Lec 14 Flashcards
Death and Dying
What decreases are associated with death?
1, Activity level
2. Interest in surroundings
3. Body Temperature
4. Blood Pressure
5. Breathing regularity
What are the three phases of death with descriptions?
- Agonal Phase (struggle)
- Clinical death (no vitals but able to be resuscitated)
- Mortality (permanent death)
Why is it common now to have a fear of death?
- Young generations don’t really experience the death of someone they know
- Death often occurs in a medical setting
- It is rare to directly discuss death
What Western cultural variations limit death anxiety?
Spirituality limits more than religion
What is the death anxiety pattern over time?
It decreases over age
What gender pattern is observed with death anxiety?
Women have more than men (western and eastern cultures)
What scales are used to measure fear of death?
- The Collet-Lester Fear of Death Scale - Revised (CL-R, 1-5 scales)
- Death Anxiety Scale (T/F statements)
- DAS-Extended (More T/F statements)
According to the death-anxiety-scale, what are the two factors that effect death anxiety?
- Psychological health
- Life experiences relating to death
What five stages of dying are observed by who?
Kubler-Ross observed:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
What is a common misconception of the Kubler-Ross stages?
It is necessary to go through all 5 stages in order, it is not always all 5 stages and is different over individual cases
Why has a simplistic interpretation of Kubler-Ross created poor healthcare professional treatment?
- Professionals try and push them through the sequence
- Dismissal of complaints due to death stages
What is the big criticism of the Kubler-Ross theory?
It does not look at the context of meaning in individual lives.
What are the 4 things identified about a “good death”?
- Clarifies meaning of life and death
- Gives a sense of control over time
- Maintains a sense of identity, and continuity with the past
- It maintains/enhances relationships
What is an appropriate death?
- It makes sense in the person’s pattern of living and values
- It preserves/restores significant relationships
- It is free of suffering
What influences the context of how someone dies?
- Nature of disease
- Personality and coping style
- Family Members and health professionals’ behaviour
- Spirituality/religion/culture etc.
What was experienced by patients who received palliative care with music therapy?
Music group reported a bigger decline in death anxiety and tiredness
What is passive euthanasia?
It is when it is decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatment
What guidelines can document self advocacy?
- A living will before things may happen
- Power of attorney for health care (appointed management)
What is voluntary active euthanasia?
It is the patient’s requested administered medical assistance in dying.
What is the legality surrounding voluntary active euthanasia?
It is a criminal offense in most countries
Legalized 2016 Canada
Legalized 2001 Netherlands
What is assisted suicide?
Doctors prescribe drugs so that terminally ill patients can end their own lives
How does public opinion look at assisted suicide?
public opinion favors voluntary active euthanasia vs assisted suicide
What are the three tasks associated with grieving death?
- Accepting reality
- Working through the pain
- Adjusting to the world without the person
What step of grieving is associated with the most grief?
Step 2
What are common physiological associations with confronting grief?
Loss of sleep and appetite
What is the third task called in grief of death? What is it made of?
Restoration: overcoming loneliness, reorganizing daily life
What is the dual-process model of coping?
People alternate between dealing with emotions and attending to life changes
What are examples of restoration-oriented events?
visiting friends, seeing others
What contexts of grieving affect the process?
Gender (men express/seek support less)
Quality of the relationship with the deceased
Sudden vs anticipated death
Death of a child
What are some specifics of young grief?
Parental death is associated with a loss of security, sibling death makes clear vulnerability, and school age kids are more willing to confide than teenagers
What is bereavement overload?
It is several deaths in succession
What is risk of bereavement overload?
Becoming emotionally overwhelmed, unable to resolve grief
What is power of attorney in terms of old age?
Someone who is appointed to make financial/health/legal decisions for you when you are no longer capable/willing
