Last breath. Gone forever. Nature takes its course. Death is inevitable for everyone. The thought becomes unnerving when one takes time to think that eventually it will happen to them. Younger adults and children tend to blow it off, thinking that because they are young, it won’t happen to them. Dying is certain, but the timing is not. As people become older, the fear of dying in this death denying culture becomes more prominent in their thought. However, what if illness and death become sooner than we thought or they were unprepared for what was to come? People want to leave Earth as peacefully and painlessly as possible. If the patient is at the point in their life that they need medical equipment to sustain life to keep organs running while spending thousands of dollars of burden to their family, then what actually is their quality of life? This is a continually rising ethical concern in the medical field. It’s a matter of sustaining life in hopes that a patient will recover versus “giving up” and letting the patient die naturally and faster. This becomes even more challenging when the actual patient is unable to say their wishes and the literal life-or-death question is at hand of a loved one watching their friend or family member be kept alive from machines. Culture today seems to be too optimistic regarding death. We are so afraid of dying that we have no choice but to be a culture of life. Today’s American society is a death denying culture that cannot determine when it is the correct time to finally let go. Like many people, I faced this problem first hand. My grandfather, Pappap, one of the most influential people in my decision to pursue nursing, went through this experience in November of 2013, the day after Thanksgi... ... middle of paper ... ...letting go and to fight back. Whether against aging or illness, the idea of fighting disease at all costs literally costs the United States billions of dollars along with stressors to family members. Witnessing it first hand through Pappap, our family changed as a whole and we just finished paying the hospital bills – two years later. Although the idea may scare some people, the push or obligation of living wills has the opportunity to significantly affect the paradigm of our death denial culture. With this document established, each person in society for at least several minutes will acknowledge the fact that one day they will die. The timing will never be guaranteed, but death will. Advanced directives can possibly save financial burden and family stress in today’s culture of life. It will eliminate anxiety from proxies and prepare each person for their own death.
As we get older and delve into the real world, it is important to start thinking about end-of-life care and advance directives. Although it is something no one wants to imagine, there is an absolute necessity for living wills and a power of attorney. Learning about the Patient Self-Determination Act and the different legal basis in where you live is important because it will help people understand why advance care directives are so important. Although there are several barriers in implementing advance care directives, there are also several actions that healthcare professionals can take to overcome these obstacles. These are also important to know about, especially for someone going into the medical field.
Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal, focuses on end-of-life care for patients in the American healthcare system. Gawande includes evidence along with anecdotes from his own life surrounding his career as a surgeon and his role in helping family members navigate their own end-of-life decisions. Much of Gawande’s argument rests on the premise that while end-of-life care in the American healthcare system is heroic and equipped with the best possible advancements in medicine, it too often fails the patients it is supposed to help. A large part of Being Mortal focuses on the doctor-patient relationship (especially in the context of shared-decision making) and how we often fail to recognize the things that are most important for our elderly in their
Increasingly, people know from their own experience some painful dilemmas involving elderly or handicapped individuals who are in pain. While the achievements of modern medicine have been used to prolong and enhance life for many, they have also helped create an often dreaded context for dying. Costly technology may keep persons alive, but frequently these persons are cut off from meaningful relationships with others and exist with little or no hope for recovery. Many fearfully imagine a situation at the end of their lives where they or their trusted ones will have no say in decisions about their treatment.
Two examples of Advance Care Directives, which are living wills that allow a person to document end of life medical treatment, are the FiveWishes and MyDirectives in the United States. The FiveWishes directive is described as living with a heart and soul and follows five wishes. These wishes include: the person which will make decisions regarding the patient’s health when the patient is not able to, the kind of medical treatment wanted and not wanted, the level of comfortability of the patient, how the patient is treated, and the amount of information that the patient’s loved ones know. The MyDirec...
One of the greatest dangers facing chronic and terminally ill patients is the grey area regarding PAS. In the Netherlands, there are strict criteria for the practice of PAS. Despite such stringencies, the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1992) found 28% of the PAS cases in the Netherlands did not meet the criteria. The evidence suggests some of the patient’s lives may have ended prematurely or involuntarily. This problem can be addressed via advance directives. These directives would be written by competent individuals explaining their decision to be aided in dying when they are no longer capable of making medical decisions. These interpretations are largely defined by ones morals, understanding of ethics, individual attitudes, religious and cultural values.
While navigating the abundant and sometimes confusing legal language of advance directives can be time consuming, it would benefit every person to consider their end of life wishes and have some form of written statement available for their doctor and family to understand those wishes. Doing this in advance can prevent emotional anguish, suffering and expensive litigation. In the end, clearly and when possible, written, documentation of a medical directive, a living will, or a chosen health care power of attorney will lessen the burden for the medical professionals and family of a dying or incapacitated person.
