HDF 201 1st Edition Lecture 21 Outline of Last Lecture I Psychosocial Crisis of Elderhood II Immortality a Symbolic Immortality III Suicide in Elders a Psychosocial Issues IV Norm of Reciprocity V Eden Alternative Outline of Current Lecture I Elderhood a Death Denial b Death with Dignity Law c Mature Concept of Death d PVS e Advanced Directives f Principle of Symmetry g Stress in Elders II Principles of a Good Death Current Lecture I Elderhood By 85 most people are widowed 15 of recently bereaved elders suffer from depression These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute in 1951 the government eliminated old age classification from death certificates a Death Denial When people don t like thinking about or talking about death or dying b Death with Dignity Law If you get diagnosed with six months to live a doctor can prescribe you pills that will put you in a coma and make your heart stop working This began in Oregon and only four states in the country allow this c Mature Concept of Death 1 Universality everything dies 2 Irreversibility once you die you can t come back 3 Personal Mortality understanding that death will happen to you 4 Causality there s a reason why death happens 5 Non functionality death happens because the body can no longer function 6 Non empirical Ideas souls afterlife heaven hell d PVS PVS stands for Persistent Vegetative State coma e Advanced Directives An advanced directive is a form you fill out that gives your power of attorney that will speak for you when you are unable to to make sure your wishes are being respected at the hospital f Principle of Symmetry When a person is coming toward the end of their life it is important to balance end of life and quality of life g Stress in Elders Stress in elders can be caused by a number of things including Loss of spouse Loss of children Loss of friends Loss of pets Loneliness II Principles of a Good Death 1 To know that death is coming and to know what is expected 2 To be able to retain reasonable control of what happens 3 To be afforded dignity and privacy 4 To have adequate control over pain relief and other symptoms 5 To have a choice about where death occurs 6 To have access to information and expertise of whatever kind is needed 7 To have access to desired spiritual and emotional support 8 To have access to hospice or palliative care in any desired location 9 To have a say about who is present and who shares the end 10 To be able to issue advanced directives and ensure that wishes are respected 11 To have time to say goodbye 12 To be able to leave when it is time to go and not have life prolonged pointlessly