MODULE 2 Flashcards
Describe the trends in death and dying in Canada
Increased life expectancy means people expect to live into old age
Increased life expectancy, smaller family sizes, and changes in family living arrangements means family is not always available/able/willing to care for people who are dying
Medical advancements are available to treat many conditions- but with what quality of life?
Do we have dignity, quality, and empowerment in death?
2) What are the two leading causes of death in Canada?
- CANCER
- HEART DISEASE
3) What are the four end-of-life trajectories?
Sudden death
Terminal illness
Organ failure
Frailty
Causes may include: accidents, crimes, toxins, heart failure, brain aneurysm
Sudden Death Trajectory
Little or no health care resources needed, little or no time spent with health care providers (only 1% spent time in hospital)
Sudden Death Trajectory
Sudden decline to the point of death; little or no warning or preparation; more independent at time of death
Sudden Death Trajectory
Typical profile: younger (<75 years), often male
Sudden Death Trajectory
Tend to have more interaction with health care workers, particularly in the last year and a half of life; more inpatient care
Terminal Illness Death Trajectory
Person may live at a baseline, and then experience a rapid and/or steady progression towards the end of life
Terminal Illness Death Trajectory
Drastic declines typical in last 3 months of life, including increased fatigue, functional dependence, mood changes, weight loss, loneliness, perceptions of poor social support
Terminal Illness
Typical profile: younger (age 65-75)
Causes may include: Cancer
Terminal Illness
Decline with some variability over time; gradual over time, but includes some acute episodic losses of function as the person declines
Organ Failure
Often have many interactions with health care workers; health care costs are greater than any other group
Organ Failure
Expect to see some rapid declines in the last three months of life
Organ Failure
Terminal phase can be unpredictable, can still show fluctuations, may require more support to the individual and care partners
Organ Failure
Causes may include: COPD, heart failure, liver failure
Organ Failure
Typical profile: tend to be older population (>80 years)
Frailty
Tend to have fewer health care interactions compared to other death trajectories; may have interactions for other reasons, but not for palliative reasons
Frailty
Slow cognitive, functional, health decline
Frailty
Causes may include: Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease
Frailty
What is Death- Denying Culture?
Death and dying have largely become invisible
Death, which used to be normalized, is now a social taboo.
Conversations are discouraged; euphemisms often used; death segregated to institutions; caregiving handed to “professionals”
“passed on”; “a better place”; “the other side”
Death is regularly used within media to advance plots or for entertainment value
Death Fascination
For many, the primary exposure to death is now on mass media; by age 16, the average American has seen 18,000 murders on television (Durkin, 2003)
Cartoons feature 20-25 violent acts per hour, some with the death of characters (Durkin, 2003)
Coverage of wars, terrorist attacks, and deaths of popular celebrities are often television on round-the-clock news channels
Death Fascination
Touring places which involve/involved death, accidents, or tragedy
Dark Tourism
Current or former warzones; locations of mass murder; past prison locations; graveyards; wax museums; ghost tours; memorials
Dark Tourism
Makes light of topics which are typically taboo to address
Dark Humour
May include humour about death and dying, but might also include humour about topics which are stigmatized or painful to talk about
Dark Humour
Can be used by front-line health care providers and first responders as a coping mechanism to deal with the degree of distressing content they are exposed to; can also be used by groups who are oppressed to take power over these topics
Dark Humour
