Death
· Brain death- is a neurological definition of death, which states that a person is brain dead when all electrical activity of the brain has eased for a specified period of time.
Decisions regarding life, death and health care
· The living will is a document designed to be filled in while the individual can still think clearly. Most provinces have laws that make the living will a legal document.
· DNR (do not resuscitate orders)- the DNR was created in the 1980s to prevent the use of CPR in terminal cases. Today, the DNR order prevents the use of either specified means to prolong the person’s life or to resuscitate the person if his/her heart stops. A DNR order can be arranged without a formal living will. If the patient cannot speak, then the family makes the decision.
· Brain death- is a neurological definition of death, which states that a person is brain dead when all electrical activity of the brain has eased for a specified period of time.
Decisions regarding life, death and health care
· The living will is a document designed to be filled in while the individual can still think clearly. Most provinces have laws that make the living will a legal document.
· DNR (do not resuscitate orders)- the DNR was created in the 1980s to prevent the use of CPR in terminal cases. Today, the DNR order prevents the use of either specified means to prolong the person’s life or to resuscitate the person if his/her heart stops. A DNR order can be arranged without a formal living will. If the patient cannot speak, then the family makes the decision.
Causes of death and expectations about death
· 62% of death in Canada are due to cancer and heart and circulatory system disease
· Cancers of the trachea and of the bronchus and lungs are the two primary cancers for men and women
· Breast cancer is declining due to better treatment, however it is still one of the top 3 death-causing cancers for women
· Death does not only occur for older adults, but can occur at any point in the human life span
· Death in the first year is usually caused by a complication due to a malformation, a chromosomal variation or something occurring in the perinatal period
· In childhood, the main cause of death is due to accidents or illnesses
· In adolescents, death is more likely to occur due to suicide or motor vehicle accidents
· Older adults are more likely to die from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer
· More aboriginal Canadians die at a younger age than non-aboriginals
· 62% of death in Canada are due to cancer and heart and circulatory system disease
· Cancers of the trachea and of the bronchus and lungs are the two primary cancers for men and women
· Breast cancer is declining due to better treatment, however it is still one of the top 3 death-causing cancers for women
· Death does not only occur for older adults, but can occur at any point in the human life span
· Death in the first year is usually caused by a complication due to a malformation, a chromosomal variation or something occurring in the perinatal period
· In childhood, the main cause of death is due to accidents or illnesses
· In adolescents, death is more likely to occur due to suicide or motor vehicle accidents
· Older adults are more likely to die from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer
· More aboriginal Canadians die at a younger age than non-aboriginals
Attitudes toward death at different points in the life span
Childhood
· Infants do not have a concept about death
· Children 3-5 have no idea what death really means
· They believe that the dead can be brought back to life by magic or medical treatment
· They also may blame themselves for the death of someone close
· The death of a parent is very difficult for children
· When a child’s parent dies, the child’s school performance and peer relationships worsen
· Most psychologist believe that honesty id the best strategy when it comes to discussing death with children
Adolescents
· Have more abstract, philosophical views of death
Adulthood
· Older adults think and talk about death more
· Are forced to examine the meaning of life and death more often
· Older adults often show less death anxiety than middle-aged adults
· Attitudes of death varies among the older age
Kubler- Ross’s stages of dying
· Divided the behaviour and thinking if dying people into five stages:
Denial and isolation- the person denies that death is really going to occur
Anger- the dying person recognizes that denial can no longer be maintained
Bargaining- the person develops the hope that death can somehow be postponed or delayed
Depression- the dying person begins to accept the certainty of death. Depression may appear
Acceptance- the person develops a sense of peace, acceptance of one’s fate and a desire to be left alone
The contexts in which people die
· The primary location of death in Canada is in hospitals
· Older people with health issues such as heart attacks, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke and cancer are more likely to die in a hospital
· Hospital offer professional staff members to help
· The primary location of death in Canada is in hospitals
· Older people with health issues such as heart attacks, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke and cancer are more likely to die in a hospital
· Hospital offer professional staff members to help
Grieving
· Grief- is the emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love
· Greif can last for years
· Greif effects an individual’s cognitive development by causing anxiety and depression
· Good family communication can help reduce the incidence of depression and suicidal thoughts
· Prolonged grief- a type of grief that involves enduring despair and is still unresolved over an extended period of time
Coping and type of death
· The impact of death on surviving individuals is strongly influenced by the circumstances under which death occurs
· Sudden death make the coping process more difficult for individuals
· Often accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares and sleep disturbance
Losing a life partner
· Losing a life partner is usually the most difficult loss
· Partners often endure financial loss, loneliness, increased physical illness, psychological disorders, including depression
· Grief- is the emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love
· Greif can last for years
· Greif effects an individual’s cognitive development by causing anxiety and depression
· Good family communication can help reduce the incidence of depression and suicidal thoughts
· Prolonged grief- a type of grief that involves enduring despair and is still unresolved over an extended period of time
Coping and type of death
· The impact of death on surviving individuals is strongly influenced by the circumstances under which death occurs
· Sudden death make the coping process more difficult for individuals
· Often accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares and sleep disturbance
Losing a life partner
· Losing a life partner is usually the most difficult loss
· Partners often endure financial loss, loneliness, increased physical illness, psychological disorders, including depression