The Concept of Death and Dying - Essay Example

Death and Dying Introduction Death as has defined varies significantly within different contextual cultures, religions and even in denominations. It forms a question of a mandatory process through which every living soul must undertake for the completion of the cycle of what man perceives as end of a life cycle. Most commonly, the eminent conception of death in almost varied entities in question suggest that; death is that which describes the process of a departing soul away from the human flesh. This paradigm abstract in nature as its eminence is invisible, and thus has basis on moral cognition rather than instrumental input. However, to be ideal as life is concerned, death, and the dying process has been accruement as the complete inability of vital body functions to perform as in their usual states. For instance fundamental body functions as circulation; whereby the heart ceases to beat, and failing to breathe by the person in question. Similar to the former conception of death, the latter also not as fully expounded nor understood as necessary. This challenge has arisen by the emerging medical advancements that have literally opposed the definition by achieving the exact results in retaining life, all of which have been described as bases defining death. For instance, ability to sustain respiratory as well as cardiac functions in medically advanced approaches. It is with the above outline that the process of dying and death have inevitably brought the ethical concerns; most of all, as an intuitive process of coming to terms with the reality, and also to a wider perspective, as a process of life already brought into picture by the existing social structures. Predominant to these concerns are the ethical dilemmas that are associated to the dying process and the actual death. Generally the discussion on this discipline will be basically drawn from as an excerpt from the Anthology by Margaret, T., based on the book “Precious Lives”; which is a personal encounter with the issues in question directed by her kin. Contextual views of the Ethical Dilemma Bioethics In its broadest view, this is evident in both cases involving the two patients; sister in law and father to the bereaved author. In the process of medication, they are both as patients made to undergo a mechanized aid through the medical technological advances. After the considerable hospitalization duration, it resounds in the authors sentiments that her father has come to terms with the inevitable death that he is about to face just before he dies. This explains the fact that he has strongly held the human values of a life with achievement of desires, and this is made possible by the medical services that he receives during his ill health. Euthanasia In this ethical concern, there are broad bases that act as guidelines. These include the following aspects as defined by most equivocal proponents: it should be based on a voluntarily and consenting conscience. This must have viewing as a durable suggestion on the part of the patient. Moreover, this request must have basis on a fully informed decision and there must be a clear demonstration of this understanding with contemporary information; the patient must be viewed as that which is in an intolerable physical or mental incapacitation that will tremendously devalue their being. To make it more concrete, it must be a state that is plainly irredeemable through any other alternative means as of the then current standing. Finally, it has to be a professional approach whereby the physician in charge must approve of it not as autonomous decision but rather as a collective decision with an equally competent physician independent of the case in question. These guiding principles clearly point to the case study of the two patients that are seen through their deaths in the presence of one of their loved ones. The will to live and the power ruling by the attorney Ideally, in the reference in question, it is evidently true that just like in almost all the other cases are far as the recorded cases are concerned, there must be a legal attachment to most ethical concerns as regards death, if not in all cases. Some of the crucial concerns that need this legal consent include; Euthanasia, proxy decisions to be made by the patients, just to mention but a few. Eminent in the case study is the one involving the legal ruling powers vested in the attorney’s rulings. Sometimes the issue of Euthanasia may be viewed as quite a controversial matter especially after it has executed and the incidence becomes a judicial case. For instance, it was an incidence that both the caretaker and the patient undertook as a step to come to the rescue of the patient, it might never be clear if it was of a free consent or whether it was coerced. But supposed it was a free will decision then maybe the caretaker may never have concrete grounds to confirm the same; unless there was a third party to witness the same. Concisely, ethical concerns stemming from care during the end-of-life attention always yield similarly sophisticated moral dilemmas. This is worse basing on the argument that the caretaker must be one associated to the dying patient. This may be another source of dilemma to them other than those in existence. Beneficence In line with the subject, beneficence is observed here when looking at the health practitioners that were handling the author’s relations during their hospitalization. After a series of diagnosis of both patients, the medics realize the implications the results would cause to the patients. This however does not bar them from passing it on, first of all as a standard professional requirement and secondly, as a trigger to the most possible depressions such patients often suffer, alongside their caretakers. Most often than not, they bring about a life of self-denial in patients that may not have been ready for the positive results they had may have opted not to pre-empt. Contrary to this, other patients may react by compensation; and in most cases these are those patients that have suffered the adverse physical and mental pains. These have association with whichever ailments they may be. They are not moved by the implications of the results and therefore have resolved that the best way of holding themselves together is through ending it all. Further to this, it is evident that the patients, in the last of their days of depression bed-ridden, they come to terms with the reality and are frankly pointing it out, literally or suggestively, “when will it finally end?”