HEALTH CARE LIBRARY’S `WELLNESS WEDNESDAY’ MEETING WILL DISCUSS HOSPICE ON JUNE 24

June 10, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District’s Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa, will host a free program on  “Dispelling the Myths of Hospice,” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24. The program is part of the library’s “Wellness Wednesday” series, normally held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Hospice is defined as medical care that provides comfort and dignity for someone whose life is drawing to a close. It is a family-oriented, team-directed program that brings comfort to patients with limited life expectancy by controlling pain and symptoms while maximizing quality of life in the time remaining. 

The speaker on June 24 will be Janine Lortscher, business development specialist, Sharp HospiceCare. She will help attendees become better informed consumers by exploring the benefits and services of hospice care. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the end-of-life process and the options available when faced with a chronic disease or terminal illness. Additional topics will include eligibility, timing and the care offered once a person is enrolled in a hospice program.

Sharp HospiceCare, part of the Sharp HealthCare system, provides services throughout San Diego County in the comfort of patients’ homes, at the hospital, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in board-and-care homes. Sharp HospiceCare assembles an interdisciplinary team to meet each patient’s psychological, spiritual, emotional and physical needs, observes family dynamics, and respects cultural and religious differences. The team approach, as a preferred care delivery model, supports comprehensive, coordinated care with minimal gaps or overlaps.

The Herrick Library, which opened in 2002, is a consumer health public library specializing in health research information, accessible both on-site and via the Internet. 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 visit www.herricklibrary.org.