Perceptions of Death Although death is readily recognized by medical professionals and laypersons alike, it is difficult to truly define the term. Science and technology blurs the lines between life and death with each new innervation. Not only do scientific efforts challenge human understanding of death, they have allowed for a greater awareness of when death will occur. Along with this awareness are certain common reactions that have been studied by psychologists. Recent research delves further into how death is perceived by elderly patients. The next step is to use this research to develop protocols and psychological tools which could enhance care delivery. If new techniques are developed based on evidence from research, public and private resources can be optimized to provide meaningful experiences for elderly patients and their loved ones. Definitions of Death According to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Venes, Thomas, & Taber, 2001), death is the termination of all biological functions that support a living entity. All living entities eventually experience death. With the advent of modern medical equipment which is sensitive enough to measure tiny changes in biological functions, death is no longer considered an event. It is thought of more as a process. Some conditions that were once considered indications of death, such as cardiac arrest, now may be reversed. Clinical signs of death, such as cessation of heart function and breathing are no longer sufficient evidence for medical professionals to determine legal death. To complicate matters even more, heart function may be present along with breathing but a patient could be pronounced dead because of the absence of brain activity. As scientific understanding advan... ... middle of paper ... ...s and Geriontology International, 7(1), 34-40. Kubler-Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2007). On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss. New York, NY: Scribner. Payne, S., Hawker, S., Kerr, C., Seamark, D., Roberts, H., Jarret, N., & Smith, H. (2007, September). Experiences of end-of-life care in community hospitals. Health and Social Care in the Community, 15(5), 494-501. Schneidman, E. (1999). Lives and Deaths: Selections from the Works of Edwin S. Schneidman (1st ed.). Florence, KY: Routledge. Venes, D., Thomas, C. L., & Taber, C. W. (2001). Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary-Thumb Indexed Version (19th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F A Davis. Winter, L., Parker, B., & Schneider, M. (2007, August 31). Imagining the alternatives to life prolonging treatments: elders’ beliefs about the dying experience. Death Studies, 7, 619-631.
God tells his children, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation). Death is one of the most frightening and confusing times a person can go through. Watching a loved one pass away is also one of the hardest trials a person can experience. Many people assume that death is a time of pain and the only thing that they can do is mourn and watch their loved one fade away from the earth. This is wrong. There are ways that people can turn a bad situation to good. Dying doesn’t have to be painful and full of suffering. The County Hospice staff makes sure of this. The Hospice staff not only takes care of passing patients physically, but they also take care of the patients emotionally and spiritually. Hospice staff also plays a key role in helping families during the grieving process.
As a nursing student, I have had some exposure to death during patient care. My first encounter with direct death was witnessing a patient after attempted resuscitation efforts die in the emergency department. As I observed others reactions, I noticed I was the only one who seemed fazed by the preceding events and the end result, although I didn’t show it outwardly. During my Aging and End of life clinical rotation, I have been exposed to a near death experience with a family and I had the rewarding experience of forming a relationship with the patient’s wife during the short hour I was in their home. From reading the accounts in this book, it confirmed to me the importance of catering to the needs of the family and the dying as an important issue to address as they are critical to overall care.
The sub-title of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ book describes her audience as doctors, nurses, clergy and the family of dying patients. Because of her target audience the book is written on a more emotional level, citing examples of both positive and negative death experiences. There are no detailed descriptions of what happens to the body as it dies, just discussions of how the dying person might feel and how they might want to experience their last moments of life. Sherwin Nuland takes a much more scientific approach with his book “How We Die”. In chapter seven, Accidents, Suicide and Euthanasia, Nuland describes in great detail the pathophysiology of why a person dies from sepsis and pulmonary infection. His book is targeted more towards the health care professional who is familiar with long drawn out discussions of the pathophysiology of a certain disease process. The choice of target audience by each author correlates to their discussions regarding who controls the death experience. Kübler-Ross argues for patient input and control and so...
When a person is battling between life and death physicians have to check for signs of death. Kastebaum states that “the most common signs of death have been lack of respiration, pulse, and heartbeat, as well as failure to respond to stimuli such as light, movement, and pain. Lower body temperature and
Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal, focuses on end-of-life care for patients in the American healthcare system. Gawande includes evidence along with anecdotes from his own life surrounding his career as a surgeon and his role in helping family members navigate their own end-of-life decisions. Much of Gawande’s argument rests on the premise that while end-of-life care in the American healthcare system is heroic and equipped with the best possible advancements in medicine, it too often fails the patients it is supposed to help. A large part of Being Mortal focuses on the doctor-patient relationship (especially in the context of shared-decision making) and how we often fail to recognize the things that are most important for our elderly in their
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth and Kessler, David A. On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.
Wesley, C. A. (1996). Social Work and End-of-Life Decisions: Self-Determination and the Common Good. Health & Social Work, 21(2), 115. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
End-of-life care in the United States is often fraught with difficult decisions and borne with great expense. Americans are often uncomfortable discussing death and
John L McIntosh. (2003) . Handbook of Death and Dying. Volume 1: The Presence of Death. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference.
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,
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.
Venes, Donald, and Clarence Wilbur Taber. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 16th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis, 2013. 1372-373. Print.
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.
Last breath. Gone forever. Nature takes its course. Death is inevitable for everyone. The thought becomes unnerving when one takes time to think that eventually it will happen to them. Younger adults and children tend to blow it off, thinking that because they are young, it won’t happen to them. Dying is certain, but the timing is not. As people become older, the fear of dying in this death denying culture becomes more prominent in their thought. However, what if illness and death become sooner than we thought or they were unprepared for what was to come? People want to leave Earth as peacefully and painlessly as possible. If the patient is at the point in their life that they need medical equipment to sustain life to keep organs running while spending thousands of dollars of burden to their family, then what actually is their quality of life? This is a continually rising ethical concern in the medical field. It’s a matter of sustaining life in hopes that a patient will recover versus “giving up” and letting the patient die naturally and faster. This becomes even more challenging when the actual patient is unable to say their wishes and the literal life-or-death question is at hand of a loved one watching their friend or family member be kept alive from machines. Culture today seems to be too optimistic regarding death. We are so afraid of dying that we have no choice but to be a culture of life. Today’s American society is a death denying culture that cannot determine when it is the correct time to finally let go.
“Western culture, Western civilization (the modern culture of western Europe and North America)” (Princeton University). The definition of western culture is broad and can be applied to many different aspects of life. In the world of health care, western culture prevails when discussing end of life situations. The main focus of western communication in these situations is keeping trust between patients directly and communicating the situation with them in a clear but respectful manner (Hawryluck). According to the National Health Service in the United Kingdom most health and social care staff have received some basic, generic communication skills training for end of life communication. However seeing as end of life situations are one of the most intense and demanding situation of a health care professionals career to deal with, “most believe they would benefit from further training to address the challenging demands of conversations with people approaching the end of life” (NHS). One of the major factors in these discussions is the age of the patient in question. Since it’s not usual for a family member to die before they are old and considered elderly, different situations are in need of different responses. Especially in the case of a child, teenage, or any other death for people under the age of 60. The dialogue between the patient and doctor or any other health care official is greatly influenced if the patient is a minor or an adult. Conversation structure and even the person the professional is likely to have a conversation with might change. In the western world society tends to be split up into 3 major age groups; children and young adults (under 18 years of age), adults (19-60 years of age)...