. This is a type of question that in a greater percentage of cases relates directly to prognosis. This may have negative as well as positive implications. With optimism, it often comes when the patient has a clear understanding of the nature of their ailments and there seems to be promising turn of the events. In this case it comes with a lot of hope and the patient can’t wait to recover. Similarly the dying patient also has the remedying expectation, only that it is a death remedy of keeping off the pains and traumas already advanced and those yet approaching. After having been informed adequately as requires their rights, the patients choose to keep to themselves the information given. This is intuitive especially in the first case patient, that is, the author’s father. However, her sister in law is quite instrumental in disposing off the same, although after an intimate persuasion and basing on the fact that they have previously shared a common social space in respect of everything. Right of a respected autonomy In as much as the patient has the right to beneficence, they have the privilege to infinitely hold it or dispense it to whomever their will embraces. Natural justice serves them in addition to the caretaker and the clinicians. They are already in a deteriorating health state calling for all this priority they are given owing to the complexities of ailing, dying, and the actual death. As already evident on the beneficence of the author’s relations; whereby the two patients provide the vital information in their view, it is quite clear that in the two cases the right of a respected autonomy comes into play. The questions that are clearly spelt out in the care taker’s cognition include: “what is it as far as the doctors have talked to you?”, “what is it that has triggered your curiosity on the extent to which this must go”, “do you have specific issues you rate redeemable as much as the present is concerned?”, “are you willing to share your anger with anyone, or is there anything that can be done to keep you more at peace?” Just to mention but a few concerns that the caretakers often have hard confrontations and are directed to help subdue. At first, the patients deny the knowledge of any crucial information as regards their health. If this is untrue, then most often than not it is usually because of some reasons, therein including; a measure to inadvertently attempt using the self denial mechanism in order to fail to remember the “unacceptable news” they have just gotten. In addition, this is due to the patients witty intentions of wanting to know more about “what they still don’t know” even if it doesn’t actually exist. In most study cases, it is very true that most patients are not always at will to share any information, even with the closest of their family members. They however prefer to use a will in written form to inform on better decision making by family members or legal institutions if in any case there is need. Life-sustained approach of care and the costs implied As an ethical dilemma , this is a made dynamic with the contemporary medical concerns that have immeasurably heaped on the medical arena. It has yielded growing controversial sentiments concerning social-economical implications like costs incurred in helping keep somebody alive by the means of a technological and mechanical approach. These include financial implications on the person taken care of; if they are the source of their medical bills, and the cutting edge of the moral costing. A personal costing is often implied in the emotions of the direct source. It however usually shielded through underestimation on the side of the public, since financial concerns are mostly confidential. They are usually all the same having a long-lasting consequence. More to this, cases like those involving transplanting of organs are always of a great ethical concern For instance, who the donor may be. Is it from a family member or just a well-wisher within the public domain? In known cases of family donors, the problem usually arising is that of the safety of the family members; both the donor and the recipient. And also, in view of the public, if the patient doesn’t have a compatible family donor, and there happens to be a well wisher who is unrelated; do they have the urgency of the organ transplant compared to another patient elsewhere in a more worse state? This is all about order of priority as regards the patient in more dire needs. Actually, this will breed a social conflict between family and the public, thereby debating a social concern (University, 2009). Death anxiety During her entire companion with her ailing relations, the author confirms of a series of components that summed up to the anxiety in the two deaths. These clearly back up the sentiments shared with an end-of-life care. They are the constituents that broadly define what both the patients and the caretakers undergo in the event of playing their roles. The dying person is faces with the questions of anxiety about the pains they feel; the dilemma of malfunction of the body parts, most of which are usually crucial in physiological functions. This makes them develop a sense of rejection, both by self and a feeling of being a bother to the rest of the family members. They do not come to terms with the reality that their esteem has to be altered as necessitated by the situation (Tenno & Lynn, 1996). The patient is diversely humiliated and starts developing coping mechanisms such as living in denial. This makes them observe a sense of non-being and at this point, the patient loses the reason to keep on with life. In some cases where by the patient has had inappropriate social ties with his immediate family