Lecture 3 Flashcards
Euthanasia decision-making and grief
When is euthanasia an option?
2pt
- Always an option (SVMA)
- It is up to you, do what oyu are comfortable with (refer to someone else if needed)
How do we deal with our own emotions AND with our own drive to ‘do the best medicine’ when addressing euthanasia with clients?
1pt
Feel empathetic for client but oyu do not need to absorb their emotions, but do not be afraid to get emotional
What are the events and discussions in Euthanasia?
6pt
- Dicuss options
- Euthanasia decision
- Discuss the euthanasia process
- Walk client through the process
- Support during and after the procedure
- Follow-up and offer grief resources
What do the clients experience with euthanasia?
4pt
- Can be one of the most difficult decisions for a pet/animal owner
- Decision means different things for different people
- Medical and quality-of-life issues – client & animal perspective
- Practical considerations: e.g., limited resources (time, money, facility, capacity)
What do the clients experience with euthanasia - companion animal? Examples of compounding factors.
4pt & 4pt
- Often considered a member of the family
- “Only place of unconditional love and support”
- May take on “child” or “partner” role in family system
- Often longest and most uncomplicated relationship
Examples of other compounding factors: - Similar medical diagnosis
- Need to euth for behavioural health or financial limitations
- Animal originally belongs to family member who has died
- Other crises co-occurring in clients life
What do the clients experience with euthanasia- equine?
4pt
- Similar to both companion animal & food animal
- Mixture of practical and more emotionally charged decision-making
- Medical and quality-of-life issues
- Practical considerations: e.g., financial resources, ability to continue with “job”, pasture ornament vs. working partner, disposal
What do the clients experience with euthanasia-Food animal?
8pt
- Financial balanced with Medical decision-making (ie. value of animal)
- “Special Animals” - Specifically has a story
- Depop & Accidents
- More emotionally charged- Appear distant or controlled, Feel lack of control, Guilt/ Shame/ Anger/ Confusion
- Fear (financial, community ramifications)
- Connection to animals- Pride, heritage herds
- Resistant to accessing support- Stigma, private/closed communities
- High incidences of MH (ASD, PTSD)
What are cummunication challenges with euthanasia?
5pt
- Discomfort with emotion
- Time constraints
- Guiding clients through difficult decisions
- Non-medical euthanasia requests
- Financial considerations
What is the vet experience with euthanasia?
5pt
- Concerns about own emotions
- Personal level of distress
- Client presence during euthanasia increases emotional impact
- Unpredictability of client emotions
- Repeated demand in practice
What are the types of grief?
12pt
- Anticipatory
- Residual/chronic/prolonged
- Distorted
- Masked
- Secondary Losses
- Complex/complicated
- Delayed
- Cumulative
- Traumatic
- Collective
- Ambiguous Loss (no closure/understanding)
- Disenfranchised
What are the physical sensations with grief?
5pt
- Tightness in chest, throat, and forehead
- Dry mouth
- Breathlessness
- Hypersensitivity to noise
- Low energy or weakness
What are the emotions with grief?
10pt
- Shock
- Numbness
- Anger and irritability
- Guilt
- Loneliness
- Fatigue
- Helplessness
- Yearning
- Emancipation
- Relief
What are the thoughts with grief?
5pt
- Disbelief
- Confusion
- Preoccupation
- Sense of deceased’s presence
- Hallucinations
What are the behaviours with grief?
10pt
- Crying
- Sleeping/eating disturbances
- Absent-minded behaviour
- Social withdrawal
- Restlessness
- overactivity
- Searching or calling-out for the deceased
- Dreaming
- Avoiding reminders of the deceased
- Carrying objects or visiting places
How do you support someone going through grief?
7pt
- Supportive, but not trying to fix it
- About feelings
- Not active, not telling anyone what to do
- Admitting can’t make it better
- Not asking for something or someone to change feelings
- Recognize loss
- They don’t set a time limit