Overall the need for a better based end of life care strategy is warranted globally. More of a focus should be given on care and high quality service for patients. As of now too much decision lies with the healthcare professionals and this can lead to faulty decision making because the health care providers are doing what they believe is in our best interest. In reality the patient or ourselves only have the true idea how we would like our final days to be carried out. By developing and carrying out an end of care plan we can take the decision making out of the family and doctors and place it on the patient. By all counts the need for change is apparent within the healthcare industry in regards to end of life care. By considering this unique change a great deal of improvement can be derived from this decision making process.
Consequently, she was left in what most assumed to be a vegetative state for years eventually because her husband continued to advocate for her right to die she was unplugged and died soon after. This case served as a warning for most people who didn’t really consider Advanced Directives before. Are family members sure of what lengths should or shouldn’t be taken worst case scenario. Repeatedly this has proven not to be the case. Death or dying is always a taboo subject however, when high profile cases like this arise people are forced to evaluate their own lives? A study regarding knowledge about advance directives conducted in 2004 suggested that there was a direct correlation between attitudes, financial stability and the number of people who had advanced directives. Surprisingly this same study discovered that doctors or healthcare professions assumed it was the patient’s duty to seek out
Today, most states have some laws that allow patients to make informed decisions about how they wish to die. Almost every state allows one to have a living will. This simply states that if one is surviving via ...
Ever since I was in middle school I dreamed of working in the medical field. I realized nursing was the profession for me when my grandfather became terribly sick with lung cancer during my freshman year of high school. It puzzled me that one of the healthiest and most physically active people I knew could be afflicted by such a damaging disease. After watching my grandfather’s suffering and the pain my entire family felt from his death, I knew I wanted to go into a field to help others that are facing the same challenges. This is when I discovered all of the opportunities that a career in nursing could offer me.
It can also be quite stressful for the dying individual if the family members are attempting to plan their funeral and they are unable to communicate their wishes (Callanan & Kelley, 1992: 42-43). This issue of miscommunication occurs closer to death, so if the planning process starts soon enough the dying individual should be able to effectively communicate their wishes (Callanan & Kelley, 1992: 42-43). It has also impacted the dying individual in positive ways. Because of this, there are now places that individuals can transition into before the actual dying process begins. For example, in past decades, individuals with dementia would have to stay at home and be cared for by their friends and family, who while trying their best, may not have been able to cope with the demands of that individual along with their own personal lives (Dosa, 2010). Now, these individuals, when money and resources allow, are able to access special institutions and sectors in hospitals that are specially equipped to deal with those demands (Dosa, 2010). But this transition has plenty of financial challenges that go along with
Adult Nursing is a very rewarding career which provides endless opportunities. I would describe myself as a caring and compassionate person. I believe I possess these qualities naturally. I am compelled to put other people’s needs before my own. I can contribute my personal qualities to this course of being dedicated and determined into committing myself to this 3 year course and excelling academically. Personally, caring for my mother with high blood pressure made me interested in the world of medicine. This long term sickness inspired me to gain more experience outside of the home and volunteer which confirmed that this was the right course for me. I am fascinated by the practical aspect that the course involves as well as the theoretical
Everyone, at some point in their life, will grapple with the grievous reality of a loved one dying. Doctors and medical practitioners will do all they can to comfort and help those who are terminally ill, but their efforts will only postpone the inevitable. Modern medical advances have facilitated the use of life-support machines and intubation, but these advances have also facilitated the controversial introduction of euthanasia and physician-assisted dying. A number of pro-choice advocates have recently suggested that euthanasia is the gentlest, easiest, and quickest way to end one 's life with dignity. By focusing on these appealing prospects, however, many people do not adequately take into account what I consider to be important constituents
For centuries, the simple definition of death has been the cessation of life. Early physicians determined death by “a permanent absence of respiration and circulation.” 1 With our growing technological advancements, healthcare providers have been able to push the human body to its limits, maintaining life even in extreme cases. These incredible advancements in medicine have sparked an array of legal and ethical issues. One issue is setting a universal definition of death so that laws and regulations can follow accordingly.
At the age of 36, mom decided to return back to college to obtain her nursing degree. This wasn’t a hard decision for her to make. The April before she enrolled in school my great grandmother passed away. This major dilemma played a major role in mom’s returning back to school. She had taken care of my great grandmother for months before she passed away, and decided that she wanted to make an impact on the lives of geriatrics.