Death And Dying Sociology
Sociology | Death and Dying | What Constitutes a Good Death | | Christine | 11/20/2009 |
Review of Bill Moyers programs |
What constitutes a good death?
Living with Dying I found the section with Dr. Bartholeme particularly intriguing and educational. As a doctor for years he not only had to experience a terminal illness, he also lived the healthcare world on the other side. He pointed out in the discussion that he did not feel safe at the hospital as a patient. He also found out how valuable health insurance is a not only for when you are healthy but for the stage at the end. After a grieving period, he came to terms with the discovery of having a terminal illness. It showed how one man's will to spend his remaining life …show more content…
without restrictions as long as possible. He set goals, which he wanted to accomplish before his death, such as getting married. Dr. Bartholeme faced death without taking steps to prolong life. The only time he sought treatment was extremely vital to keep his quality of life. The fact that his wife took care of him throughout the ordeal only made the relationship stronger. She provided him the comfort and love until the end. The medications taken during his dying were prescriptions to provide a level of comfort to keep the quality of life. Dr. Bartholeme’s wife, Pat, had to believe that he suffered a good death with his dying words pledging his love for her. Each death is specific to ones religious beliefs and cultures. The African Americans hold on longest. They want every treatment available to hold on to life. Whites let go with little or no medical technology. Latino’s is in the middle. It is the Latino culture to die at home surrounded by family. Latino families live close to each other and provide all the support and love one could want to feel loved in their last days. Unfortunately, many Americans will have no support system due to broken families. Until recently, people had to deal with the details of death. Today death is more of a business adventure, and is dealt with in a materialistic fashion. All arrangements made from a distance without personal interaction. The healthcare movement is making a change on how we live with dying. Today there is the focus on providing comfort as one is dying. Comfort care is equally valuable as the treatment care. Regardless of which means of treatment with terminal illness, death is inevitable. Personal values, religious beliefs, and cultures, influences the way we chose to die. The one feature that we all will have in common is the final step…Death. A Different Kind of Care
Within this presentation, there is a lot of focus on healthcare. Palliative care is a crucial part of a good death. Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that focuses on reducing the pain and symptoms. With palliative care, the goal is to prevent and alleviate pain and to provide a quality of life. Palliative care in Mount Sinai Hospital is not dependent on comfort care but is offered in conjunction with medicinal forms of treatment. In addition to these services, some places offer art therapy to help with emotional and psychological support. Art therapy offers a chance of personal expression; things people are not willing to talk about openly. We have learned how some doctors talk to their terminally ill patients to help them deal with their impending death, which in turn helps to calm their fears. Hospice givers provide support and become like family. Hospice provides human kindness to those without the support of a family. They work ensures patient’s wishes are honored. What do they want? Do they want life support? Do they want a feeding tube? Doctors work closely with patients to make sure they are aware of the stages of illness. Doctors listen to patients to hear their wishes and help them achieve that goal. When patients wishes are to go back home, the doctors help make sure all services are available. Patient's comfort is the most crucial role with hospice and palliative care. Pain management is critical. When pain is at minimum, patients can experience better living. With this care in charge, patients can take the time to get their personal, spiritual, and emotional issues in focus.
A Death of One’s Own
Assisted suicide in this section shows us how one’s wishes change while their health deteriorates.
Jim Wichter’s has ALS. He is fighting every step by not accepting the phases the disease takes on his body. He has expressed the desire to commit suicide versus going thru the phases of the disease. Jim sets a goal as to when he wishes to take his life but as each phase approaches, he changes his deadline. To me this would make one think, "Is assisted suicide ever acceptable?” When Jim was ready, he stopped medication and feedings to let nature take its own path at the end. Kitty Rayl who resides in Oregon is planning the last days and using assisted suicide. In Oregon, they have the Death with Dignity Law. The law states assisted suicide is available to one who has a six-month terminal diagnosis by two physicians and has stability of mind to make the decision. The doctor visits Kitty regularly to discuss her wishes and make sure she has not changed her mind. Kitty had made the decision and designated a day but her daughter talked her into waiting 24 hours. Kitty missed the window of opportunity she could no longer swallow. Therefore, she had to let nature control her death. Assisted suicides are controversial. Many religions do not believe in suicide. Administering medicines for the purpose of death some doctors find unethical. At the same time, these same doctors increase levels of morphine to alleviate the pain, which also may speed up the normal process of one’s death. This would not be considered an assisted suicide; the doctor is only trying to reduce the pain. Poor people seem to have fewer choices than the middle and upper class due to less education on the choices. Doctors and families often have to make decisions for the patients. This happens due to us not talking about death. No one wants to theorize their own death so when it happens; one may be incapacitated and not able to make decisions. Some families without the financial resources to receive hospice
utilize nursing homes. Some families do not consider the wishes of the patient but cannot or do not want to allow the patient to go. Doctors are not prepared to deal with death as part of their education. When the medical students are learning, they struggle with the concept of accepting death. Students learn to save lives at all cost. When approaching the unknown, students are not sure they can ethically accept providing palliative care versus treatment care. We all die our own death. No matter how we prepare our death we never truly know what process it is going to take.
