End-of-Life Symposium

The Washington County Hospital and Washington County CARES (a Rallying Points Coalition) in collaboration with several regional hospices (Hospice of Washington County, Hospice of the Panhandle, Blue Ridge Hospice, Hospice of Frederick County, and Lutheran Home Care Hospice), is sponsoring an End-of-Life Symposium. The conference, "Continuing Care Beyond Cure," will be held Wednesday, Nov. 5, and Thursday, Nov. 6, in Hagerstown.

The conference will begin on Wednesday evening with dinner and a lecture by Dr. Ira Byock on "Dying Well: Alleviating Suffering and Preserving Opportunity Through the End of Life."

The conference on Thursday will focus on the framework that must be in place within and beyond health care to ensure that the best practice standards are met and family preferences honored. Presenters will include Byock, Jack Schwartz, Dr. Carolyn Classen, and Dillon Woods.

For information on attending this educational conference, contact Cindy Earle, community health education coordinator at earlec@wchsys.org or call 301-790-8624.

Safe sitter classes

Safe Sitter classes for girls and boys ages 11 to 13 will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital. Registration for the two-day program, sponsored by the hospital, is open until Friday, Nov. 14. The cost is $35. To register your son or daughter or your child's babysitter, call Val Penick at 1-304-728-1693.

The Safe Sitter program is a medically accurate program that teaches young adolescents how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children.

The goal of Safe Sitters is to reduce the number of accidental and preventable deaths among children being cared for by babysitters.

To successfully complete the program, students must pass a practical and written test to show that they have mastered the key components of the course and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency.

CPR class

The Volunteer Fire Co. of Halfway will host an adult, child and infant CPR class at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. The cost of the class is $23. Register in advance by calling 301-573-1034 and ask for Alan.

First aid class

The Volunteer Fire Co. of Halfway will host a first aid class at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. The class is approved for daycare providers. The cost of the class is $38 and includes a book. Register in advance by calling 301-573-1034 and ask for Alan.