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Form/Huber Colloquium: Deborah Carr

February 13, 2015
All Day
248 Townshend Hall

Event Host: Department of Sociology


Deborah Carr, professor and chair, sociology, Rutgers University, lectures on "We Don't All Die Alone: The Social Context of End of Life Preparations in the United States".

Abstract: The final days of life for dying patients are typically filled with physical discomfort, emotional distress, and cognitive impairment. Persons who cannot articulate their preferences for care may receive unwanted, futile, or costly treatments. Advance care planning is a strategy that patients, their family members and health care providers can use to ensure that care is consistent with patient’s wishes, yet only half of all Americans use these tools. Why do so many Americans – including older adults and even health care providers themselves – eschew the use of living wills and durable power of attorney for health care designations? Using data from a diverse range of large data sets (American Changing Lives, Knowledge Networks, New Jersey End of Life Study, Wisconsin Longitudinal Study), Dr. Carr will show how socioeconomic status, interpersonal factors, personal beliefs and religious factors shape attitudes and practices surrounding end-of-life care.

For more information, visit the Department of Sociology website.

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