Stone Oak Care Center Reflection

Thinking about death and dying is a very difficult subject to approach. There are movies, television shows, songs, books, and real life situations that basically force us to think about death and dying daily in one way or another. When we consider real life situations either involving our loved ones or ourselves, we must think about the ways in which we may be treated and how this treatment may affect our understanding of death and our role in the process. I am going to address this as well as how the ways in which people treat those who were dying many years ago compared to in our modern time is significantly different. There is also a phrase that is commonly being used in the United States known as the “medicalization of death”. I am going

My perception of palliative and Hospice care has changed slightly when it comes to communication with the family. I walked into the hospice unit mentally preparing myself to talk with patient families about their loved one and the dying process; this was certainly not the case. The family and the patient did not want to be bothered unless comfort interventions needed to be carried out and there was no conversation to be had about the patient and his situation. This shows that each family is different, each patient is different; and we need to respect and accommodate their unique

A Life or Death Situation, by Robin Marantz Henig, New York Times, July, 2013, is a review of the debate surrounding the right to a dignified death. It examines the purely philosophical view of the issue; as well as the heart wrenching reality of being faced with that question in one 's personal life. Does a person have a right to choose how he or she dies? How does that choice impact the people who care about about him or her? Should a person who cares about someone be required to cause or aide in his or her death? These questions weigh heavy on the minds of many people, who live

Death is inevitable. It is one of the only certainties in life. Regardless, people are often uncomfortable discussing death. Nyatanga (2016) posits that the idea of no longer existing increases anxiety and emotional distress in relation to one’s mortality. Because of the difficulty in level of care for end-of-life patients, the patient and the family often need professional assistance for physical and emotional care. Many family caregivers are not professionally trained in medicine, and this is where hospice comes into play. Hospice aims to meet the holistic needs of both the patient and the patient’s family through treatment plans, education, and advocacy. There is a duality of care to the treatment provided by hospice staff in that they do not attempt to separate the patient’s care from the family’s care. Leming and Dickinson (2011) support that hospice, unlike other clinical fields, focuses on the patient and the family together instead of seeing the patient independent of the family. Many times in hospitals, the medical team focuses solely on the goal of returning the patient back to health in order for them to return to their normal lives. They do not take into account the psychological and spiritual components of the patient’s journey and the journey that the family must take as well. For treatment of the patient, Leming and Dickinson agree that hospice does not attempt to cure patients, and instead concentrates solely

This is recognized to be an issue, and throughout the article the authors provided an understanding of how palliative care and end-of-life care are provided too late for a patient and should be provided at an earlier time in order to bring more comfort to the patients. The authors suggest that when and how end-of-life care is provided should be altered, with nursing ethics in mind, so that patients and nurses may feel better about the care they receive. This source will help my research by providing information on how changing the policies of end-of-life care and palliative care can result in the patient feeling a relief from their suffering and ultimately feeling more comfortable. This will also help my argument in how altering the current policies and focusing on providing better end-of-life care can lead to the diminishment of physician-assisted

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as one approaches the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the prospect of dying unprepared. Though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we

I t is important that end of life care is delivered in respect of patients Autonomy, Beneficence, and in a Truthful way. In what follows I argue that we as nurses need to fulfill obligation to support and assist the dying patient and his family’s right to self-determination as it relates to end of life care. I believe that we have made headway but still have much to achieve. Education and research in these areas by and for health care workers and the general population would do much to improve the quality of end of life care.

Design and methods: Face-to-face in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 96 terminally ill elders, 15 of whom discussed an event in their dying process that resulted in suffering so great they wished for, or considered, a hastened death. Data were content analyzed to identify and categorize the main themes and patterns involved in these elders and young people experiences.

