PSYC 2314 Lifespan Development Epilogue Death and Dying

The Dying Person’s Emotions Kubler-Ross’s Stages of Dying: –Denial –Anger –Bargaining –Depression –Acceptance

The Dying Person’s Emotions Age-related differences in the conceptualization of death: –Young children: upset because it suggests the idea of being separated from loved ones. –Adolescents: primarily concerned with the effect of their condition on their appearance and social relationships.

The Dying Person’s Emotions Young Adult: coping with dying often produces rage and depression. Middle-Aged Adult: primarily concerned about meeting important obligations and responsibilities Older Adult: depend more on the situation.

Deciding How to Die Steps for a “Good Death”—one that occurs swiftly, with little pain, and allows the individual to die with dignity, surrounded by loved ones. –Living will –Proxy

Palliative Care DNR (do not resuscitate) Double Effect: a situation in which medication relieves pain and hastens death Generally, few doctors and nurses are trained to handle the psychological demands of palliative care.

Hospice Advantages: –Respects patients’ dignity, allowing them to have visitors at any time. –The continual presence of a close friend or family member cushions the patient against fear and loneliness of impending death. –When death does occur, the staff continues to minister to the psychological and other needs of the patient’s family.

Hospice Disadvantages: –Legal and ethical questions surrounding the wisdom of a patient’s accepting a death sentence, perhaps prematurely, and simply waiting to die. –Patients must be terminally ill; it’s restricted to a minority of the dying. –Program may grow so rapidly that it outstrips available well-trained personnel. Potential burnout of both professionals and volunteers.

Deciding How to Die Physician-assisted suicide: someone provides the means for a person to end his or her life Voluntary euthanasia: someone intentionally acts to terminate the life of a suffering person.

Social Context of Dying Religious Variations –Buddhists: disease and death are among life’s inevitable sufferings –Hindus and Sikhs: helping the dying to relinquish their ties to this world and prepare for the next is considered an obligation for the immediate family. –Jewish: preparations for death are not emphasized because hope for life will never be extinguished. –Christians: death is the beginning of eternity in heaven or hell, and thus welcome or fear it.

Social Context of Dying Cultural Variations –African traditions: elders take on an important new status through death –Muslim nations: death affirms faith in Allah and caring for the dying is a holy reminder of mortality.

Social Context of Dying Two themes that emerge in cultural variations of death practices are: –Religious and spiritual concerns often reemerge –Returning to one’s roots is a common urge.

Social Context of Dying Mourning Process –More private, less emotional, and less religious. –Small memorial services or cremations have generally replaced large funeral. Bereavement –Much-needed support of friends and family has essentially given way to well-meaning advice that counsels indulging in everything except feelings of grief.

Social Context of Dying Steps to help someone recover from bereavement: –Listens –Sympathizes –Not ignore the real pain and complicated emotions involved in the recovery process