Module 13

Question 1

Hinduism and Death

Answer 1

believe in the transmigration of souls: the passing at death of the soul from one body to another, giving rise to successive rounds of life and death

Question 2

Widow Sacrifice

Answer 2

Suttee

Question 3

epidemiological transition

Answer 3

A shift in the proportion of deaths among the young and the elderly; accompanies the demographic transition; signifies a change in the leading causes of death from infectious diseases to chronic diseases.

Question 4

shift in diseases causing death

Answer 4

used to be epidemiological diseases like polio and whooping cough. Now it is chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer

Question 5

Stage Theory of Dying: Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Answer 5

5 stages of dying:
1) Denial
2) Anger
3) bargaining
4) Depression
5) Acceptance
*critique is that they do not occur in a fixed sequence and that every person’s experience is individual to them
*how they deal with death is often similar to how they deal with stresses in their lives

Question 6

Euthanasia

Answer 6

The act of killing or permitting the death of a hopelessly sick or injured individual in a painless way as an act of mercy.

Question 7

Passive Euthanasia

Answer 7

Involves withholding or withdrawing medical treatment to the hopelessly ill.

Question 8

Active Euthanasia

Answer 8

Also known as assisted suicide; occurs when a physician, close friend, or relative helps an ill or disabled person terminate his or her life.

Question 9

living will

Answer 9

Document in which an individual can specify his or her wishes for treatment in advance in case he or she should become terminally ill.

Question 10

hospice palliative care

Answer 10

A place where the terminally ill are allowed to die easily and at peace; an alternative to the medical, scientific model of dying; central component of hospice philosophy is pain management.

Question 11

perspectives of death changes over the lifecourse

Answer 11

early childhood: death is an abstract concept and not well understood
mid-childhood: begin to understand concept of death
young adulthood: death is viewed as distant possibility
middle-age: begin to take stock of life
old age: talk about death more and death becomes less frightening

Question 12

Common concerns of those nearing death:

Answer 12

*avoiding drawn out deaths
*having relief from pain
*leaving loved ones
*fear becoming a burden to others

Question 13

Advance Directives

Answer 13

instructions provided in advance by the patient on potential future care

Question 14

Appointment of a Proxy:

Answer 14

Person who is given POA and can make decisions on the patient’s behalf

Question 15

Hospice Palliative care may be offered through a variety of approaches including:

Answer 15

*home-based care provided by professionals and volunteers
* home-based care provided by healthcare agencies
* special units in hospitals
* hospices based in nursing homes
* freestanding hospices
*in 1985 only 5% of Canadians had access to hospice care. has been rising, but it is still inconsistent and inadequate across Canada

Question 16

MAID criteria (4)

Answer 16

1) Serious and incurable illness, disease or disability
2) Advanced state or irreversible decline in capacity
3) Physical and psychological suffering that it intolerable to them
4) Natural death has become reasonably foreseeable
*has been critiqued as there are people who are suffering intolerably but are unable to access MAID because their not considered “reasonably foreseeable”

Question 17

Suicide:

Answer 17

In most developed countries suicide increases with age, particularly with men. Older people tend to use more lethal means and are less likely to give warning sign or respond well to help
*elderly men have highest suicide rates. Men 90+ have highest rates

Question 18

Bereavement:

Answer 18

the state of having recently experienced the death of a loved one

Question 19

Mourning:

Answer 19

refers to the public expression of grief typically following social and cultural rules (e.g. wearing black)

Question 20

Widow:

Answer 20

refers to a woman who has lost a spouse. In BC 11% of older men are widowers and 37% of older women are widows

Question 21

factors leading to trouble adjusting to widowhood:

Answer 21

*high level of dependence on spouse
*spouse had difficult death
*death was unexpected
*having had an emotionally close relationship with spouse
*men have more difficulties adjusting to widowhood

Question 22

Widows who adjust best tend to:

Answer 22

stay busy, take on new roles, continue to see friends and family

Question 23

Widowhood effect:

Answer 23

surviving spouse has greater chance of dying

Question 24

Bereavement experiences of children

Answer 24

some research suggests that children are more affected by the death of their mother, often being their last parent alive
*sons typically respond to bereavement similar to how their fathers reacted to stress. Daughters often try to hide their grief and act based on societal expectations

Question 25

Legal Matters after death

Answer 25

usually its the family’s responsibility to sort of out legal affairs of the deceased

Question 26

Executor:

Answer 26

the person who represents one’s interests after death, and is responsible for paying outstanding debts and carrying out the instructions in the will.