Overview Topic 10: Death and Dying

Overview

In this topic we will, describe how the moment of death is defined.  As well as, analyze causes of and reactions to death across the life span and Kübler-Ross’s theory on the process of dying.  Students should be able to explain ways in which people can exercise control over how they spend their last days and describe alternatives for providing end-of-life care for the terminally ill.  Finally, we will describe how survivors react to and cope with death.

Learning Outcomes

• Define death
• Describe what characterizes physical and social death 
• Compare the leading causes of death in the world with those in the United States
• Review the current statistics on suicide and fatal drug overdoses 
• Define deaths of despair
• Explain where people die
• Describe how attitudes about death and death anxiety change as people age 
• Explain the philosophy and practice of palliative care
• Describe the roles of hospice and family caregivers
• Explain the different types of advanced directives 
• Describe cultural differences in end of life decisions 
• Explain the different types of euthanasia and their controversies
• Describe funeral rituals in different religions 
• Describe the new practice of green burials 
• Differentiate among grief, bereavement, and mourning 
• List and describe the stages of loss based on Kübler-Ross’s model and describe the criticisms of the model 
• Explain the dual-process model of grief 
• Identify the impact of losing a child and parent 
• Identify the four tasks of mourning 
• Explain the importance of support groups for those in grief

Instructions

By the end of this topic, students will:

1.  Review the topic 10 resources

2.  Read Chapter 10 and take notes

3.  Complete the Topic 10 Quiz.