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People’s Experiences of Death and Dying Are Profoundly Affected by Social and Cultural Differences.

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Introduction

People’s experiences of death and dying are profoundly affected by social and cultural differences.

Socio-economic factors such as standard of living, economic infrastructure, diet, environmental disasters, war, sexual pervasiveness, disease etc all interconnect to affect the way in which they frame an individual’s experience of death and dying. The unequal distribution of resource throughout the world and the differing levels of food shortage, disease, war and natural disasters need to be taken into account when considering how health care workers can improve the needs of people who are dying.

Culture, identity and personal beliefs all have a profound impact on an individual’s choices in the context of the dying …show more content…

They should not see the elderly as a burden and think only in terms of medicating the elderly. They need to challenge the view that ‘Good death is when a person grows old and dies peacefully’ (Block 1, Unit 3, page 116). Health care workers need to have appropriate training to identify the many unmet social needs of the elderly and provide better access to palliative care. Rather than seeking solely to provide a peaceful death, they should also look to provide a dignified death and provide the best level of care they can offer to the elderly patient – taking into account the patients social and emotional care needs and observing their personal choices.

Cultural differences

We live in an increasingly multicultural world, with global inequalities and world events such as natural disasters and wars. This means that we are surrounded by many different competing and challenging ideas about a ‘good death’ (Block 1, Unit 4, page 120). Trying to recognise different attitudes, beliefs and cultural practices could assist those caring for the dying and could contribute towards greater equality (Block 1, Unit 5, page 120).

In the audio for Block 1, Unit 5, Activity 5.3 Nurat describes her father’s death in the family home in Bradford. She talks about her cultural background and the importance of family members caring for the dying person rather than leaving them in a care home or hospice. For Nurat, visiting

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