Deck 7: Coping With Dying: How Individuals Can Help

Question 1

When a dying person is telling you his or her thoughts and feelings, your best response is _________.

A)to say, "I know how you are feeling"
B)to share with the person your personal and family experiences
C)to divert the person's attention by changing the subject
D)to ask if the person would like to have someone visit from his or her church
E)to offer your presence and concern

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Dying persons typically ask their caregivers to _________.

A)listen to them
B)help them
C)stay with them
D)All of these
E)None of these

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Dying persons with a terminal illness are often given strong narcotics to _________.

A)render them unconscious
B)cause insensibility to pain
C)bring about unawareness of self and surroundings
D)All of these
E)None of these

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The primary goal of drug therapies for pain in life-threatening illness is _________.

A)to treat the underlying cause of the pain
B)to achieve analgesia
C)to relieve spiritual distress
D)to achieve anesthesia
E)to get the client out of the hospital as soon as possible

Question 5

The pain associated most often with terminal illness is _________.

A)acute pain
B)episodic pain
C)chronic pain
D)occasional pain
E)None of these

Question 6

When caring for a dying person's physical needs, the first intervention to undertake is

A)control of physical pain
B)stimulation of appetite
C)exercise of joints
D)skin care
E)management of the surrounding environment

Question 7

When it is said that "dying persons need to be cared about, not just cared for," the implication is that:

A)The role of professional specialists is central to care of the dying.
B)Witnessing the particulars of a dying person's experiences and recognizing its particulars is true care.
C)Only those who are specially trained to do so should offer care to dying persons.
D)The secret of the care of patients is not caring.
E)Good caring is based on the common diagnostic categories into which medicine places its patients

Question 8

The challenge for therapeutic interventions in management of pain in terminal illness is:

A)To achieve the right balance of responses to requirements
B)To employ an appropriate route of administration
C)To select the right drug(s)to meet the person's need(s)
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 9

Active listening techniques depend on the following:

A)Encouraging, clarifying, restating, reflecting, & validating.
B)Not permitting silence to come between the listener and the dying person.
C)Supplying answers that you find meaningful.
D)Advocating for judgments that you know will help the dying person.
E)Showing the dying person that some things he or she is saying are really not very important.

Question 10

When strong narcotics are used in the management of severe pain in dying persons, least concern will be given to:

A)Addiction
B)Constipation
C)Nausea and vomiting
D)Loss of appetite
E)Physical dependence

Question 11

In the presence of dying persons, it is important to _________.

A)remind them how ill they are
B)offer stimulating activities for distraction
C)reassure them that everything will be all right
D)listen and respond to their needs and concerns
E)tell family members that they must be present at all times

Question 12

Dimensions of care for persons coping with dying include _________.

A)psychological
B)physical
C)spiritual
D)social
E)All of these

Question 13

For dying persons, feelings of anger and disappointment should be:

A)Addressed by a psychiatrist
B)Allowed to be expressed freely
C)Avoided by directing attention to hobbies and similar activities
D)Overcome by diversional therapies
E)Tempered with spiritual readings

Question 14

When administering narcotics to dying persons for severe pain, professional caregivers must:

A)Assess location, duration, and quality of pain
B)Give the narcotic on demand
C)Fnd ways to limit the use of narcotics
D)Teach the dying person about harmful side effects of narcotics
E)Pay most attention to dangers of addiction

Question 15

In psychological dimensions of caring for a dying person, the first priority would be to _________.

A)listen and respond to the dying person's anxieties
B)provide for the dying person's basic bathing needs
C)help the dying person to select fun activities for the day
D)encourage the dying person to eat and drink
E)perform activities of daily living

Question 16

In addressing psychological dimensions of coping with dying, it has often been said that "There is no specific or universal right thing to say or do." The implication of this is that:

A)There is nothing to say or do.
B)Sadness and anger are inappropriate responses when one is informed of a prognosis of impending death.
C)Dying persons should not be permitted to project strong feelings onto helpers.
D)Often the most helpful thing is simply to be present and listen.
E)We need to appreciate that strong feelings can be made to go away.

Question 17

Given strong narcotics regularly and in sufficient amounts, dying persons with severe pain will likely experience _________.

A)drug dependence
B)insomnia and sleepwalking
C)relief from severe pain
D)a comatose-like state
E)drug addiction

Question 18

Persons who are dying are most likely to be concerned about _________.

A)being in overwhelming pain and distress
B)losing control over their own bodies and lives
C)being abandoned
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 19

Pain management in terminal illness typically emphasizes administration of medications:

A)Orally
B)Subcutaneously
C)Intramuscularly
D)Intravenously
E)By suppository

Question 20

A therapeutic response when helping a dying person is:

A)"I know how you feel."
B)"Dying persons always look pale."
C)"Don't worry, everything will turn out OK."
D)"What do you need me to do right now?"
E)"Put a smile on your face."

Question 21

Helping dying persons with spiritual tasks includes:

A)Providing meaning or connectedness for those persons
B)Never sharing one's own spiritual convictions with such persons
C)Giving such persons an experience or understanding of the transcendent
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 22

Which of the following is correct?

A)Persons who are coping with dying usually have suicidal tendencies.
B)Most persons who are coping with dying experience psychiatric difficulties.
C)Persons who are coping with dying usually require sophisticated psychotherapy.
D)Only trained professionals should attempt to attend to the psychological needs of persons who are coping with dying.
E)Psychiatric problems-including suicidal tendencies-are only infrequently associated with coping with dying.

Question 23

When you are visiting a dying person and he or she starts talking about dying, how should you best respond?

