This essay will consider some of the qualities inherent in the concept of a ‘good death’. In particular focussing on those qualities that may impact on whether a death is considered timely or untimely, and how timeliness might contribute overall to the ‘good death’ concept.
There does not appear to be a single definition of what might constitute a ‘good death’ or indeed a consensus that it is achievable at all. Throughout history there appears to have been ideas about death. Clues to which are found in burial sites and ancient texts amongst others (K260, Block 1, Unit 2, pp 33-42). A widely used adage that to die ‘in old age peacefully in one’s sleep’ hints that a ‘good death’ is one that occurs in context, in this case in one’s own bed, and furthermore, that it is timely, in the sense that it occurs after a long life.
There is some agreement on the characteristics that might constitute a timely or ‘good death’. That death is somewhat predictable, to allow planning and saying goodbye to loved ones, is free of pain and distress, and occurs after having fulfilled potential for a good life, also that death is not unnecessarily prolonged (K260 DVD, A001 & A002,).
Often it is not only the person who is dying that is affected by the end of life experience. There may be involvement from medical professionals, carer’s and of course family and loved ones. These people may have a different perspective on the end of life experience, and therefore, different expectations and needs that inform their views on what constitutes a good death. In a study by Costello (2006) on hospital nurse’s views of what made death good, predictability, to allow some control over the event, so as to minimise disruption, both emotional and physica...
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...a sense of relationship with those present, a connection with the place of death, and of having reached an expected age, or life-stage. Age then seems closely related to timeliness. Yet the relationship is complicated by cultural issues, the dominance of the medical perspective, incongruences in religious beliefs and society’s expectations on how the course of life ought to run. In achieving a good death some people’s wishes may be contrary to society’s expectations. Some could receive medical interventions that they do not wish, such as the antibiotic regime Forster (2009) describes her father receiving, and yet others’ may not receive the treatment that they, or their loved ones, would like them to (Piece 43, Earle et al, pp 90 – 94). A ‘good death’ then could be seen as one that occurs in context, and that is timely, on an individual and/or societal level.
Mortality, the subject of death, has been a curious topic to scholars, writers, and the common man. Each with their own opinion and beliefs. My personal belief is that one should accept mortality for what it is and not go against it.
The boundaries of right to die with dignity are hard to determine. Keeping the terminal patient comfortable is the purpose of comfort care, however there could be a very thin line between what we consider terminal sedation and euthanasia. In theory, comfort care is quite different from euthanasia. Keeping the patient comfortable and letting the nature take its course is at the core of comfort measures (Gamliel, 2012). Yet, the line between keeping comfortable and facilitating death is often blurry. Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering (Gamliel, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ethical issue of keeping comfortable vs. hastening death, and the ethical principles involved. Facilitating or hastening death is considered unethical or even illegal.
Nurses are both blessed and cursed to be with patients from the very first moments of life until their final breath. With those last breaths, each patient leaves someone behind. How do nurses handle the loss and grief that comes along with patients dying? How do they help the families and loved ones of deceased patients? Each person, no matter their background, must grieve the death of a loved one, but there is no right way to grieve and no two people will have the same reaction to death. It is the duty of nurses to respect the wishes and grieving process of each and every culture; of each and every individual (Verosky, 2006). This paper will address J. William Worden’s four tasks of mourning as well as the nursing implications involved – both when taking care of patients’ families and when coping with the loss of patients themselves.
Americans at the end of their lives no longer have this sense of continuity and stability. Rituals today are as likely to include tubes and noisy machines, artificial ventilators and unpleasant drug regimens bringing as many unpleasant side effects as health benefits. Many times the dying languishes in a hospital bed, surrounded not by the comforts of home and family but rather by sterility and bright lights, strangers and hushed voices. Death is no longer a mysterious part of a cherished tradition but a terrifying ordeal to be postponed as long as possible, an enemy that must be fought off at all costs.
It is found that nurses report that their most uncomfortable situations come with prolonging the dying process and some struggle with ethical issues by doing so (Seal, 2007). Studies have shown that implementation of the RPC program and educating nurses have increased the nurses’ confidence in discussing end-of-life plans (Austin, 2006). With confidence, the nurse is able to ask the right questions of the patient and make sure that the patient’s wishes are upheld in the manner that they had wanted, such as to not resuscitate or to make sure their spiritual leader is present when passing (Austin,
Odd as it sounds, there can be little question that some deaths are better than others. People cross-culturally have always made invidious distinctions between good deaths and bad. Compare, for instance, crooner Bing Crosby's sudden death following eighteen rounds of his beloved golf with the slow motion, painful expiration of an eighty-year-old diabetic. Bedridden following the amputation of his leg, the old man eventually began slipping in and out of consciousness. This continues over a period of years, exhausting the emotional, physical. and financial resources of his family. The essence of a "good death" thus involves the needs of the dying (such as coming at the end of full and completed lives, and when death is preferred to continued existence) as well as those of their survivors and the broader society.