Key people could be family, doctors, carers, religious leaders etc. Each may own distinctive role to play in order for the choices and preferences of the individual to be respected and carried out. [ Every person’s end-of-life trajectory is different and needs differ in intensity and quality over time. End-of-life care must adapt to the varying and changing needs of the individual over time and that it cannot be limited to certain settings or services. The provision of good

Driving to Longhorn Village, I was quite excited to be able to provide care for some seniors residing in the assisted living facility. This brought back good memories of volunteering at Mike’s Place, an adult daycare in Austin, Texas, where I used to help to facilitate different physical and mental activities for senior citizens with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Upon my arrival to Longhorn Village, I felt welcomed, and was impressed by the quality and variety of housing options the facility provided for seniors. I have noticed that Longhorn Village offers an elegant senior living lifestyle with on-site long- and short-term services such as memory support, assisted living, and skilled nursing. This

According to Communicating Health, hospice provides terminal patients with what is often referred to as the “good death;” it does not provide preventative or curative care, but instead focuses on the comfort of the patient. Rasmussen and McMenamin discussed this in further detail when detailing one of their responsibilities as social workers, making the patient’s final wishes a reality. While again this may sound depressing to a majority of the outside world. McMenamin smiled brightly, with fond memories, of those who aspired to continue gardening or see their children marry. As with all things, there were not always fond memories. McMenamin and Rasmussen expressed that they as hospice workers see patients at their worst. Sometimes they find that individuals they are providing care for were abusive to their families. Another negative side, they showed us was the wish cards. The cards detailed some of the things people wish for in hospice care (to be kept clean, not being a burden to their family, and not dying alone).

“Death with Dignity,” I had thought, was one of those emotionally triggered cliches to which speakers run when they have not examined their subject very thoroughly or when somebody asks them a too thoughtful question. So too, I surmised, “Quality of Life” was an empty banality. Exposure to hospice care, however, raised simple questions which, I am now embarrassed to admit, I had not previously considered: “What do you mean by dignity?” and “Who decides what kind of quality?” An answer to the second question helps to answer the first. The patient and his family determine what is meaningful for them, what constitutes quality of life. Hospice caregivers believe strongly in the family’s right to determine how they will handle their problems and

One of the few inevitabilities in our life is death. Whether there is more after death is up to interpretation but there is no arguing that at some point, every life must come to an end. Sociological studies and the evolution of hospice care have brought this inevitability to light and provided important dialogue about death and the dying process, particularly as they relate the impact of social and professional relationships an end term patient may have at the time they are dying. A study was conducted was conducted by Dr. Karen Steinhauser that polled end care patients about what was important to them leading up to the time of their death. This poll found that 90% of these patients found it important to say goodbye to important people and 86% of patients found it important to resolve unfinished business with friends and family. From these findings it can be inferred that one of the most important things to people as they near the end of their lives is to find peace and leave this earth with no regrets. This can be summed up by the word closure, which is defined as a feeling that an emotional social or personal relationship or traumatic experience has been resolved. Reaching closure is often closely interrelated with the various personal connections, professional relationships and social status we accrue over our lifetime, and there are a number of avenues for achieving a feeling of closure. This concept is illustrated when we look at how one reaches closure when examining

As a nurse practitioner, I understand that dying is part of life and most importantly, should be treated with respect and dignity to the very end of life. Losing parents and transitioning to the next chapter in life can be daunting. My parent’s last days were very memorable for me. The dignity my mother and father held until their last breathe was undeniably a memory that will be in my heart forever. Witnessing their passing had such a profound effect on my siblings and myself. Dying comfortably and with dignity is a right for every human being. My wish is to share that experience and help others in coming to terms with the emotions of saying goodbye to a loved one.

For many people, the process of dying is a prolonged, painful, and emotionally devastating experience. Dying often leaves an individual filled with fear, confusion, and feelings of loneliness and isolation. Fortunately, there are palliative care options that seek to mitigate not only the physical pains and symptoms of death, but also actively work to address the emotional turmoil countless people experience as they begin to descend towards death. On the other hand, far too many Americans still die in intensive-care-units and emergency rooms, where doctors aggressively work to save the lives of all patients, without regarding the actual status or well-being of the person’s life before them. Dying in a hospital room is not peaceful; it is often