A wise neurologist once wrote: “It’s okay to forget where you parked your car, but it’s not okay to forget that you have a car that’s parked.” When normal age-related forgetfulness slips into the dysfunction and dependence of progressive and irreversible dementia, individuals and community are challenged at the very deepest moral and cultural levels as we struggle to sustain an inclusive vision of a shared humanity. How can those affected by dementia and their caretakers live in true and meaningful hope? From diagnosis to dying, every imaginable big question in medical ethics is raised.

These questions will be addressed in a lecture by Stephen G. Post, the best-selling author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping (2011). Post has been widely recognized for his contributions in healthcare, with numerous honors including the Hope in Healthcare Award and the Pioneer Medal for “ground-breaking work in healthcare.” Additionally, Post is founding director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University School of Medicine and served as editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Bioethics.