The Importance Of A Better Knowledge Base About Diversity Issues And End Of Life Decision Making

When it comes to people’s attitudes towards euthanasia, age has a very strong impact. According to Brogden, elderly, terminally ill individuals are considered vulnerable. They might be short of the ability and understanding of lessening the pain of their symptoms, and could experience apprehension regarding the future and what the consequences of their illness are (Blank et al, 2001). The elderly individual’s decision making about euthanasia may just be because of confusion, depression, dementia, or a number of other symptoms, however, these could all be relieved with suitable treatment and support (Blank et al, 2001).

A research study was conducted to show the effects of grief relief counseling for the Hispanic/Latino Community. The study took place in rural area in Tupelo, Mississippi, the southern part of Lee County. The study will bring some awareness on the importance of a grief and hospice program is for the Hispanic/Latino Communities. The population of Hispanic/Latinos has grown over the years in this country, but has increased growth in Mississippi

Throughout a human beings lifespan, an individual experiences many pivotal changes both physically and mentally. Of all of these life stages, none is more difficult a reality as late adulthood. Individuals are given a taste of youth and vitality, and must watch as it is slowly taken away. In some cultures, the elderly are treated with respect and care, and in others, the elderly are considered a burden and receive little respect and poor care. How do perceptions of death and dying vary from culture to culture? The ancient Egyptians spent their entire lives preparing for death and the afterlife, but how do other cultures perceive these experiences? To gain a better

The next few themes of this article include the discussion of pain, loss of pleasure in life, and the right time to die. The carers felt responsible to prevent their loved ones from experiencing pain and suffering all of their later years of life. They stated that caring for someone they loved with dementia that was extremely unhappy with their quality of life brought up ideas of assisted suicide. They exclaimed that seeing their patient disintegrate in quality of life and in overall health that it was difficult to not consider assisted suicide. Several participants came to a conclusion that their relative was strictly waiting to die because they had suffered enough which made them want to end the pain for them.

Canada’s population is rapidly aging and the majority will spend their end-of-life in a long term care. End-of-life (EOL) is a vulnerable period for individuals and loved ones where important medical decisions are made. Unfortunately, 25-75% of patients will lose their capacity to make medical decisions at the EOL due to cognitive impairment (Sudore, Casarett, Smith, Richardson, & Ersek, 2014). Therefore, family are involved to assist and/or make medical decisions with the health care team that are reflective of the patient’s wishes. This family involvement alleviates the patient’s stress by advocating and providing comfort (Sudore et al., 2014). Family improvement at EOL also decreases feelings of depression, and complicated

When coping with the psychological dimension of dying, African-Americans are normally less willing to discuss end of life decisions as well as treatment preferences, unlike their culturally traditional American counterparts. One reason

A Death of One’s Own sheds light onto the controversial issue regarding end of life decisions, providing a few examples of people struggling with these choices. The film tells the stories of three particular individuals, Jim, Kitty, and Ricky, each with a unique end of life situation. Jim suffers from ALS and has specific care requests, 56-year-old Kitty struggles with her uterine cancer and constant pain, and Ricky is a patient dying from severe liver failure who can no longer speak and make decisions on his own. All of these individuals present different, yet similar issues regarding end of their life care. This film describes the importance of advance directives, the arguments surrounding physician assisted suicide, and this prompted me to form my own opinion on preparing my own directives and thoughts on these tough decisions.

We have to learn to balance the spectrum for the quality and quantity of life. Next, we have to discuss the biblical, theological, and cultural perspectives on end of life issues. Then, we will view potential impact on afterlife outcomes. Also, we will discuss variables involved in potential life trajectories. Finally, we will discuss challenges of integrated personal preferences and public policy in end of life standards and

They were the subjects of public disputes with family members, court systems, medical professionals, the media, and society at large. Terri Schiavo, Nancy Cruzan and Karen Ann Quinlan; their names are synonymous with permanent vegetative state (PVS). The amazing technological advancements in modern medicine has been credited with keeping persons alive who in times past would have died, therefore this is remarkable for countless families. In the cases of the Quinlan’s, the Cruzan’s and many like them, families members find it unbearable to witness loved ones who linger indefinitely in PVS with little or no chance for recovery. There are many like Terri Schiavo’s parents, who value the lives of their love ones no matter how limited their

If I were to die in the near future I would want my epitaph to read, “Always and Forever. To the moon and back.” My mom and I always tell each other we love one another to the moon and back so I think that would be very fitting.

“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

Our society finds it difficult to talk about dying and euphemisms are the norm. It is typical for both doctors and patients to be hesitant to initiate a discussion on dying. Focus instead is often more often placed on interventions and actions for managing symptoms. This avoidance can leave patients and their families unprepared for the inevitable death. (Schapira, 2010) It also often results in requests for therapies which may be excessive, costly and even painful in the hopes for a cure. One study demonstrates that when patients are aware that they are terminally ill, the majority are able to reach a state of peacefulness and also exhibit lower levels of distress. (Ray, Block, Friedlander, Zhang, Maciejewski & Prigerson, 2006) It is also important that family members are willing to discuss end-of-life options with their loved ones. According to elderly patients, they are most often the ones who initiate these conversations with their

In the article, Kashi discussed how death of loved ones, expected and unexpected, affects widow(er)s. Age and situations play a big factor in what survivors tend to worry about the most, and how they see their future without their husband or wife. Younger adults tend to worry more about the financial burdens, raising children on their own, and what the future holds. Older adults may be more financially stable, but are overwhelmed with loneliness after their loved one dies. Both age groups were found to have positive outlooks on their future after going through the grieving process. In a recent study done in Minnesota, widow(er)s claimed to have a more positive view of their life (Kashi, 1982). While they still struggle with the fact that their

Since I started working in the medical field, I always have a passion taking care of elderly. I often find myself being emotionally attached with my geriatric patients. Throughout the time that I am caring for my patients, I noticed that family dynamic, financial problems, insurance coverage, age, chronic illness and sudden death are some of the reasons why patients died in the hospital rather than at their preferences. When there is family dynamic, patient suffers the most because everyone wants to be the decision makers and they often override what the patient’s wishes especially dying comfortable and pain free. According to CDC, from 2000 to 2010, the average patients that died in the hospital is the age between 72-73 years. Then on 2010, 27% died in the hospitals are patient over the age of 85 years old.

Ever noticed an elderly couple performing normal daily activities and think to yourself, what would they do without one another? Many of us have elderly relatives who are either married or have someone with whom they have a tight bond with, such as a best friend, and we believe they keep each other alive. We are all born to die, but how we cope with death is different. When someone dies, persons affected may feel depressed, sad and even angry. Looking at death from a different perspective, such as a loved one going to a better place, instead of a loss can cause relatives to celebrate. This is usually the case when the cause of death is natural. When death of a spouse is because of a traumatic event, love ones are left with