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Hospice and Attitudes Towards Death
Attitudes towards dying, death, and bereavement are very dependent upon culture. Some cultures embrace death as a natural part of the life cycle and do not attach fear to death. Other cultures are very fearful of the topic of death and treat it like a taboo. "In many preliterate societies, the dead are imbued with special powers and considered potentially harmful to the living. Many customs and funereal rituals surrounding death represent efforts to ensure the well-being of the community" (Quadagno, 2008). However, individual attitudes towards death and dying can vary within a community. Modern society certainly reflects a wide range of feelings towards death and dying. Some people still avoid the topic of death as a taboo, while others are much more comfortable with the idea.
One of the most interesting movements in modern medicine has been the hospice movement. After years of medicine seeking to intervene and prevent death, the medical community has begun to realize that death denial and avoidance may not always be the best thing for the patient....
This attitude is reflected in many ways. Perhaps the most notorious manner is the doctors who engage in euthanasia or assisted suicide of patients, in order to alleviate pain and suffering. Many people find that practice repugnant, because it interferes with the natural cycle of life. On the other hand, some people find prolonging life at the expense of quality of life to be equally repugnant. Fortunately, "the two extremes of dying in pain or seeking relief by means of euthanasia do not exhaust the possibilities for the stricken patient. The goal of the hospice movement is to allow the terminally ill to die easily and at peace, without pain, in their own homes, special units of hospitals, of hospice facilities" (Quadagno, 2008).
Hospice programs are interesting health care programs in that they are aimed at dying, not about preserving life. Hospice programs are specifically available for terminally-ill patients. The goal of the programs is to ease the transition between life and death. However, they are not the type of programs that refuse medical care for the patients. On…
References
Devi, P.S. (2011). A timely referral to palliative care team improves quality of life. Indian J.
Palliat Care, 17(Suppl): S14-6.
Quadagno, J. (2008). Aging and the life course: An introduction to social gerontology. New York: McGraw Hill.
Tan, Y.S., & Cheong, P.Y. (2011). Experiences in caring for the dying: a doctor's narratives.
However, they are often emotionally isolated and are unable to determine whether or not they are loved by their family members or whether they will be missed after passing on. This often happens because the family members are not directly involved in providing hospice care to their patients. Hospice care can be a great way of strengthening the connection between the terminally ill patient and their loved ones and
And they're still arguing with me. 'Oh, we have to get the ethics committee together,' and all this crap. I had a living will and they wanted to talk about ethics, okay?" (Tercel, 2001). The right to die and physician-assisted suicides are even more volatile because many people are against them for spiritual and ethical reasons, and many physicians and other healthcare professionals feel they go against the entire
social science viewpoint toward death can be valuable both for society and for individuals. In most societies, death plays a major role in how lives are shaped. Certainly, the way that death is handled in society can differ, and governs attitudes that society has towards death. Social sciences can help us to understand a little bit more about how societies deal with death, and we can understand the role
A patient can rescind a request at any time and in any manner. The attending physician will also offer the patient an opportunity to rescind his/her request at the end of the 15-day waiting period following the initial request to participate. (Oregon "Death With Dignity" FAQ) Additionally, there are reporting requirements, on the part of the physician. The state has consciously set about to track the utilization of the law
In March of 2005, she was finally removed from life support and died thirteen days later. The case had 14 appeals, numerous motions, petitions and hearings in Florida courts, five suits in the Federal District Court; Florida legislation struck down by the Supreme Court of Florida; a subpoena by a congressional committee in an attempt to qualify Terri for witness protection; federal legislation and four denials of certiorari from
Ocial Work Practice With Individuals: Engagement Strategies First I need to get past Mr. Fahza's son in order to get to his father. I need the former's agreement because I need a smooth start. His son agreement would encourage a discussion under the right auspices. According to The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) of 1990, Mr. Fahza has the right to be informed about his own clinical condition in order to take a