A reflection on dying: why we need to reclaim the forgotten wisdom
Over the second half of the twentieth century, advances in medicine enabled treatment of previously life-ending illnesses. The resulting shift in place of care for mortally sick people from home to hospital succeeded in preventing many premature deaths, yet it also caused the public to lose familiar...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Routledge
2024
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In: |
Journal of religion, spirituality & aging
Year: 2024, Volume: 36, Issue: 4, Pages: 439–443 |
Further subjects: | B
ordinary dying
B recognising dying B Dying B end of life care B Communication |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | Over the second half of the twentieth century, advances in medicine enabled treatment of previously life-ending illnesses. The resulting shift in place of care for mortally sick people from home to hospital succeeded in preventing many premature deaths, yet it also caused the public to lose familiarity with the process of ‘ordinary dying.’ The loss of public understanding of dying has resulted in avoidance of conversations about dying, in failure to anticipate and plan ahead, and in avoidable distress as deathbed companions misinterpret features of the dying process as suffering. This opinion piece reflects on the need for health and care workers to understand, recognise and talk about the process of dying, the better to prepare and support the elderly and sick people in our care and their companions. |
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ISSN: | 1552-8049 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion, spirituality & aging
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/15528030.2024.2373805 |