Improving End-of-Life Care in The United States

2060 Words5 Pages

Death comes to all in the end, shrouded in mystery, occasionally bringing with it pain, and while some may welcome its finality, others may fight it with every ounce of their strength. Humans have throughout the centuries created death rituals to bring them peace and healing after the death of a loved one. Deaths were a form of social event, when families and loved ones would gather around the bed of the dying, offering emotional support and comfort. Myth, religion, and tradition would combine to give the event deeper meaning and ease the transition for all involved. The one who was dying was confident in knowing what lay behind the veil of death, thanks to religious faith or tradition. His or her community held fast to the sense of community, drawing strength from social ties and beliefs. (“Taboos and Social Stigma - Rituals, Body, Life, History, Time, Person, Human, Traditional Views of Death Give Way to New Perceptions" 1) Americans at the end of their lives no longer have this sense of continuity and stability. Rituals today are as likely to include tubes and noisy machines, artificial ventilators and unpleasant drug regimens bringing as many unpleasant side effects as health benefits. Many times the dying languishes in a hospital bed, surrounded not by the comforts of home and family but rather by sterility and bright lights, strangers and hushed voices. Death is no longer a mysterious part of a cherished tradition but a terrifying ordeal to be postponed as long as possible, an enemy that must be fought off at all costs. End-of-life care in the United States is often fraught with difficult decisions and borne with great expense. Americans are often uncomfortable discussing death and making end-of-life choices, and th... ... middle of paper ... ...Palliative Medicine 13.5 (2010): 595-602. EBSCO. Web. 21 Jan. 2011. "Hospice Services and Expenses (About Hospice)." Home (Hospice Foundation of America). Web. 23 Jan. 2011. . "Palliative Care | Cancer.Net." Doctor-approved Cancer Information from ASCO | Cancer.Net. Cancer.net, Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. . "Taboos and Social Stigma - Rituals, Body, Life, History, Time, Person, Human, Traditional Views of Death Give Way to New Perceptions." Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. . "What Is Hospice (About Hospice)." Home (Hospice Foundation of America). Web. 31 Jan. 2011. .

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