Doctor to speak at conference on 'Faith, Hope and Medicine'

"I want to connect spirituality and religion to one's physical well-being," says Dr. Michael Kailas, MD, a neurologist from Teaneck, New Jersey.

On June 16, he will have that opportunity as the keynote speaker at "Faith, Hope and Medicine," a conference sponsored by the Albany diocesan Commission on Aging.

Dr. Kailas said he will also address several "hot-button" issues, such as defining "persistent vegetative state of life" and "mild cognitive impairment," topics that "were very much talked about during the Terri Schiavo ordeal."

Discussion

Dr. Kailas said that "I want to stress in my talk how important [a healthcare proxy] is for families when they discuss the anticipated care -- or, in medical terms, advanced directives -- of their elderly loved ones, and what they can do to appropriately help them prepare for extended care and end-of-life issues.

"The healthcare proxy is someone that would hopefully know mom well enough to be able to interpret what she would want to have done when she can no longer make those decisions herself."

A proxy "is a family member that knows her needs and knows how she feels about the type of care that is available for her, someone that can make that decision when she can't."

Faith and illness

Dr. Kailas, who is Greek Orthodox, is concerned about how faith issues impact a person during times of illness or at the end of life.

"As a neurologist, I have many patients that come to me suffering from serious illnesses, such as Alzheimer's and dementia," he noted. "They have serious questions, such as, 'How can I prepare for my own death? What does my religion and my faith mean to me?'

"As a person approaches facing his or her death, these questions present themselves. It is important to do what you have to do to come to terms with yourself and your Creator. I believe that a person must use the gifts that God has given them during their lifetime to the maximum.

"Ultimately, it is our own salvation that we need to be concerned with. It is our personal relationship between our Maker and ourselves that counts.

"Our faith communities are well prepared to grapple with these issues, perhaps [through] a spiritual director, a priest or someone in whom we can confide our deepest concerns, someone that will help us along the way."

(The conference will be held June 16, 2 p.m., at St. Sophia's Center in Albany. In addition to Dr. Kailas, the conference will feature a panel of experts that includes Rev. Martin Fisher, pastor of Corpus Christi in Round Lake. To register for the free event, contact Nancy Acemoglu at 785-1351, ext. 25.)

(6/9/05) [[In-content Ad]]