Hospice in the News

Contact: Rosemary Collins, APR, Director of Public Relations,
The Center for Hospice & Palliative Care;

(716) 686-8259; rcollins@palliativecare.org

Buffalo Film About Hospice Care Wins National Award
Graceful Passages: The Hospice Journals Ties for First Prize

Buffalo, NY - Buffalo independent filmmaker, Jon R. Hand's "Graceful Passages: The Hospice Journals" tied for first prize in a national film competition conducted by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) this fall. The 57-minute film offers an inside look into the poignant world of Hospice care as seen through the eyes of caregivers, patients and staff.

"Graceful Passages: The Hospice Journals" is but one of several examples of the high quality of submissions we received this year," said Jon Radulovic, vice president of Communications for NHPCO. "The judges were looking closely for films that really served as tools to educate and inform hospice and palliative professionals and volunteers. There were over 300 entries in all the combined categories."

The moving documentary features the journeys of two hospice patients, an older gentleman named Milton who has congestive heart failure and lives in an assisted living residence and a woman named Marjorie who is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and is living at home with her caring husband, Dave.

"What more meaningful thing could I be doing with the last few years of my life than taking care of someone who has meant so much to me," states Dave to the camera. It is the couple's love story that draws the viewer into the profound, compassionate world of hospice care - a specialty field that is often misunderstood.

"Too many think of Hospice as brink of death care," comments Elizabeth Maher, M.D., the Hospice Buffalo physician who visits with Marjorie and Dave in their home. "We get to know people so much better when they've come in sooner. I see it as a period of time where home is the focus and maximizing one's abilities, one's pleasure out of life."

While the subject matter is a serious one, the documentary has light moments and is sensitive to the intimate nature of filming inside private spaces. It beautifully portrays the human connections and loving care that often is experienced at the end of life.

Perhaps the most unexpected part of the film is the length of time and depth of care that the Hospice team provides to the patient and family. It is exemplified throughout Graceful Passages - a fitting name for the life's work of Hospice. "I think we're all here to make the journey easier for someone else," summarized Megan Farrell, M.D., another hospice physician.
The entire film and bonus features can be viewed at www.gracefulpassagesmovie.com. In addition, the film's DVD is available to borrow at all Erie County libraries.

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