A Time to Change
Our final chapter discusses our healthcare systems. The Balm of Gilead is a hospital cutting a new path in the way healthcare is provided. The hospital has a support team made of a variety of members from all areas. Dr Bailey makes house calls to patients receiving hospice at home. With the number of Americans without health insurance, Dr. Bailey is facilitating patient consultations without generating enormous debts to the patients. Too often, one may be without insurance due to loss of job and disability benefits are not immediately available. Sometimes if you get to much income from disability, it disqualifies Medicaid benefits. If this happens, patients have to wait two years for Medicare to become available but by then most patients have died. I feel this is unfortunate due to one may have worked all their life and still has no medical benefits to help keep one healthy. The cost for caring for patients without insurance is a crunching game. Hospice only reimburses hospitals $95 daily. If more people had at home services versus at the hospital, it would be about $1000 savings a day. When funds are not there from the Medicare and Medicaid the public pays the difference and maybe grants or donations. I wonder if the cost at the end would not lessen if we would provide preventive visits to the uninsured each 5 years. This would help doctors identify health issues that may be able to be treated before they become terminal. Regardless of care available, I think hospice and palliative care would be critical to helping everyone achieve a better death. They provide a service that medicine cannot offer. That is compassion and the willingness to listen. Dr. Bailey points out four aspects of care they are the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social that need to be addressed in the face of dying. The primary concern is taking care of the physical issues before the others can be approached and brought to closure. Bill Moyer's presentations all have common grounds “comfort care. Each death is unique. Doctors are on the cutting edge to provide services to the dying. The compelling concept behind the services they strive for is based on compassion, not technology. I have only experienced my Grandparents death. My Grandfather died with cancer back in 1979, and I look back and wish these services had been available. My grandfather was in pain every time I visited and suffered for months. I would not constitute his death a good death. My Great-Grandfather died at 104 years old. He lived by himself until he was 99 and then after falling moved into a nursing home. If hospice had been around, he would have been able to stay in his home until the end. We had our family reunion three days before his birthday this was the last time I saw him. I remember telling my sister that he would not live to see 105. On his birthday, the home gave him a party and the next day he died. This was a good death back in 1989. I have not had anyone in my immediate family pass on recently, but I do hope after taking this class I will be able to deal with the ordeal with acceptance. My father has started getting his affairs in order, even though he tells us there is nothing wrong, it makes me wonder. He is one who does not want anyone to worry about him, so he keeps to himself where his health is concerned.
Review of Bill Moyers programs |
What constitutes a good death?
Living with Dying I found the section with Dr. Bartholeme particularly intriguing and educational. As a doctor for years he not only had to experience a terminal illness, he also lived the healthcare world on the other side. He pointed out in the discussion that he did not feel safe at the hospital as a patient. He also found out how valuable health insurance is a not only for when you are healthy but for the stage at the end. After a grieving period, he came to terms with the discovery of having a terminal illness. It showed how one man's will to spend his remaining life …show more content…
without restrictions as long as possible. He set goals, which he wanted to accomplish before his death, such as getting married. Dr. Bartholeme faced death without taking steps to prolong life. The only time he sought treatment was extremely vital to keep his quality of life. The fact that his wife took care of him throughout the ordeal only made the relationship stronger. She provided him the comfort and love until the end. The medications taken during his dying were prescriptions to provide a level of comfort to keep the quality of life. Dr. Bartholeme’s wife, Pat, had to believe that he suffered a good death with his dying words pledging his love for her. Each death is specific to ones religious beliefs and cultures. The African Americans hold on longest. They want every treatment available to hold on to life. Whites let go with little or no medical technology. Latino’s is in the middle. It is the Latino culture to die at home surrounded by family. Latino families live close to each other and provide all the support and love one could want to feel loved in their last days. Unfortunately, many Americans will have no support system due to broken families. Until recently, people had to deal with the details of death. Today death is more of a business adventure, and is dealt with in a materialistic fashion. All arrangements made from a distance without personal interaction. The healthcare movement is making a change on how we live with dying. Today there is the focus on providing comfort as one is dying. Comfort care is equally valuable as the treatment care. Regardless of which means of treatment with terminal illness, death is inevitable. Personal values, religious beliefs, and cultures, influences the way we chose to die. The one feature that we all will have in common is the final step…Death. A Different Kind of Care
Within this presentation, there is a lot of focus on healthcare. Palliative care is a crucial part of a good death. Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that focuses on reducing the pain and symptoms. With palliative care, the goal is to prevent and alleviate pain and to provide a quality of life. Palliative care in Mount Sinai Hospital is not dependent on comfort care but is offered in conjunction with medicinal forms of treatment. In addition to these services, some places offer art therapy to help with emotional and psychological support. Art therapy offers a chance of personal expression; things people are not willing to talk about openly. We have learned how some doctors talk to their terminally ill patients to help them deal with their impending death, which in turn helps to calm their fears. Hospice givers provide support and become like family. Hospice provides human kindness to those without the support of a family. They work ensures patient’s wishes are honored. What do they want? Do they want life support? Do they want a feeding tube? Doctors work closely with patients to make sure they are aware of the stages of illness. Doctors listen to patients to hear their wishes and help them achieve that goal. When patients wishes are to go back home, the doctors help make sure all services are available. Patient's comfort is the most crucial role with hospice and palliative care. Pain management is critical. When pain is at minimum, patients can experience better living. With this care in charge, patients can take the time to get their personal, spiritual, and emotional issues in focus.
