Lesson 10: Death and Dying

Question 1

How is death defined according to the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA)?

Answer 1

Death is defined as either the irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.

Question 2

What are the physical changes that occur weeks before passing?

Answer 2

Minimal appetite, increased weakness, incontinence, restlessness, disorientation, and increased need for assistance with care.

Question 3

What is social death?

Answer 3

Social death occurs when others dehumanize or withdraw from someone who is terminally ill, often ignoring or making decisions without consulting them.

Question 4

Why might people dehumanize or withdraw from terminally ill individuals?

Answer 4

To protect themselves from feelings of inadequacy or the reality of death.

Question 5

What role does social support play in terminal illness?

Answer 5

Social support improves quality of life and prevents the isolation associated with social death.

Question 6

What were the leading causes of death in the United States in 2015?

Answer 6

Heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.

Question 7

How do causes of death differ between high-income and low-income countries?

Answer 7

High-income countries see more deaths from chronic diseases, while low-income countries face more deaths from infectious diseases and complications of childbirth.

Question 8

What percentage of deaths in high-income countries occur among people aged 70 or older?

Answer 8

About 70%.

Question 9

What are the top causes of death among children in low-income countries?

Answer 9

Lower respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and tuberculosis.

Question 10

How has tobacco use contributed to global mortality?

Answer 10

Tobacco is a leading hidden cause behind diseases such as heart disease and chronic lung diseases.

Question 11

Where do most Americans die?

Answer 11

In hospitals, though this trend has been declining.

Question 12

How does the location of death vary internationally?

Answer 12

In Japan, 78% of deaths occur in hospitals, while in China only 20% do.

Question 13

What is the trend for older adults dying in residential care?

Answer 13

The rate increases by 10% for each decade after age 65.

Question 14

Why do more women than men die in residential care?

Answer 14

Women tend to live longer and are more likely to require long-term care.

Question 15

What factors influence the location of death?

Answer 15

Cultural preferences, healthcare access, and insurance coverage for hospice care.

Question 16

How do infants perceive death?

Answer 16

They do not comprehend death but react to separation by becoming sluggish and quiet.

Question 17

What is the understanding of death in early childhood?

Answer 17

Young children see death as temporary and reversible, often blaming themselves for the loss.

Question 18

At what age do children begin to understand the finality of death?

Answer 18

By late childhood, around age 9.

Question 19

How do adolescents perceive death?

Answer 19

They understand death abstractly and may feel invincible, leading to risky behaviors.

Question 20

Why do those in late adulthood have less fear of death?

Answer 20

They have fewer caregiving responsibilities and more life experiences, reducing anxiety about death.

Question 21

What is curative care?

Answer 21

Treatment aimed at overcoming disease and promoting recovery.

Question 22

How does palliative care differ from curative care?

Answer 22

Palliative care focuses on comfort and relief from pain, not curing the illness.

Question 23

What are the basic elements of hospice care?

Answer 23

Pain management, support for patients and families, coordination of services, and bereavement counseling.

Question 24

What is required for a patient to enter hospice care?

Answer 24

A terminal diagnosis with an expected death within six months.

Question 25

How do cultural differences affect views on hospice care?

Answer 25

Some cultures prioritize medical treatment until death, while others avoid discussing death entirely.

Question 26

What is an advanced directive?

Answer 26

A legal document that outlines a person’s end-of-life care preferences.

Question 27

What is a living will?

Answer 27

A written or video statement detailing desired medical treatments in specific circumstances.

Question 28

What is a durable power of attorney for health care?

Answer 28

A legal document naming someone to make healthcare decisions if the person is incapacitated.

Question 29

What is a Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)?

Answer 29

A medical order detailing a patient’s preferences for treatments like resuscitation.

Question 30

Why might non-white populations have lower rates of completing advanced directives?

Answer 30

Distrust in the healthcare system and cultural beliefs.

Question 31

How do cultural attitudes affect truth-telling about terminal illness?

Answer 31

In some cultures, families or doctors may conceal terminal diagnoses to avoid distress.

Question 32

What is the perspective of many Asian cultures on illness?

Answer 32

Illness is seen as a family event, with decisions made collectively.

Question 33

How do Mexican-American families typically approach end-of-life decisions?

Answer 33

Decisions are often seen as a shared family responsibility.

Question 34

What role do doctors play in end-of-life decisions in non-Western cultures?

Answer 34

Doctors often make decisions in collaboration with families.

Question 35

How do attitudes toward stopping treatment vary by race in the U.S.?

Answer 35

Whites are more likely to prefer stopping treatment, while Blacks and Hispanics often prefer continuing it.

Question 35

What is active euthanasia?

Answer 35

Intentionally causing death through actions like administering lethal drugs.

Question 36

What is passive euthanasia?

Answer 36

Withdrawing life-sustaining treatments to allow natural death.

Question 37

What is physician-assisted suicide?

Answer 37

A physician provides means for a person to end their own life, typically via prescribed drugs.

Question 38

Which countries allow physician-assisted suicide?

Answer 38

Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Question 38

What are common arguments against euthanasia?

Answer 38

Concerns about a "slippery slope," religious objections, and potential abuse.

Question 38

How are Hindu funerals conducted?

Answer 38

Bodies are cremated, and ashes are dispersed in holy rivers if possible.

Question 39

What is "sitting shiva" in Judaism?

Answer 39

A period of mourning where family members gather to receive visitors after burial.

Question 40

What is the Islamic requirement for burial?

Answer 40

Bodies are shrouded and buried directly in the earth, facing Mecca.

Question 41

What are the three parts of Roman Catholic funeral rites?

Answer 41

The wake, funeral mass, and graveside blessing.

Question 42

Why are funeral rites significant?

Answer 42

They provide closure, honor the deceased, and mark a transition for survivors.

Question 43

What is grief?

Answer 43

The normal process of reacting to loss, including emotional and physical responses.

Question 44

What is bereavement?

Answer 44

The period after a loss during which grief and mourning occur.

Question 45

What is mourning?

Answer 45

The cultural practices and rituals for adapting to loss.

Question 46

What are the five stages of grief according to Kübler-Ross?

Answer 46

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Question 47

What is the dual-process model of grieving?

Answer 47

It alternates between focusing on the loss and adapting to life without the deceased.

Question 48

Why is losing a child particularly distressing?

Answer 48

It causes intense grief and is associated with higher risks of depression and physical illness.

Question 49

How does the loss of parents in adulthood typically affect individuals?

Answer 49

It results in less suffering compared to the loss of a child, but men living with their mothers may experience greater difficulty.

Question 50

What challenges are associated with childhood grief?

Answer 50

Long-term effects include substance abuse, depression, and school difficulties.

Question 51

What are Worden’s four tasks of mourning?

Answer 51

Accepting the loss, working through grief, adjusting to life without the deceased, and starting anew while maintaining a connection.

Question 52

How can support groups aid grieving individuals?

Answer 52

They reduce isolation, provide coping strategies, and connect individuals with shared experiences.

Question 53

Why is societal acknowledgment of grief important?

Answer 53

It allows individuals the time and support needed to process loss effectively.

Question 54

What are anticipatory grief and its benefits?

Answer 54

Grieving before a death, which helps prepare survivors emotionally and logistically.

Question 55

What is disenfranchised grief?

Answer 55

Grief that is not socially recognized, such as after the death of a pet or ex-spouse.

Question 56

How do childhood explanations of death influence coping?

Answer 56

Clear, age-appropriate explanations prevent confusion and undue anxiety.

Question 57

Why is it important to view death as part of the lifespan?

Answer 57

It fosters better support for the dying, the grieving, and society as a whole.