183 Summary
Dinesh Ramoo
Key Takeaways
- Death occurs when an individual has sustained either irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions or irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.
- Social death occurs when others begin to dehumanize and withdraw from someone who is terminally ill or has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
- Acute and chronic respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular diseases are the major causes of death in Canada.
- Curative care is designed to overcome and cure disease and illness.
- Palliative care focuses on providing comfort and relief from physical and emotional pain to patients throughout their illness, even while being treated.
- Advanced care planning refers to all documents that pertain to end-of-life care, including advance directives and medical orders.
- Advance directives are initiated by the patient and include documents that mention a healthcare agent and living wills.
- Living wills are written or video statements that outline the healthcare initiates the person wishes under certain circumstances.
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare names the person who should make healthcare decisions in the event that the patient is incapacitated.
- Medical orders are crafted by a medical professional on behalf of a seriously ill patient.
- Euthanasia is defined as intentionally ending one’s life when suffering from a terminal illness or severe disability.
- The Canadian government announced on March 17, 2021 that medical assistance in dying (MAID) was officially in force.
- Funeral rites are expressions of loss that reflect personal and cultural beliefs about the meaning of death and the afterlife.
- Grief is the normal process of reacting to a physical loss, such as a death, or a social loss, such as a relationship or job.
- Bereavement is the period after a loss during which grief and mourning occurs.
- Mourning is the process by which people adapt to a loss.
- Kübler-Ross describes five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) experienced by someone who faces the news of their impending death.
- The dual-process model takes into consideration that bereaved individuals move back and forth between grieving and preparing for life without their loved one.
