The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
A powerful lesson for approaching end-of-life decisions
Barbara Klick’s presentation for UMRA’s February 2025 Forum—“What Pets Can Teach Us About End of Life”—explored how animals navigate their final days with a kind of wisdom that humans often struggle to embrace.
“Pets don’t ask for one more test or one more treatment, they focus on the now,” she said. “This perspective offers a powerful lesson for how we approach end-of-life decisions, both for our pets and for ourselves.”
Drawing on her extensive experience in both human and veterinary medicine, Klick emphasized the importance of compassionate decision-making, focusing on dignity and comfort.
“What we owe our loved ones—human or animal—is a peaceful, pain-free transition,” she said.
She also shared moving stories that illustrated the deep emotional bonds between people and their pets, and how those relationships shape our understanding of loss and grief.
A key takeaway from her talk was the contrast between how animals and humans experience medical interventions near the end of life. Rather than pursuing every possible treatment, Klick encouraged attendees to consider, “Are we prolonging life, or prolonging suffering?”
The session resonated with many, sparking a heartfelt Q&A discussion that encouraged reflection on how we define a “good” death—for pets and for ourselves.
Klick retired recently as chief executive officer of Sholom Community Alliance. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles in several settings including Fairview Physician Associates and the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.
—AI-generated transcription of the Zoom webinar was condensed by Diane Young and edited for clarity and length
What our pets can teach our families about end of life
Tue, February 25, 2025, at 11am
Barbara Klick
CEO, retired
Sholom Community Alliance
Event to be held via Zoom.
The human-animal bond can be mutually beneficial for humans and companion animals. And when families face the end of life for their beloved pets, it can present an excellent opportunity to discuss end-of-life challenges and wishes for humans. The presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion.
Klick started her healthcare career as a candy striper, volunteering at a local hospital more than 50 years ago. Her diverse background in health care since then includes service as a paramedic; a nurse in a skilled nursing home; a critical care nurse in emergency department, intensive care, and cardiac intensive care settings; emergency medicine educator; and manager of the first medical helicopter in Minnesota. She has also held leadership roles within a Level 1 trauma center, ambulatory care clinics, and the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.
She served for nine years as the chief operating officer for Fairview Physician Associates. In this position, Klick helped set clinical integration direction and operational implementation to advance health by improving clinical quality, patient experience, and decreasing total cost of care for individuals and populations.
Klick recently retired as CEO of Sholom Community Alliance, where she served seniors in senior care settings from independent living to hospice. With campuses in St. Louis Park and St. Paul, Minnesota, Sholom is a not-for-profit organization that offers comprehensive care for seniors, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care (skilled nursing), short-term care (rehabilitation), home care, and hospice.
Please register today for this free Zoom webinar and join the discussion at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25.
If you would like to submit a question in advance, email Diane Young at [email protected].
—Diane Young, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair
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