Lesson 12: End of Life

Question 1

Passive Euthanasia

Answer 1

not providing a treatment or a resource that a person needs in order to continue living

Question 2

Active Euthanasia

Answer 2

directly engaging in some behavior that will, for humane reasons, lead to a person’s death
*more controversial

Question 3

living will

Answer 3

a legal document that states the person’s intentions regarding how he or she wants to be treated should the individual become unable to express his or her intentions

Question 4

durable power of attorney

Answer 4

a legal document in which the individual assigns another individual with the legal right to make medical (and sometimes other) decisions on behalf of the person should he or she become incompetent

Question 5

Kübler-Ross

Answer 5

studied terminally ill patients and found that they progress through a series of five stages:

1. denial
2. anger
3. bargaining
4. depression
5. acceptance
   - -> may be applicable to loved ones too

Question 6

Bereavement

Answer 6

the state one is in after experiencing the loss of a loved one
-no control over whether someone dies or not

Question 7

Grief

Answer 7

sadness, hurt, anger, and other feelings that the individual feels after experiencing the loss of a loved one
-varies between individuals

Question 8

Mourning

Answer 8

the manner in which grief is expressed behaviorally

-usually pretty common between people

Question 9

clinical death

Answer 9

*old definition

lack of heartbeat and respiration

Question 10

whole-brain death

Answer 10

*today’s definition

declared only when the deceased meet the 8 criteria

Question 11

8 criteria that define “whole-brain death”

Answer 11

1. no spontaneous movement in response to any stimuli
2. no spontaneous respirations for at least one hour
3. total lack of responsiveness even to painful stimuli
4. no eye movements, blinking, or pupil responses
5. no postural activity, swallowing, yawning, or vocalizing
6. no motor reflexes
7. a flat EEG for at least 10 minutes
8. no change in any of these criteria 24 hours later

Question 12

persistent vegetative state

Answer 12

situation in which a person’s critical functioning ceases while brainstem activity continues

Question 13

Kübler-Ross: denial

Answer 13

• first reaction: shock/disbelief
• shop around for more favorable Dx
• find assurance in religion

Question 14

Kübler-Ross: anger

Answer 14

• hostility, resentment, and envy towards health care workers, family, and friends
• “why me?”
• unfair

Question 15

Kübler-Ross: bargaining

Answer 15

• look for a way out

- ask God to live longer “until ____ happens”

Question 16

Kübler-Ross: depression

Answer 16

-deep loss, sorrow, guilt, shame over illness and it’s consequences

Question 17

Kübler-Ross: acceptance

Answer 17

• accepts inevitability of death

- detachment from world, peace

Question 18

Terror management theory

Answer 18

addresses the issue of why people engage in certain behaviors to achieve particular psychological states based on their deep rooted concerns about death

Question 19

How can we reduce death anxiety?

Answer 19

death education and awareness

Question 20

final scenario

Answer 20

making one’s choices known about how they do and do not want their lives to end
-make amends, resolve conflicts, affirm love, provide peace

Question 21

hospice

Answer 21

approach to assisting dying people that emphasizes pain management or palliative care, and death with dignity

Question 22

palliative care

Answer 22

relieving pain and symptoms

Question 23

active process of grief

Answer 23

1. acknowledge the reality of the loss
2. work through emotional turmoil
3. adjust to the environment where the deceased is absent
4. loosen ties to the deceased

Question 24

anticipatory grief

Answer 24

grief before expect death, supposedly to buffer the impact of loss after death –> facilitate recovery

Question 25

grief work

Answer 25

coming to terms with bereavement

Question 26

5 themes of the grieving process

Answer 26

1. Coping: what people do to deal with loss in terms of what helps them
2. Affect: emotional reactions to death of loved one
3. Change: what changes are made as a result to the death
4. Narrative: stories survivors tell about loved one
5. Relationship: reflecting on who the deceased person was, nature of ties between them and the survivor

Question 27

Four Component Model of grief

Answer 27

understanding that grief is based on…

1. context of loss
2. continuation of subjective meaning associated with the loss
3. changing representations of the lost relationship over time
4. role of coping and emotion-regulation

Question 28

Typical reactions to death in early childhood

Answer 28

guilt for causing the death
denial
displacement
repression
wishful thinking that the dead will return

Question 29

At what stage of thinking do children realize that death is permanent and final?

Answer 29

concrete-operational thinking

Question 30

The most devastating type of loss for an adult is the loss of a _____.

Answer 30

child