While death is not often talked about in American culture, talking about it is one of the best ways to prepare for death. There are many ways someone can prepare for their own death or the death of a loved one. For those who are elderly, or terminally ill, and it is known death is not far off for them, considering a place to die is largely important. Many people wish to die in the comfort of their own homes, but this is often not the best option. Laura Berk states that when awaiting death in a home environment, normal, everyday activities can be strenuous. It can be hard on the person dying, and on the family or friends responsible for caring for them (2014). Thus, considering specialized hospital placement, nursing homes, or hospice care may ease the transition. …show more content…
Preparing a living will is another key part of feeling prepared and ready for dying, expected or unexpected. People may specify the treatments they wish to receive, who would be responsible for their wellbeing (Berk, 2014), and where they wish their possessions to be distributed after death. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, is emotionally and mentally preparing for death. Laura Berk explains that those who are expecting death can engage in something called anticipatory grieving. This is defined as being able to prepare emotionally for the death of a loved one by acknowledging that the loss is inevitable (2014). Although, not all deaths are anticipated, some are sudden and without warning. In this case the best thing to do is to be open about talking about death and acknowledging the possibility. Being at peace with the uncertainty and inevitability of death are very important factors in preparing for
Dealing with someone dying is not something that is going to be fun or enjoyable. Death comes to everyone, none of us can duck and dodge it. Death of natural causes is not something that can be controlled by anyone, but it is important for people to be with those that are dying. When someone you know is dying, whether they are friends or family it’s very important for them to feel loved and not alone. It is also important that the opinions and thoughts of the patient be taken into consideration because they are going through something that no one can say they relate to. In dealing with death, there are many emotions that are felt by the sick patient and their friends and family. In A Very Easy Death
Death is a concept that people find hard to accept. You keep asking yourself “what if” as if it’s going to make your loved one come back. “What if I had been there? What if someone had talked him out of it? What if…?” You always ask yourself these questions, but never get an answer. I find myself still asking these questions even though I know they will never be answered. Death takes the ones we love the most too soon. Unfortunately, I know this feeling all too well.
Sogyal Rinpoche stated “When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life now.and come to face the truth of yourself. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected.” Death is imminent. Many people today fear death for various reasons. Some people are able to accept it, while others deny its existence.
Life happens, and so does death as it is also a part of life. Moreover, in many cases, some of us will have to go through the experience of anticipating death in ourselves or in a loved one as opposed to a sudden death in the family. In other words, both the family and the person involved start to grieve, even before the parting actually takes place.
"Grieving and death rituals vary across culture and are heavily influenced by Religion (Medscape)." Cross cultural beliefs, ceremonies, and rituals allow for the deaths of individuals to be encompassed in a more organized social order (Death and Dying, A sociological perspective). The religious rituals encountered are often influential in funeral arrangements and grieving behaviors. On a sociological level, we can interpret these things in a more objective way. I believe that in order to understand religion and culture: we must first understand the concepts that may be seen as highly influential. These concepts include religion and culture in association with social class, social norms, social reality, and class systems. The two religions I found most interesting were Hinduism and Buddhism.
When discussing any topic, from medicines to death, history is always relevant. Funeral service dates back to 1685, which involved providing mourning merchandise to the society. Many undertakers at this time in history were also furniture builders, building the coffins for burial, as well as other household furniture. It wasn’t until the 19th century that funeral directors were utilized often. Before this time, families took care of their deceased loved ones. Around the time of the civil war embalming was introduced and shed a new light on funeral service. Listed below is a brief summary of some important events in funeral service history.
When preparing for death Buddhist generally agree a person’s state of mind while dying is of great importance. While dying the person can be surrounded by friends, family and monks who recite Buddhists scriptures and mantras to help the person achieve a peaceful state of mind. Buddhism asserts that all being live beyond the various fluctuations of this life. Death is merely a passage to rebirth in another realm such as the human world, a pure land or the flowering of the ultimate nature of the mind.
If there is one constant in this world, it would surely be death. Dying is an unavoidable part of life. Indeed, everything that lives will at sometime die. The fear of death is held by everyone. Perhaps it is the correlation of death with pain or the unknown state of the human consciousness after death, maybe a combination of both, that creates this fear. The fear felt is undoubtedly universal, however, the ways in which it is dealt with are varied and diverse.
Death is part of the circle of life and it's the end of your time on earth; the end of your time with your family and loved ones. Nobody wants to die, leaving their family and missing the good times your loved ones will have once you pass on. In the Mercury Reader, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross “On the Fear of Death” and Joan Didion “Afterlife” from The Year of Magical Thinking” both share common theses on death and grieving. Didion and Kübler-Ross both explain grieving and dealing with death. Steve Jobs commencement speech for Stanford’s graduation ceremony and through personal experience jumps further into death and how I feel about it. Your time is on earth is limited one day you will die and there are many ways of grieving at the death of a loved one. I believe that the fear of death and the death of a loved one will hold you back from living your own life and the fear of your own death is selfish.
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
A funeral is an important event that should be planned with careful consideration, as each person only gets one to celebrate his or her life. People often die expectantly and suddenly leaving any funeral and burial arrangements in the hands of friends or relatives. These friends or family of the deceased may or may not have a good understanding of what the deceased would have preferred in his or her post death arrangements. A person planning his or her own funeral can prevent this guessing game and insure the arrangements are to their specifications.
Death is the one great certainty in life. Some of us will die in ways out of our control, and most of us will be unaware of the moment of death itself. Still, death and dying well can be approached in a healthy way. Understanding that people differ in how they think about death and dying, and respecting those differences, can promote a peaceful death and a healthy manner of dying.
Death is a difficult subject for many people. The topic alone can cause a lot of anxiety because of all the things we don’t know. Most of us fear death for many reasons. Whether it’s your final day, or a final moment with a loved one, it’s a painfully scary process because of its uncertainty.
Preparing for Death A lack of preparation for our deaths is a serious problem whether it is because we don’t know the exact time or just don’t want to face death. In an article in Time magazine by John Cloud he writes “We will spend more time getting ready for two weeks away from work than we will for our last two weeks on earth” (Cloud,2000,p.60). We should prepare for our deaths to show our wishes concerning treatment and life support, as well as other aspects. We should make choices while we are still well, so that we are treated properly before we die.
Death is still the scariest thing to face in life and very hard to understand, but by overcoming the death of a loved one you will realize, death is just the way life works, its reality You will be able to see you are able to live your life without your loved one by your side. Overall, just enjoy everything you have in life because one day it will all be taken away from