A)Tell them this is uncomfortable for you.
B)Feel honored that the person has chosen to share these intimate thoughts with you.
C)Gradually attempt to change the subject.
D)Tell the person what you think and feel about the prospect of your own dying.
E)Ask the person if he or she is feeling depressed.

Question 24

When you visit a dying person and he or she does not seem pleased that you are there, you may feel awful after the visit. In this situation, you should think that _________.

A)the dying person is grumpy and exhausted
B)it is not fair that you did such a kind thing and it wasn't appreciated
C)you should have ignored the dying person and talked to his family members
D)it wasn't a good visit and you won't do it again
E)you will try to think of some other way to be helpful

Question 25

Once a dying person states that he or she has accepted the fact that he or she is dying, the role of the helper:

A)Ceases, because acceptance has been reached
B)Becomes passive and awaits death
C)Continues to involve active listening
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 26

Which of the following is important in caring for someone coping with dying?

A)"Detached concern"
B)Not operating solely out of the helper's need to be needed
C)Not overburdening one's own resources
D)Having considerable self-awareness
E)All of the above

Question 27

An important guideline for helping persons who are coping with dying is _________.

A)to help them recognize that their beloved pets must be kept away from them
B)to ensure that they keep a proper diet
C)to help them realize their own agenda whenever possible
D)to expect one's assistance will be happily received
E)always to prefer the dying person's desires to one's own needs

Question 28

Individuals who are caring for dying persons should _________.

A)evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses
B)choose their own goals
C)determine their own stress level
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 29

When helping dying persons who raise questions that are spiritual in nature, one should _________.

A)provide answers to such questions for the individual
B)ask for help from a priest, minister, or clergy person
C)be present and listen actively
D)describe one's own answers to the questions
E)None of these

Question 30

Callanan and Kelley argued that communications reflecting "nearing death awareness" are:

A)Likely to be empty or enigmatic expressions of confusion
B)Efforts to hide what dying is like as it is being experienced by the individual
C)Expressions of final requests concerning what is needed before the individual can experience a peaceful death
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 31

By enabling dying persons to "sing their own songs" or to "tell their own stories," the helper is:

A)Addressing physical needs
B)Addressing social needs
C)Encouraging autonomy
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 32

We learned in Chapter 7 in our textbook that hope in dying persons _________.

A)is no longer possible
B)may shift its focus from one expectation to another
C)will turn away from what can yet be done
D)is more likely to be abandoned by dying persons than by care providers
E)is exclusively related to the likelihood of cure

Question 33

For dying persons, hope _________.

A)most often focuses on what yet can be done
B)almost always focuses on getting well
C)is no longer really possible
D)is usually expressed in unrealistic wishes
E)is not a characteristically human phenomenon

Question 34

Helping with tasks in coping with dying applies to:

A)Dying persons
B)Family members of dying persons
C)Professional caregivers who are working with dying persons
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 35

Terminal illness is usually associated with _________.

A)psychiatric problems
B)addiction to narcotic drugs
C)suicidal tendencies
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 36

In order to minimize stress in helping dying persons, it is important for helpers to _________.

A)talk to family members and friends about all of their daily experiences
B)put aside their own coping issues in order to focus on those of the dying person
C)have a rich and satisfying life of their own
D)be totally committed to their work
E)appreciate how important they are in the work they are doing

Question 37

An important aspect of communication with a dying person is _________.

A)not interrupting when the dying person is speaking
B)being careful not to touch the dying person
C)providing a clean and cool environment
D)playing stimulating and loud music
E)expressing pity for the situation of the dying person

Question 38

The principle that coping tasks can become guidelines for helpers must always be realized in _________.

A)universal ways
B)generalizations
C)individual circumstances
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 39

Enhancing opportunities for dying persons to engage in creative and artistic endeavors is valuable because _________.

A)helpers can join together in natural ways with those who are coping with dying
B)these activities can be undertaken in diverse settings
C)these activities reflect specifically human qualities
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 40

Being an advocate for dying persons means _________.

A)acting on their behalf to address their concerns
B)empowering dying persons to act for themselves
C)speaking for dying persons when they are unable to speak for themselves
D)All of these
E)None of these

Question 41

According to Chapter 7, there are four primary dimensions of care for those who are coping with dying. Identify those four dimensions and give an example of an action that might represent each dimension of care.

Question 42

Explain what it means to say that task-based approaches to coping with dying can become useful guidelines for helping? To whom would such helping apply? Give an example of how such an approach could help in a specific situation.

Question 43

Explain the distinction between acute and chronic pain. Show how this distinction can apply to care of the terminally ill.

Question 44

On the basis of the discussions of effective communication in Chapter 7, identify and explain two lessons that you would want to offer to those who are helping persons who are coping with dying. Give a concrete example putting each of your lessons into practice.

Question 45

What does it mean to say that, "Pain is whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person says it does"? How is this significant as a guideline in helping individuals who are coping with dying?

Question 46

Describe three ways in which you might work to minimize your own stress in helping individuals who are coping with dying. Be specific. Give a concrete example in each case.

Question 47

It has been said that hope is possible for dying persons. Explain this claim.

Question 48

What does it mean to say that helping persons who are coping with dying requires both human presence and the specialized expertise of professionals? Be specific.
Give a concrete example of the role of each type of helper.

Question 49

Explain why addiction is not a major concern in attempts to manage pain in terminal illness.

Question 50

What does it mean to tell those who are helping individuals coping with dying that they should "learn to be comfortable with their own discomfort"?