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Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Episode #1328

End-of-Life Decisions: It's a topic that doesn't get talked about enough: getting patients, as well as their families, to talk about what they want at the end of life, while they still can. About 30% of Medicare's spending is on treatment given in the last year of a patient's life, treatment that for elderly with many chronic illnesses is often both painful and futile. Absent stated patient instructions, in most states physicians are obligated to continue treatment to sustain life. So although doctors think their patients should be allowed to die peacefully, their hands are tied by custom and law. Correspondent Betty Rollin reports.

The Monastic Life- Monasteries stand in contrast to the prevailing culture. They stress community over competition, service over self-interest, and, in a world of Internet, cell phones and 24-hour talk, they value listening, and silence. Correspondent Judy Valente visited the sisters at the Benedictine Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas to learn more about this chosen way of life. [26 minutes] Closed Captioning

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This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.

Information For Teachers

Grade Levels
9-12
Curricular Areas
Social Studies
Series Length
648 episodes
Average Episode Length
26 minutes
Record Rights
Record and retain for 1 year from each broadcast. No duplication allowed.
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Series Description: This series provides in-depth coverage of the top religion and ethics stories of the week as well as religious and ethical perspectives on domestic and foreign events and the arts. Hosted by veteran journalist Bob Abernethy, the series brings viewers breaking news through live and taped reports filed by a team of correspondents in the field and interviews with prominent newsmakers.

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