Terminal Diagnosis Of A Loved One: A Psychological Analysis

Hospice exists in the hope and belief that, through proper care and the encouragement of a caring and sensitive team, patients and their families may be free to achieve some level of mental and spiritual preparation for death that is comfortable to them. The goal is to help

Death is inevitable. It is one of the only certainties in life. Regardless, people are often uncomfortable discussing death. Nyatanga (2016) posits that the idea of no longer existing increases anxiety and emotional distress in relation to one’s mortality. Because of the difficulty in level of care for end-of-life patients, the patient and the family often need professional assistance for physical and emotional care. Many family caregivers are not professionally trained in medicine, and this is where hospice comes into play. Hospice aims to meet the holistic needs of both the patient and the patient’s family through treatment plans, education, and advocacy. There is a duality of care to the treatment provided by hospice staff in that they do not attempt to separate the patient’s care from the family’s care. Leming and Dickinson (2011) support that hospice, unlike other clinical fields, focuses on the patient and the family together instead of seeing the patient independent of the family. Many times in hospitals, the medical team focuses solely on the goal of returning the patient back to health in order for them to return to their normal lives. They do not take into account the psychological and spiritual components of the patient’s journey and the journey that the family must take as well. For treatment of the patient, Leming and Dickinson agree that hospice does not attempt to cure patients, and instead concentrates solely

Getting prepared for death can be an exhausting experience for the patient and their family. It is very important that the patient not only knows what they want as far as their right to receive or reject treatment and medications or knowing whether they want to receive palliative care at home or in a hospital setting to include the advantages and disadvantages of each. The main focus of this paper is to give the reader an in depth look on how an end of life crisis affects a patient and their family. Ella is a breast cancer patient who just came out of remission and is at the end of her life.

illnesses, and their loved ones are often reduced to helpless observers. Terminally ill patients are

My perception of palliative and Hospice care has changed slightly when it comes to communication with the family. I walked into the hospice unit mentally preparing myself to talk with patient families about their loved one and the dying process; this was certainly not the case. The family and the patient did not want to be bothered unless comfort interventions needed to be carried out and there was no conversation to be had about the patient and his situation. This shows that each family is different, each patient is different; and we need to respect and accommodate their unique

Cancer has one of the biggest effects on the patients mental health but also the patients loved ones and friends. It is one of the hardest things to get a grip on when the doctor tells someone that they have cancer and a fifty-fifty chance of making it. "The disease can bring many changes-in what people do and how they look, in how they feel and what they value" (Dakota 4). It makes people look at the world and their lives in a different way, valuing now what they took for granted and seeing the bigger picture in every scenario. It is something that no one can actually brace, even after the doctor tells them. Through it all though, the person must remain strong and optimistic because the cancer can affect the person's moods and in return affect the outcome of the person and the chances of their making it

When it comes to the experience of grief that goes along with a terminal diagnosis or death the focus of care, therapy, and concern is often placed solely on the patient and his or her family and friends, and rightly so (Woolhouse, Brown & Thind, 2012). However, the health care professionals that help to care for these patients and their loved ones are often left in the shadows to cope with the grief that they may be feeling, alone (Woolhouse, Brown & Thind, 2012). Often, their grief is deemed unacceptable by their colleagues and society, and they are certainly not provided with the same level of care as someone who is experiencing real grief, first-hand (Leming & Dickinson, 2016). This paper discusses the differences that health

Dying due to an incurable illness can be devastating With responsibility of caretaking falling chiefly on the patient’s family. While dealing with the normal every day activities that families encounter, becoming a primary caregiver to the terminally ill is an emotional as well as financial burden. The ill person usually lives in the house of a family member, which forces the family to witness the person dying every day. Having to watch a person suffer in your own home is depressing to even the strongest of people and knowing there is nothing that can be done to stop their pain makes things that much worse. Studies have shown that people who receive a terminal illness diagnosis become depressed and develop anxiety. Because of the mood disorders that can

Being diagnosed with a poor prognosis can cause a various experience and a range of emotions. However, people have to manage these feelings to live a fulfilling life. There are many emotional and cognitive responses which an individual may face after knowing about the diagnosed disease and its prognosis. It is a very difficult situation for the individual and the family. In addition, the individual’s mentally gets changed after knowing his condition. The individual must try to overcome those feelings and remain strong to fight with the diagnosed disease.

“Ordinary people” everywhere are faced day after day with the ever so common tragedy of losing a loved one. As we all know death is inevitable. We live with this harsh reality in the back of our mind’s eye. Only when we are shoved in the depths of despair can we truly understand the multitude of emotions brought forth. Although people may try to be empathetic, no one can truly grasp the rawness felt inside of a shattered heart until death has knocked at their door. We live in an environment where death is invisible and denied, yet we have become desensitized to it. These inconsistencies appear in the extent to which families are personally affected by death—whether they

When I first read the novel A Monster Calls, I was deeply fascinated by its description of the inner conflicts suffered by the Conor, and the lively deception of the fictional yet inspiring character the monster. At, the same time I was filled with curiosity wondering how people with serious- ill family member manage to deal with their own sorrow as their family becomes sicker. To answer this question I did a research and learned about Kubler Ross theory: the five stages of grief and loss ( Kubler-ross, 1997). What really fascinated me about this theory was that it explores the five stages of grief experienced by those who are facing their own terminal illness. After reading this theory I thought of Conor and thought of applying this theory

Being newly diagnosed with poor prognosis can open doors to a variety of negative emotions, cognition, behaviour and physical pain, and many of which are devastating. There is no right way to react when given the bad news of a poor prognosis. It may come as a shock, the news may be so unbearable that the sufferer switch off, become silent or try to deny it. There are many physical, emotional cognitive and behavioural responses to poor prognosis. The experience is quit unique and each individual response varies.

I cannot describe what I felt when my mom told me she had cancer. I was sad, I was scared; I did not even know if I felt anything. My mom, however, stayed positive and hopeful while I stayed quiet and seemingly apathetic. There was an obvious ironic contrast between the emotional state of me and the woman who actually had cancer.

Bereaved parents manifest early reaction of disbelief. It is especially evident in such cases of sudden or unexpected death. It happens because they are faced with a situation that they did not expect to occur. Disbelief and numbness can be felt at the same time. Numbness is a state in which the parents feel emptiness, disorientation, loss of self-control and disconnection to the reality (Glick et al., 1974, as cited in Mayer, 2009).

Presented in our reading are many viewpoints about children with terminal illness. The three biggest viewpoints are the five stages of death, the eight strategies to help surviving children grieve well, and the ability of the child to pick an individual to communicate there going away party with. I’ve heard each of these terms before from prior studies and do agree with the viewpoints. The five stages of death don’t come in order, but individuals will act one way or another when dying whether that is denial,