Death and
Dying
Objectives will appear in RED.
Pre-Test!
“Quotes About Death”
“I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there
when it happens.” – Woody Allen
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man
who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” –
Mark Twain
“Death ends a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch
Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us;
what we have done for others and the world remains
and is immortal.” – Albert Pike
Introduction to Death and Dying
What is it like to lose something or someone we
care for?
Where does our understanding of death come
from?
Why do most people dislike talking and thinking
about death?
Death is a natural part of life!
What is Death?
Let’s Brainstorm. Try to define Death.
Identify the Stages of
Death.
Clinical Death
-
When the heart and lungs cease to function.
-
No Breathing, Circulation, the brain is in the
first stages of shutting down
Brain Death
-
Lack of oxygen to brain cells.
-
The brain is deprived of oxygen, but the organs and tissues are not
totally depleted yet, with life support, they are viable
Biological/Cellular Death
-
When oxygen in the tissues and organs is depleted and all
functions slowly cease.
-
The process of dying is over.
Explain why there is a
possibility for
disagreement of whether a
person is dead or not.
Medical technology
Explain how a person’s
understanding of death is
influenced by age.
From ages 2 to 5, children recognize death but do
not recognize it as permanent.
From 5 to 9, children know death is permanent, but
do not realize it could happen to them.
From age 10, people recognize death as permanent
and inevitable
Elderly accept death as inevitable and final
Explain Death and Dying
Vocabulary:
Autopsy
examination to determine the cause of death.
Bereaved
one who has suffered loss of another through death.
Condolence
expression of sympathy for another in grief.
Coroner
an official responsible for investigating deaths, particularly
those happening under unusual circumstances, and
determining the cause of death.
Deceased
one who has died.
Epitaph
a short composition in prose or verse, written as a tribute to a
dead person
Eulogy
speech or writing in praise of dead person.
Vocabulary Continued:
Interment
burial underground
Living Will
legal statement of person’s wishes concerning his treatment before death.
Morgue
a place where the bodies of accident victims and unknown persons found
dead are kept prior to identification and disposal.
Mortuary
a place where dead bodies are prepared or kept prior to burial or
cremation.
Mourning
act of expressing grief.
Obituary
news of death in publication.
Wake
a watch over the body of a dead person all night, just before burial.
Will
legal statement of person’s wishes concerning disposal of his or her
property after death
Explain Grief.
The pain, discomfort, and mental and physical
feelings that most people feel following the death
of a loved one.
People suffer grief at the loss of anything. It
doesn’t just have to be death.
GRIEF is the emotion we feel when we suffer a
great loss.
We can grieve over the loss of a love
relationship, a divorce, or other painful losses
It is a “process” and is a healthy release
Explain The Grieving
Process.
Grief Activity: Place the stages of grief in order
according to the Kubler-Ross model of grief or
adjusting to death.
Acceptance
Bargaining
Denial
Anger
Depression
Denial
A conscious or unconscious refusal to accept. Natural
defense mechanism. Usually temporary shock and
disbelief before reality sets in.
One can even make believe to an extent by reenacting
rituals that they used to go through with their loved one.
We set an extra plate at the table.
We expect them to be there when we get home.
We flash back to memories and conversations.
These are all part of this stage.
Anger
A person gets angry.
The anger can manifest itself in many ways.
Manifests as anger at self, others (including medical staff).
Important for medical staff and family to understand and be
non-judgmental.
One will blame others for the loss.
Become easily agitated having emotional outbursts.
Can even become angry at ourselves.
Care must be taken here not to turn the anger inwards.
Release of this anger is essential.
Bargaining
Bargaining can be with ourselves or if a person is
religious, with their god.
Often a person will offer something to try to take
away the reality of what really happened.
They may try to make a deal, to have their loved
one back as they were before the tragic event
occurred.
It is only human to want things back as they
were before.
Depression
Feelings of loneliness and hopelessness; difficulty in performing
daily activities
This is the most difficult of the stages to deal with.
Outbursts of tears may occur.
A person may feel like there is no purpose to life anymore.
A person may feel like they are being punished.
Pleasure and joy may be difficult to express.
There may even be thoughts of suicide.
If at any time in this stage, a person feels like doing harm to
themselves, professional counseling should be sought.
Acceptance
This the final stage of grief.
Adjusting to the finality of death and
going on with life.
A person can accept the loss and now be
able to regain their energy and goals for
the future.
It may take some time, maybe years to get
to this stage…but it will happen!
Stages in Adjustment to Death
Stage of Grief and Stages in Adjustment to Death
are one and the same.
An individual dealing with the reality of
terminal illness or the loss of a loved one will
move through some or all of Elisabeth KublerRoss’s Stages.
This model is not set in stone. Different people
experience grief and death acceptance in
different ways. This is a general model of
observations.
Coping with Crisis
Other emotions we may deal with when in
mourning?
Shock
Guilt
Any others?
Intense Feeling of Pain/Loss
Usually occurs two to three months after the loss.
The bereaved person may withdraw from the
world.
Identify Reactions to Loss
Shock
Occurs between the time of death and time of the
final arrangements
During “shock” one may even deny that the
death has occurred.
Physical Reactions
Numbness
Insomnia
Disinterest
Unfeeling
Tightness in Throat
Pain
Tired
Emotional Reactions
Sense of Unfairness
Guilt
Anxiety
Sudden Anger
Feeling of Relief
Gladness
Stabbing Pain
Fear
Hostility
Anger
Explain how to cope with
grief.
Attend support groups in your area
Therapy with a psychologist or other qualified
mental health professional
Eat well
Exercise
Get enough rest
o Read and learn about death-related
grief responses
o For some, seeking solace in the faith
community
o Seek comforting rituals
o Allow emotions -Tears can be healing.
o Avoid major changes in residence,
jobs, or marital status, etc.
Identify What Dying
People Need.
Most people are aware of their final
moments in life and have very specific
emotional needs.
They want to express their needs and
final wishes.
They want to be surrounded by loved
ones.
They want a “death with dignity.”
Needs of the Terminally Ill
People who are aware their death
may be near also need:
An opportunity to talk about their
feelings
Time alone
Explain The Role of
Hospice
Hospice is an organization that assists
terminally ill people and their families.
They also offer grief counseling services.
They differ from a “hospital” in that they are
not trying to prolong life, but ease the dying
persons transition into death. (no life
sustaining machines)
They provide a “homelike” atmosphere
where the dying and their families can be
together.
Decisions that Must be
Made
Funeral or Memorial Service?
Wills: a legal document that deals with a persons
“possessions,” children, assets such as $$,
houses, etc.
Living Will: A document that specifies what a
person would want for emergency treatment in
the event they could not speak for themselves.
Advance Directives
Power of Attorney
Short video on Advanced Directives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWL6t76VHA
Death and Mourning
Traditions Around the World worksheet
Complete the worksheet. Be prepared to discuss
the reasoning behind your choice.
Funeral Vs. Memorial
Service
When a person dies, the person is usually
buried or cremated.
Funeral: If the person has not been cremated,
normally the body is present depending on
the family’s wishes or the religious practice
of the deceased.
Memorial Service: The body is not present
as a rule. If cremated, the ashes of the person
may be there.
Memorial Services often take place after the
body has been buried or cremated.
How are Funerals Helpful?
They help grieving people bring closure to the
death
They help people adjust to the loss.
They assist people in observing the death in a
spiritual way.
They help family and friends find needed
support during their loss