or his surrounding society (Loew & Rapin, 1994). There is often the feeling of rejection of self; owing to the fact that the patient or the family members and other members of the society close to the patient, have the feeling that this is a measure taken as a punitive action for the dying patient. The patient together with his closest relations feels that there is an interruption to the family goals. This is evident in the excerpt denoting Margaret’s work, “Precious Lives”. This paints the cohesive role a family plays when together, and in itself is a suggestion of massive ethical dilemmas awaiting to land on the bereaved family. Hospice option In this options the suggestion is that the patient should be relieved of pain so that whatever they feel is somewhat less impacting on them. It is all about dying a dignified death. In one of the cases for the sample, it has clear spelling that this option must be explored only after an outline of various aspects. These include; totally informed patient of the nature and extent of the prognosis of their ailments. Currently available options at the timing of the stage of the patient’s disease or general condition, the hopes and resulting fears from the patient, the efficiency of communication in the person’s social sphere and the quality of the procedures in the hospice approach to caring and attending to the patients as a program. In its broadest intention, the hospice option is always used to provide a better and important approach to end-of –life services and care, especially for the terminally ill patients alongside their family members (Donald & Randall, 2001). Moral feelings by the rest of the left friends and relations Bereavement This in its simplest terms can be defined as the situation or state that is resulting from a loss through the death of someone. It is a stage of death characterized by denial and finally coming to terms with the reality. It however in literal state follows a systematic criterion where it may actually begin even before the actual death. For instance, in the case study in question, the author’s father has undergone a terminal illness and kind of, the family has certainly come to terms with the reality. This sets a stage whereupon the rest of the kin have most often contemplated on the procrastinations of the ailment. This serves as a ground upon which the actual death may have reaffirming. In the other case however, it begins when the patient passes on. In the bereavement of the author’s sister in law, she is emotional when she shares all the experiences in the last times with her. This is already a proof of her grieving conscience. It progresses to the later stages that follow the death of her sister (Margaret, 1999). Grief Grief on the other hand is a covert emotional impacts arising from the loss of a person. It is more of an inbuilt behavioral manifestation as a response to what directly or indirectly touches on our lives. Evident to Margaret’s case, she confirms how hard she must have felt alongside other family members and friends; for having lost a loved one. There was a sense of hurt and anger as well as guilty conscience and as a result, a prominent confusion. This level of ethical dilemma is at its apex at the immediate time of departure and at some stage in the succeeding coming days, as it then tones down and later resurfaces at some future point in time (Sally, 2006). Mourning It a phenomenon directly linked to grief. It however involves the overt expression of what would otherwise totally have perception as non-existent, save for its prominent and ultimate manifestations. It is tremendously culturally instigated and always occurs in different forms depending on the community in question. The family in discussion has their culture broadly touching on the colors of clothes, as well as condolences. Conclusion Concisely, the concept of death and dying is resoundingly a major stage in life since forms a manifestation of the honest feelings; which is a rare framing of humanity. From the foregoing, we can clearly observe the basics of ethics in such a social stage. Ethics in its part has managed to interpret its intent of a philosophical tenet of morality. It is emerging in many cases above that it studies issues relating to a better way of conduct and an appropriate deliberation of good character. Especially that it is pointing to an end-of-life care, both the medical practitioners and the caretaker must develop a morally guided sense of being objective and providing a sound judgment. As a remedy to the dying soul, the decisions in question may end up just unprecedented as an uncertainty. This, after a thorough search rests to be a case of health care and social responsibility in features. Just as much as it is a social question leaves it as good as weather it is in ambiguity or definitely guided. One may have to ponder on such depending on the situation at hand. The four key players in this social passage include; dying patient, caretakers, the medical professionals and the immediate or distant society of the patient need to be interpreted in unison for any ethical concepts and dilemmas to be a common knowledge; as this would not only make it better for all the subjects, but rather to this exhaustively complex process. As a result, therefore, the persons in question should not only try to foresee that which might be a formal stage for the patient at such an instance. References Donald, P., & Randall, C. (2001). Evaluating the Quality of Dying and Death. Journal of Pain and Symptoms Management , 45-56. Loew, F., & Rapin, C. (1994). The Paradoxes of Quality of life and its phenomenological approach. JOurnal of Paliative Care , 37-41. Margaret, T. (1999). Precious Life. New York: Vintage. Sally, A. (2006). Common Core Competences and Principles for Health and Social Care Workers Working with Adults at the End of life. United Kingdom: Open University. Tenno, J., & Lynn, J. (1996). Putting Advance Care planning into action. Journal of Clinical Ethics , 205-2013. The Open University. (2009). The K260 Death and Dying :Block 2,End of Life Care in Context. Alden Prepress Services . Read More