A Death of One’s Own
Assisted suicide in this section shows us how one’s wishes change while their health deteriorates.
Jim Wichter’s has ALS. He is fighting every step by not accepting the phases the disease takes on his body. He has expressed the desire to commit suicide versus going thru the phases of the disease. Jim sets a goal as to when he wishes to take his life but as each phase approaches, he changes his deadline. To me this would make one think, "Is assisted suicide ever acceptable?” When Jim was ready, he stopped medication and feedings to let nature take its own path at the end. Kitty Rayl who resides in Oregon is planning the last days and using assisted suicide. In Oregon, they have the Death with Dignity Law. The law states assisted suicide is available to one who has a six-month terminal diagnosis by two physicians and has stability of mind to make the decision. The doctor visits Kitty regularly to discuss her wishes and make sure she has not changed her mind. Kitty had made the decision and designated a day but her daughter talked her into waiting 24 hours. Kitty missed the window of opportunity she could no longer swallow. Therefore, she had to let nature control her death. Assisted suicides are controversial. Many religions do not believe in suicide. Administering medicines for the purpose of death some doctors find unethical. At the same time, these same doctors increase levels of morphine to alleviate the pain, which also may speed up the normal process of one’s death. This would not be considered an assisted suicide; the doctor is only trying to reduce the pain. Poor people seem to have fewer choices than the middle and upper class due to less education on the choices. Doctors and families often have to make decisions for the patients. This happens due to us not talking about death. No one wants to theorize their own death so when it happens; one may be incapacitated and not able to make decisions. Some families without the financial resources to receive hospice
utilize nursing homes. Some families do not consider the wishes of the patient but cannot or do not want to allow the patient to go. Doctors are not prepared to deal with death as part of their education. When the medical students are learning, they struggle with the concept of accepting death. Students learn to save lives at all cost. When approaching the unknown, students are not sure they can ethically accept providing palliative care versus treatment care. We all die our own death. No matter how we prepare our death we never truly know what process it is going to take.
A Time to Change
Our final chapter discusses our healthcare systems. The Balm of Gilead is a hospital cutting a new path in the way healthcare is provided. The hospital has a support team made of a variety of members from all areas. Dr Bailey makes house calls to patients receiving hospice at home. With the number of Americans without health insurance, Dr. Bailey is facilitating patient consultations without generating enormous debts to the patients. Too often, one may be without insurance due to loss of job and disability benefits are not immediately available. Sometimes if you get to much income from disability, it disqualifies Medicaid benefits. If this happens, patients have to wait two years for Medicare to become available but by then most patients have died. I feel this is unfortunate due to one may have worked all their life and still has no medical benefits to help keep one healthy. The cost for caring for patients without insurance is a crunching game. Hospice only reimburses hospitals $95 daily. If more people had at home services versus at the hospital, it would be about $1000 savings a day. When funds are not there from the Medicare and Medicaid the public pays the difference and maybe grants or donations. I wonder if the cost at the end would not lessen if we would provide preventive visits to the uninsured each 5 years. This would help doctors identify health issues that may be able to be treated before they become terminal. Regardless of care available, I think hospice and palliative care would be critical to helping everyone achieve a better death. They provide a service that medicine cannot offer. That is compassion and the willingness to listen. Dr. Bailey points out four aspects of care they are the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social that need to be addressed in the face of dying. The primary concern is taking care of the physical issues before the others can be approached and brought to closure. Bill Moyer's presentations all have common grounds “comfort care. Each death is unique. Doctors are on the cutting edge to provide services to the dying. The compelling concept behind the services they strive for is based on compassion, not technology. I have only experienced my Grandparents death. My Grandfather died with cancer back in 1979, and I look back and wish these services had been available. My grandfather was in pain every time I visited and suffered for months. I would not constitute his death a good death. My Great-Grandfather died at 104 years old. He lived by himself until he was 99 and then after falling moved into a nursing home. If hospice had been around, he would have been able to stay in his home until the end. We had our family reunion three days before his birthday this was the last time I saw him. I remember telling my sister that he would not live to see 105. On his birthday, the home gave him a party and the next day he died. This was a good death back in 1989. I have not had anyone in my immediate family pass on recently, but I do hope after taking this class I will be able to deal with the ordeal with acceptance. My father has started getting his affairs in order, even though he tells us there is nothing wrong, it makes me wonder. He is one who does not want anyone to worry about him, so he keeps to himself where his health is concerned.