Adolescent/Adult Development Epilogue: Death and Dying Apr 29-May 1, 2009 Classes #41-42.
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Transcript of Adolescent/Adult Development Epilogue: Death and Dying Apr 29-May 1, 2009 Classes #41-42.
Adolescent/Adult Development
Epilogue: Death and Dying
Apr 29-May 1, 2009Classes #41-42
Deciding How to Die
• Practices and rituals relating to dying, death, and bereavement are universal, but there are variations
• Rituals may be changing with globalization
• One of first steps in understanding death is to accept it– for most of human history, death accepted
as unanticipated, unavoidable, and quick– today, because of medical miracles, death
less of everyday event
Medical Professionals
• As illness came to be perceived as a domain of medicine rather than of religion, we began to believe physicians could work medical miracles
• Elizabeth Kübler-Ross brought solid research and compassionate attention to the psychological needs of the dying
Medical Professionals
• In the early 21st century, only 1/2 of medical books discuss care of dying
• In recent years, more physicians are more accepting of death
• 3 innovations are helping to help the dying achieve a “good death”– hospice care– palliative care – end-of-life decision making
Hospice Care • Hospice—institution where
terminally ill patients receive palliative care– provides skilled medical
treatment, but avoids death-defying interventions
– human dignity respected
• Dying person and the family are considered to be the “unit of care”– sometimes the home is
where care given
Palliative Care
• Designed mainly to relieve pain and suffering of patient and family– Double effect
• primarily relieves pain, but could also hasten death
• Psychological symptoms of patients and their families more difficult to treat– depression, anxiety
?Hospice is a concept rooted in the centuries-old idea of offering a place of shelter and rest, or "hospitality" to weary and sick travelers on a long journey
Dame Cicely Saunders at St. Christopher's Hospice in London first applied the term "hospice" to specialized care for dying patients in 1967
Today, hospice care provides humane and compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible
What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice Care
• Hospices try to help as many people as possible, but do not reach everyone– patients must be diagnosed as terminally ill– patients and caregivers must accept diagnosis
of terminal illness– hospices were typically designed for adults
with terminal cancer, not older adults with severe illnesses
– hospice care is expensive– availability depends mainly on location
Interdisciplinary Team
Typically, an interdisciplinary health care team of physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, home health aides, clergy, therapists, and trained volunteers cares for you, offering support based on their particular areas of expertise
Together, they provide comprehensive palliative care aimed at relieving symptoms and giving social, emotional, and spiritual support.
Legal Preparations
• Explicit guidelines for a person’s preferences for end-of-life care are needed because he or she often becomes incapable of making or expressing decisions about medical care
Legal Preparations
• Passive Euthanasia– situation in which a seriously ill person is
allowed to die naturally via cessation of medical interventions
• Active Euthanasia– a situation where someone takes action to
bring about another’s death, with the intention of ending that person’s suffering
Legal Preparations
• Living will– document that indicates what medical
intervention should occur
• Health care proxy– the person chosen to make medical
decisions if the person who chose becomes unable to make his/her own decisions
• Living wills are only a start• Hospitals today ask about living wills
and advance directives upon admission– some people resist signing them
• End-of-life care involves probabilities, not certainties, until the very last moment
• What quality of life is acceptable?
Disagreements About End-of-Life Care
Disagreements About End-of-Life Care
• Problems with Designated Proxy– many proxies choose measures neither
they nor the dying person want• may involve clashing cultural values
– family members may disagree bitterly about how much suffering is acceptable
– even if patient has signed living will and specified proxy, hospital staff may ignore them
Euthanasia
• Legally, decisions made in living wills and by health care proxies are to be honored
• Active euthanasia is fiercely controversial, even if the dying person requests it– is illegal in almost every part of the world
Euthanasia
• Physician-Assisted Suicide– Form of active euthanasia in which a
doctor provides the means for someone to end his or her life
• Voluntary Euthanasia– Form of active euthanasia in which, at
patient’s request, someone else ends his or her life
Euthanasia
• Several places have legalized physician-assisted suicide– the Netherlands– Switzerland– Belgium– Oregon
Euthanasia
• In Oregon, the following conditions must exist:– Person must be terminally ill• Less than 6 months to live
– Two doctors must confirm diagnosis of terminal illness• Both doctors must certify patient’s judgment
unimpaired – Person must ask for lethal drugs at least 2x
orally and 1 time in writing• 15 days must elapse between first request
and written prescription
The “Death Machine”...
Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted in March 1999 of second-degree murder after inducing the death of Thomas Youk, a man who had amyotropic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Kevorkian's conviction came after replaying Youk's videotaped death on the "60 Minutes" CBS television news magazine. He was sentenced to a 10 to 25 years in prison.
Thomas Youk, 52, injected with a lethal dose of chemicals by Kevorkian
Preparing for Death
• Responses to death vary greatly• It has been denied, sought, feared,
fought, avoided, and welcomed by all involved
Avoiding Despair
• Kübler-Ross helped us to understand death
• Acceptance of death was elusive before• Kübler-Ross’s 5 Stages
– denial– anger– bargaining– depression– acceptance
Avoiding Despair
• Others that study death (thanatology) have disagreed about the stages
• 5 stages appear and reappear throughout process
• Research has clarified some patterns– older people more likely to plan for death– concern is more likely to be for a “good
death”—swift, painless, dignified, and occurring at home
Cultural Variations
• Africa and Asia• North America
• In many traditional African religions, adults gain new status through death and the joining of ancestors
• For Muslims, death affirms religious faith– life is transitory, so people should be ready
for death at any time
Death in Religions of Africa and Asia
Death in Religions of Africa and Asia.
• For Buddhists, death and disease are among life’s inevitable sufferings– may bring spiritual enlightenment
• For Hindus, helping the dying to surrender their ties to the world and prepare for the next is a particularly important obligation for the family– a holy death is welcomed by dying person– eases person into the next life
• Indigenous tribes (over 400) all consider death an affirmation of nature and community values
• Jews hope for life to be sustained– thus, death is not emphasized and the dying
person is not left alone
• Many Christians believe that death is not an end, but rather the beginning of eternity in heaven or hell– so death may either be welcomed or feared
Death in North America
• Religious and spiritual concerns often reemerge at death
• It is common for dying people to return to their roots
• For many, spiritual beliefs and a connection to community offer hope at time of dying
Spiritual and Cultural Affirmation
• Bereavement– sense of loss following a death
• The considerable variations in practices that follow death are due to religion and culture
Coping with Bereavement
Forms of Sorrow
• Grief– individual’s emotional response to bereavement– private
• Mourning– culturally prescribed ceremonies and behaviors
for expressing grief at the death of a loved one– public
• The two are connected – mourning is designed by religions and cultures– grief, though personal and private, follows
social rules
Forms of Sorrow
• Mourning customs are designed by various cultures and religions to channel grief into reaffirmation
• Crucial to reaffirmation is people’s search for the meaning in death
• Unexpected or violent deaths are particularly likely to shock and to precipitate a search for meaning– Example: September 11, 2001
• Mourning has become more private, less emotional, and less religious– funeral trends
• cremation vs. burial
• As mourning diminishes, grief becomes less welcome
• People are less likely to be given time to grieve
Contemporary Challenges
Contemporary Challenges
• “Disenfranchised grief” is the practice of excluding certain people from mourning– the unmarried partner– the young child– the ex-spouse– the friend from work
• Any kind of prohibition, restriction, or exclusion can make healing, hope, and affirmation more difficult for bereaved of all ages
Contemporary Challenges
• Murders and suicides often trigger police investigations, etc., that interfere with the grief process
• Inadequate grief is thought to harm the larger community as well
• What Friends Can Do to Help the Bereaved Person– first, be aware that powerful, complicated,
and unexpected emotions are likely– do not judge another person’s sorrow– understand that culture and cohort play a
role in the different responses to death
Responses to Bereavement
Responses to Bereavement
• Bereavement is an ongoing, often lengthy process; sympathy, honesty, and social support may be needed for months or even years– especially true for families
• Recovery begins with acceptance of grief and may lead to reaffirmation of life
• Working through the emotions can help the person have a deeper appreciation of him/herself and life, including human relationships
Conclusion