CH #44: Loss, Grief, & Dying Flashcards
inaccessibility or change in a valued person, object, or situation
loss
loss tangible to both the person sustaining the loss and to others
actual loss
loss tangible only to the person sustaining it
perceived loss
loss of life, limb, an object, person, pet, or job
physical loss
loss that affects a person’s self-image
psychological loss
loss behaviors displayed before the actual loss occurs
anticipatory loss
emotional response to loss
grief
distorted or abnormal grief response, including inhibited grief (suppression of grief reaction) and unresolved grief (lengthy or denied grief reaction)
dysfunctional grief
short but genuine grief reaction
abbreviated grief
grief reaction before actual loss
anticipatory grief
period during which a person learns to accept grief
mourning
state of grieving or going through the grief process
bereavement
(1) irreversible cessation of all functions of circulatory and respiratory functions; (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem; (3) termination of life
death
taking care of the whole person (body, mind, spirit, heart, & soul) with the goal of giving patients with life-threatening illnesses the best quality of life they can have through the aggressive management of symptoms
palliative care
a type of end-of-life care for persons who are terminally ill, characterized by the following: (1) patients are kept as free of pain as possible so that they may die comfortably and with dignity; (2) patients receive continuity of care, are not abandoned, and do not lose personal identity; (3) patients retain as much control as possible over decisions regarding their care and are allowed to refuse further life-prolonging technologic interventions; and (4) patients are viewed as individuals with personal fears, thoughts, feelings, values, and hopes
hospice care
process of planning for future care in the event a person becomes unable to make their own decisions
advanced care planning (ACP)
written directive that allows people to state in advance what their choices for health care would be if certain circumstances should develop
advance directives
a medical order indicating a patient’s wishes regarding treatments commonly used in a medical crisis; must be completed and signed by a health care professional, not the patient
Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form
a medical order indicating a patient’s wishes regarding treatments commonly used in a medical crisis
Medical Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) form
an order specifying that there be no attempt to resuscitate a patient in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest
Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR)
withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy with the understanding that death may result, generally after a decision is made that the therapy in question is medically futile or disproportionately burdensome
terminal weaning
mercy killing; the deliberate termination of the life of a person
euthanasia
someone other than the patient commits an action with the intent to end the patient’s life (i.e., injecting the patient with a lethal dose of a drug)
active euthanasia
