By Marfa Public Radio
The Big Bend Sentinel and Marfa Public Radio hosted a town hall on aging and dying in the tri-county area Thursday night. The event featured a panel of West Texans dedicated to serving the needs of seniors and their families.
Seniors living in the Big Bend region struggle to get the care that they need. Many end up having to leave their homes and traveling far away at the end of their lives to seek healthcare.
You can watch the livestream of the entire town hall below. Marfa Public Radio will also broadcast an edited version on West Texas Talk on Nov. 28 and 29.
Were you at the town hall? We'd love your feedback. Click here to tell us what you thought.
Town Hall Speakers:
- Marvie Burton, former director of Hospice of the Big Bend
- Suzanne Dungan, Marfa hospice advocate
- Angela Juett and Cynthia Kirkpatrick, Agave Home Health
- Yvette Lugo, Rio Grande Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging
- Dr. John Ray and Linda Molinar, Preventative Care Health Services
- Rick Flores, Big Bend Regional Medical Center
Town Hall Highlights:
- 4:50 — Town hall begins with a story by Marfa Public Radio's Sally Beauvais that looks at the difficulties the region's aging population faces when seeking end-of-life care.
- 17:15 — The first question for tonight's panel: "What's one thing people should know about aging and dying in the Big Bend?"
- 28:30 — Cynthia Kirkpatrick explains Agave Home Health's relation to aging care services.
- 37:40 — Is there any effort to bring RN programs to Sul Ross University?
- 43:00 — What are some of the resources that we can take advantage of that are already here?
- 48:50 — Suzanne Dungan discusses her plans to form a committee around senior healthcare in the tri-county area.
- 1:00:45 — Judy Ford with Sunshine House in Alpine explains the different services the organization provides.
- 1:16:00 — Do you have more information about alternative burial practices?
- 1:21:00 — What are upcoming changes to medicare and how will that impact local home health services?
