Psychological Issues in Advancing and Terminal Illness PDF

Because learning changes everything. ® Chapter Twelve Psychological Issues in Advancing and Terminal Illness Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.  Ch...

Because learning changes everything. ® Chapter Twelve Psychological Issues in Advancing and Terminal Illness Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.  Chapter Outline Death across the life span. Psychological issues in advancing illness. Are there stages in adjustment to dying? Psychological issues and the terminally ill Alternatives to hospital care for the terminally ill. Problems of survivors. © McGraw Hill 2  Leading Causes of Death in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Unintentional injury. Suicide. Homicide. Heart disease. Cancer. © McGraw Hill 3  Reactions to Young Adult Death Young adults facing a terminal illness: Feel shock, outrage, and an acute sense of injustice. May face a long and drawn out period of dying. Friends and family often have similar feelings. © McGraw Hill 4  Death in Middle Age 1 As adults approach middle age, their leading causes of death in the United States shift toward chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Premature death: death that occurs before the average age for the population—increases during middle age. © McGraw Hill 5  Death in Middle Age 2 Most people prefer a sudden death as: It facilitates a more graceful departure. Their families do not have to witness their worsening condition. Finances and other resources are not as severely taxed. Socioeconomic status is a strong determinant of age of death. © McGraw Hill 6  Death in Old Age 1 The elderly are more prepared to face death because they have: Seen friends and relatives die. Have thought about their death and have made some preparations. Causes. Degenerative diseases. Physical decline that predisposes older adults to infectious disease or organ failure. © McGraw Hill 7  Death in Old Age 2 Factors that predict mortality in the elderly. New illnesses and the worsening of preexisting conditions. Poor mental health and reduced satisfaction with life. Women live longer than men. Women seem to be biologically more fit. Men engage in more risky behaviors. Men engage in less preventive health care and may have less social support. © McGraw Hill 8  Psychological and Social Issues Related to Dying Changes in the patient’s self-concept. Issues of social interaction. Communication issues. © McGraw Hill 9  Stages of Dying 1 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross suggested that people pass through five stages as they adjust to the prospect of death. Denial: Patient’s initial reaction on learning of a diagnosis. Defense mechanism by which people avoid the implications of an illness. Anger: Hard response for family and friends to deal with. Patient is not really angry with them but at fate. © McGraw Hill 10  Stages of Dying 2 Bargaining: Trading good behavior for good health. Depression: Time for anticipatory grief. Patient mourns the prospect of his or her death. Acceptance: A tired, peaceful calm descends. Patients decide to divide up their possessions and say goodbye to friends and family. © McGraw Hill 11  Evaluation of Kübler-Ross’s Theory Patients do not go through the stages in a predetermined order. Theory does not fully acknowledge the importance of anxiety, which is one of the most common responses. © McGraw Hill 12  Terminal Care Physical care that is palliative rather than curative. Palliative care: Designed to make the patient feel comfortable. Curative care: Designed to cure the patient’s disease. © McGraw Hill 13  Risks of Terminal Care for Hospital Staff Staff may burn out from watching patients die. Physicians spend less time with terminally ill patients to dedicate their time for patients who can most profit from it. Patients interpret this as abandonment. © McGraw Hill 14  Counseling With the Terminally Ill Therapy. Short term. Nature and timing of visits depend on the patient’s desires and energy level. Thanatologists: Study death and dying. Believe that cognitive behavioral therapies can be constructively employed with dying patients. © McGraw Hill 15  Home Care Taking care of the patient at home. Very popular and economically feasible. Provides psychological advantages for the patient. Can be stressful for the family. © McGraw Hill 16  End of Main Content Because learning changes everything. ® www.mheducation.com Copyright ©2021 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.