Life and death represent a dyad; their definitions inherently depend on one another. Simply defined, death is the cessation of life. Similarly, life can be defined as not death; however, not everything not alive is dead. Boniolo and Di Fiore explain this dyadic relationship well, and other authors have cited this interdependency to better define life and death.1-6 The academic literature contains multiple definitions for both terms depending on which discipline or interest group attempts the definition. Nair-Collins provides a thorough discourse on this diversity in terms of death, differentiating between “biological death, death of the person, death of the moral agent, death of the moral patient, legal death, and the commonsense notion of death.”2(p.667,668,675) Through the dyadic relationship, similar groupings could be arrived at for defining life. Whether or not one accepts Nair-Collins’ categories, at least some differentiation of this type is necessary given the complexity of these concepts. I propose a simplified categorization of the definitions of life and death: (1)scientific/biological, (2)medic...
The subject of end of life care is one of great controversy and brings positive and negative
Every day, millions of people are being diagnose with terminal illnesses or being seriously injured in accidents. Sometimes, those illnesses and accidents become long and agonizingly painful deaths. Although medication could briefly ease the pain, the long-term agony that the patient has to deal with is ceaseless. Undoubtedly, the human life has an enormous value and is for that reason that it should be preserved in all the possible ways. Nevertheless, when the terminal illness comes to its last stage, or the damage caused for an accident is too much to handle and the only option left is death, shouldn’t it be the patient’s decision to end its suffering and pain in a dignified way? Or in cases where the patient has an impediment to decide, shouldn’t the family have the option to give their loved one an end to its suffer? As part of a free society, euthanasia should be considered as a legal and humane option for patients suffering from terminal diseases and victims of accidents, mainly because is every human right to die in a decent way.
To conclude, difference and diversity in relation to a ‘good death’ are important to forming guidance to fully understanding what is defined in creating a good death. A method in which can be taken and used for gaining equality for all, regardless of age, sex or religious beliefs or financial status. Furthermore, what everyone will perceive as a ‘good death’ will differ, with no definition as to which is right or wrong. everyone has the right to die with dignity and respect, peacefully with minimal suffering surrounded by people they
Overall the need for a better based end of life care strategy is warranted globally. More of a focus should be given on care and high quality service for patients. As of now too much decision lies with the healthcare professionals and this can lead to faulty decision making because the health care providers are doing what they believe is in our best interest. In reality the patient or ourselves only have the true idea how we would like our final days to be carried out. By developing and carrying out an end of care plan we can take the decision making out of the family and doctors and place it on the patient. By all counts the need for change is apparent within the healthcare industry in regards to end of life care. By considering this unique change a great deal of improvement can be derived from this decision making process.
The purpose of this essay is to analyse various theories on ageing, death, dying, and end of life issues from different perspectives such as: biophysiological theories, psychosocial theories; and taking in consideration the cultural, historical, and religious implications around the aforementioned life stages. One will also discuss important issues relevant to social work practice such as dignity, autonomy, and their relationship with the concept of a successful ageing and a good death. One considers these areas important since they upheld anti-discriminatory practice and may perhaps promote the development of personalised care pathways, as well as fair and justifiable social policies.
The subject of death and dying is a common occurrence in the health care field. There are many factors involved in the care of a dying patient and various phases the patient, loved ones and even the healthcare professional may go through. There are many controversies in health care related to death, however much of it roots from peoples’ attitudes towards it. Everyone handles death differently; each person has a right to their own opinions and coping mechanisms. Health care professionals are very important during death related situations; as they are a great source of support for a patient and their loved ones. It is essential that health care professionals give ethical, legal and honest care to their patients, regardless of the situation.
Death is the one great certainty in life. Some of us will die in ways out of our control, and most of us will be unaware of the moment of death itself. Still, death and dying well can be approached in a healthy way. Understanding that people differ in how they think about death and dying, and respecting those differences, can promote a peaceful death and a healthy manner of dying.
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.