-free as possible, and in a way that is meaningful for that particular person. Dr. Padgett recounts the story of a young mother who became very agitated one day. After some probing, she disclosed that her son was about to have his tenth birthday, and she would not be able to celebrate it with him. Dr. Amos Bailey, Medical Director and "Founding Father" of "The Balm" said "Why not have the party here?" and that’s just what they did. The area used by patients’ family members as a waiting/relaxation area was gaily decorated for the occasion. That was the last time the mother got to see her son.

Then, there’s Derrick, a 15-year old boy diagnosed with neuroblastoma (a form of childhood cancer) at the age of 10. After years of painful chemotherapy and radiation treatment, Derrick was an angry young man, feeling that life had been very unfair to him. The chaplain, the social worker, the music therapist – all tried their best to do what they could for Derrick, but were met with fierce resistance. It was Sandra Arnold, hospice nurse, who finally won him over with unconditional love. Every day, she hugged him and told him she loved him before leaving the home he shared with his grandmother. When the hospice received tickets from the Birmingham Barons, Ms. Arnold and her family decided to take Derrick to a ball game. When they arrived at his home, he was not dressed because he had no clothes to wear. Much to his delight, Ms. Arnold had brought clothes for him, and they were off to see the game. "He was as excited as a kid at Christmas," recalls Ms. Arnold. Derrick passed away five days later.

The Balm of Gilead Center will be featured prominently this fall in a series produced by Public Affairs Television, On Our Own Terms : Bill Moyers on Dying, which will air September 10-13 on Alabama Public Television. Hosted by the veteran broadcast journalist, the series reports on the movement to improve care at the end of life. The fourth segment to be aired on Wednesday, September 13 at 8:00 p.m. will focus on "The Balm" which opened in November 1998. It is one of a few centers in the country that provide in-patient hospital and at-home care for the medically underserved who are dying. You will have an opportunity to meet the staff of "The Balm" and hear their stories at the Wednesday noon brown bag program at the Central Library on September 6.

Each year, half the population of this country is touched by the death of a relative or close friend. People are asking themselves if there is a better way to die: a way that allows them to approach the complex circumstances and choices on their own terms. Part of the solution is to change the way we think about death – not as a failure of medicine but as a natural part of life. Bill Moyers observes, "Surveys show that Americans… are exploring issues of death and dying with new openness. Awareness is growing that we can and must improve care at the end of life."

If we are going to improve care at the end of life, we have to begin by talking about it, then take action… That is the goal of the outreach campaign for On Our Own Terms in which the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is taking part. BPL is one of twelve libraries nation-wide to be awarded a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the American Library Association and the Kettering Foundation to participate in an outreach campaign in conjunction with the Moyers series. The library is partnering with local health care, media, and advocacy organizations to promote awareness of end-of-life issues. To "jump-start" these difficult but much-needed conversations, a series of four Community Discussion Forums will be presented in the weeks following the broadcast of the Moyers series. The details for the Discussion Forums are as follows:

Living with Dying September 19, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Richard Arrington Jr. Auditorium, Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place

The program will use three short readings to stimulate community conversation. Emphasis will be on personal stories connected with care giving and the end of life. Dr. John Shuster, Medical Director of the University of Alabama (UAB) Hospice, and Director of the Palliative Medicine Program at UAB, will serve as discussion leader. Copies of the readings will be available at public libraries, so you can read them beforehand; copies will also be available at the program.

A Different Kind of Care September 26, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Bruno Cancer Center, St. Vincent’s Hospital, 810 St. Vincent’s Drive

Palliative care relieves pain and provides psychological, social and spiritual support to a terminally ill person. A panel of experts will talk about palliative care, drawing on their areas of expertise. The session will then be opened to audience questions and discussion. The panelists are Linda Olivet, faculty member in the Thanatology Program at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa; John Claypool, pastor at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church; Edwina Taylor, nurse at the Balm of Gilead Center; and Jane Lee, social worker with the Jefferson County Department of Health.

Matters of Choice October 3, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Location: Sheraton Civic Center, East, Ballroom A

Take part in a community forum on how society should care for those near death and debate the alternatives: Physician-assisted suicide? Palliative care? Sustain life by any means possible? A combination of these? Peggy Sparks, Senior Executive Director, Parent, Community and Student Support Programs for Birmingham City Schools, will lead the discussion.

A Time to Change October 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1530 6^th Avenue

Learn about the Balm of Gilead Center at Cooper Green Hospital, an inspiring model for change where palliative care is integrated into mainstream health care. Help community leaders in end-of-life care chart a course for future action in the community, and learn how you can make a difference in improving end-of-life care, as a volunteer or in a professional capacity. Gregory Townsend, Assistant Health Administrator for the Birmingham Area Hospice/Balm of Gilead Center, will serve as discussion leader. Tables will be set up in the lower auditorium of the church for displays and brochures from various organizations, and representatives will be present. You are encouraged to come at 5:30 to see the displays and speak with representatives.

We hope you will watch On Our Own Terms on September 10 - 13 on APT from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. And we hope you will join us at the Community Discussion Forums on September 19, September 26, October 3, and October 10 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Come to all four programs if you can, or choose the ones that are of most interest to you. To learn more about the Moyers series and outreach campaign, visit the web site at www.pbs.org/onourownterms. If you have questions or concerns regarding end-of-life care, you may contact Alabamians for Better Care at Life’s End (ABCLE) at 1-877-594-5050. ABCLE is a state-wide coalition working to improve care at the end of life.

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