Death And Dying
Options Discussed

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

BARREQUE & PATIO FURNITURE

Dr. John Finn

'1111111111111•1•1

If you are not wearing it
...sell it!

The

DOLL
OSPITAL

You can't enjoy jewelry if it's
sitting in your safe deposit
box. Sell it for immediate cash.
We purchase fine gems.
Diamonds and Gold Jewelry.

TOY SOLDIER

A Service to Private
Owners, Banks &
Estates — Gem/
Diamond Specialists

AWARDED CERTIFICATE BY GIA
IN GRADING & EVALUATION

30400 Telegraph Rd. • Suite 134
Bingham Farms 642-5575

■ 111111I

SHOP

SALE

On Selected Items

Fine Jewelers

EST. 1919

3947 W. 12 Mile • Berkley
(313) 543-3115
M., T, W. & Sat 10 5:30

Lawrence M. Allan, President

-

Th., Fri. 10-8 • Sun. 12-4

Hours: DAILY 10-5:30
I - •
T.
-3

(conveniently beaded near 1498)

'

NESS EQUIPIO

BIRMINGHAM

1489 S. Woodward

646-8477

ROCHESTER HILLS

' 3140 Walton Blvd.

Now Thru Dec. 25th

,

Camping Outerwear, Equipment,
Wool Sweaters, Flannel Shirts
and Much, Much More!

3405 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD, KEEGO HARBOR
738•JAW1 (5291) Mountaineering & Backcountry Travel

16

"SEEN IIANNAII

fr

* ';‘

11,0SE

BLOOMEI LD PLAZA • TELEGRAPH Al MAPLE

375-9707

CREATE
VIDEO
PRODUCTIONS

When only the best
Video will do for those
once in a lifetime
moments.
Audrey and Steve Lorber
557-4010

H

ouse calls are not a
quaint concept of the
past for John Finn.
As medical director of
Hospice of Southeastern Michi-
gan, Dr. Finn often finds him-
self in the homes of terminally
ill patients.
Such visits made him realize
the way individuals must feel
when going to a doctor's office
— tense, apprehensive. When
Dr. Finn sees patients, he some-
times gets lost and has to call
for directions, feeling a bit awk-
ward.
He finds the house calls sat-
isfying, though. The role rever-
sal, he said, often verifies for the
patient just how important he
is to Dr. Finn.
Dr. Finn spoke of his experi-
ences with Hospice on Dec. 7 at
Temple Israel. He was joined
by the director of Jewish Hos-
pice Services, Rabbi E.B. Bun-
ny Freedman; chairman of the
Jewish Hospice Committee,
David Techner; and Hospice
volunteer coordinator David
Turner. Rabbi M. Robert Syme
of Temple Israel moderated the
discussion.
The program addressed what
Hospice is, how to use it and
how to get involved. Temple Is-
rael leaders are hoping to form
a core of congregant volunteers.
Dr. Finn began his medical
work with a hospital, dealing
primarily with cancer patients
and their families. He wasn't
pleased with the approach or
treatment of individuals with
limited life spans.
"I figured there had to be a
better way to take care of these
advanced malignancies besides
calling in another specialist or
trying out yet another medica-
tion," Dr. Finn said. `There was
little attention paid to the con-
trol of pain. Ultimately, these

patients deteriorated but no one
talked about it.
"We never discussed termi-
nal, so patients were never pre-
pared. There was no time to
successfully conclude their lives,
their relationships, their fi-
nances. They died holding on to
a false hope."
Hospice offered another op-
tion — home care for terminal-
ly ill patients, usually with six
months or less left to live, with
an emphasis on comfort for the
patient and his family.
"In Hospice, once we remove
the pumps and catheters and
begin to control the pain, pa-
tients were able to take control
and decide how they wanted to
live out the rest of their lives,"
Dr. Finn said. "I think patients
that die through Hospice die
better. It's positive, it's legal, it's
consistent with medical creeds
and it's morally defensible."
This option has been avail-
able to residents of southeast

lk. Finn wasn't
pleased with the
approach or treatment
of individuals with
limited life spans.

Oakland County since 1980.
Two years ago, the services
were expanded. Through the
aid of an endowment and the
partnership of Jewish Family
Service, Jewish Hospice began
in 1991.
In actual operation for about
10 months, Jewish Hospice has
served nearly 200 families. The
model is being used to create
Hispanic, Muslim and Funda-
mentalist Christian divisions of
Hospice.
The goal of such specialized
services is to break down bar-
riers between the patient and
family and the team of doctors,
nurses, social workers, home
health aides and volunteers.
"They (team members) don't
have to become experts. But
they get a little background
through inservice training. In
Jewish Hospice, it helps them
to ask the proper questions —
about kashrut, Shabbat, holi-
days," Rabbi Freedman said.
Mr. Techner added, 'The con-
cept of Jewish Hospice — there
is nothing more Jewish. It's
about care and comfort and dy-
ing and respect for the dead."0

