Deck 19: Dealing With Death and Bereavement

Question 1

What is true about near death experiences (NDEs)?

A)NDEs are evidence of life after death.
B)Skeptics feel that NDEs are too subjective to provide valid information.
C)All people with NDEs see a bright light at the end of a tunnel.
D)All of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Today,what percent of people in the United States live to be age 65 or older?

A)40%
B)50%
C)65%
D)75%

Answer 2

D

Question 3

About 50 percent of all recorded deaths in late adulthood in the United States are from which of the following causes?

A)Pneumonia,influenza,tuberculosis,diarrhea
B)AIDS,Alzheimer's,cancer
C)Alcohol,drug-related illnesses,suicide
D)Cancer,stroke,heart disease

Answer 3

D

Question 4

An observable decline in cognitive abilities shortly before death is called

A)dementia
B)terminal drop.
C)thanatological decline
D)cognitive impairment

Question 5

When a person lives to be around the age of 100-close to the present limit of the life span-all of the following changes are expected to occur before death EXCEPT

A)cognitive declines.
B)a loss of interest in eating and drinking.
C)delusional thoughts and behaviors.
D)functional declines.

Question 6

Kara sought caregivers for her father who would stay focused on the relief of his pain and suffering as he died from pancreatic cancer.She wanted his symptoms controlled so that he could die with a sense of peace and dignity.Kara was looking for someone to provide

A)euthanasia.
B)palliative care.
C)hospice care.
D)psychotherapy.

Question 7

Oscar had been an exceptionally private person his entire life.What bothered him most during his final years was the lack of care for people's dignity that he witnessed in hospitals.He was also disturbed by the way health care professionals excluded those who could provide necessary social support.When his time came,Oscar wanted the focus to be on

A)illness-related concerns.
B)the hospital's dignity-conserving repertoire.
C)social dignity.
D)functional independence.

Question 8

A group that provides attention to both physical symptoms and psychological distress of dying people is known as a _________intervention group

A)disease-related
B)dignity-conserving
C)social dignity
D)functional independence

Question 9

In which of the following countries do families keep an altar in the home dedicated to their ancestors so they can maintain contact and offer the deceased food and other gifts?

A)Malaysia
B)Japan
C)Greece
D)India

Question 10

The art of embalming goes back to a practice of the ancient Egyptians and Chinese,who believed in preserving the body so that the soul could return.This practice was known as

A)mummification.
B)autopsy.
C)cremation.
D)ancient burial.

Question 11

Cultural aspects of death include all of the following EXCEPT

A)care and behavior of the dying and the dead.
B)whether death of loved ones takes place in hospitals or at home.
C)whether or not finances are in order.
D)mourning customs and rituals.

Question 12

When Jerrod's grandfather died,he became very interested in the processes involved in the death of a loved one.He decided to go to college and study all he could in the field of ___________ so that he could help others who had to face the death of their loved ones.

A)psychology
B)forensics
C)thanatology
D)mortology

Question 13

People who provide personal,patient-centered care for terminally ill patients are providing

A)thanatology.
B)hospice care.
C)palliative care.
D)psychotherapy.

Question 14

Death and loss are universal experiences that have a __________ context.

A)cultural
B)psychological
C)cognitive
D)predictable

Question 15

Kübler-Ross,in her work with dying people,found that there are stages in coming to terms with death.She referred to a stage marked by refusal to accept the reality of what is happening as

A)bargaining.
B)anger.
C)acceptance.
D)denial.

Question 16

Cremation,the practice of burning the bodies of the dead,

A)was performed in ancient Greece and was seen as a sign of honor.
B)was once public in India but is now legally prohibited.
C)is allowed by Orthodox Jewish law only if there is a belief that the particular person will not rise again in the Last Judgment.
D)is against the law in most countries because of environmental laws.

Question 17

All of the following are explanations for what has been termed the mortality revolution EXCEPT

A)advances in medicine and sanitation.
B)a better educated public.
C)a more health-conscious citizenry.
D)a decline in sanitation and the proliferation of new diseases.

Question 18

The dignity of a terminally ill person is likely to be maintained when

A)family members continue to visit on a regular basis.
B)dying patients write very specific instructions for their care.
C)patients are seen,and know they are seen,as being worthy of honor and esteem.
D)patients have the finances to afford more expensive care facilities.

Question 19

Tonya promised her terminally ill daughter,even though she was only 16 years of age,that she would not try to run her life at the end,that she would be truthful,and that she would try to include her daughter in all of the major decisions about her care.Tonya's mother was describing

A)illness-related concerns.
B)a dignity-conserving repertoire.
C)her daughter's social dignity inventory.
D)functional independence.

Question 20

The spirits of those that have died are feared,and the living try to forget the deceased as quickly as possible in

A)Gambia.
B)Japan.
C)Hopi Indian tribes.
D)Greece.

Question 21

For women especially,the distress of a loss can often be a catalyst for introspection.Widows often

A)suffer tremendous regret for the kind of wife they were.
B)are relieved that long-term care of another has come to an end.
C)discover submerged aspects of themselves and learn to stand on their own as they reevaluate their own lives.
D)behave foolishly because of loneliness and remarry in a short time.

Question 22

Kera's mother,father,and sister were all killed at once in a car accident.Right now,she seems to walk through life in a daze.Her friends should be aware that Kera may experience

A)the generally expected pattern of grieving.
B)preoccupation with the memory of her family for months or years.
C)overwhelming feelings of sadness as the shock wears off.
D)All of these

Question 23

After the World Trade Center attacks,one of the major problems that the survivors had in coming to terms with the reality of the deaths of their loved ones was

A)many were unable to view the body,an act that provides a cognitive certainty about the death.
B)how to deal with all of the insurance issues.
C)the public nature of the death and the services.
D)loss of financial support for their family.

Question 24

Family therapist Pauline Boss has used the term ambiguous loss to describe the feeling that loved ones feel when they are involved in all of the following situations EXCEPT

A)caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease.
B)living with a person who is physically present but psychologically absent.
C)caring for and living with a family member with drug addiction.
D)worrying about a child who has left home.

Question 25

When a loss is uncertain,people experience all of the following EXCEPT

A)they are denied the ritual closure that a funeral provides.
B)they tend to be immobilized and unable to go about the necessary tasks of reorganizing the family.
C)the loss goes on and on and creates both physical and emotional exhaustion.
D)the loss is immediately final and does not give people the opportunity to grieve.

Question 26

Accepting the reality that one has lost a loved one and readjusting to life by developing new interests and relationships is commonly known as

A)resolution.
B)grief work.
C)grief.
D)shock and disbelief.

Question 27

In a study done in Finland,_____ percent of widowed men and ______ percent of widowed women died within five years of their spouse's death.

A)10;25
B)21;10
C)20;40
D)40;20

Question 28

The loss due to the death of someone to whom one feels close to and the process of adjustment to the loss is referred to as

A)grief.
B)bereavement.
C)resolution.
D)acceptance.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a positive aspect that might be gained from the death of a parent?

A)It can push adults to achieve a stronger sense of self.
B)Adults are now,more than ever,made aware of their own mortality.
C)Adults have the opportunity for a greater sense of responsibility and commitment to others.
D)Adults gain new power as "head of the family."

Question 30

Children experience death in different ways depending on their cognitive and their emotional development.All of the following are mentioned in the textbook as reasons that make a loss more difficult for a child EXCEPT

A)the child may have had a troubled relationship with the person who died.
B)the death of the loved one may have been unexpected.
C)children may worry about their parents' reactions to the death.
D)the family may not have family and/or community support.

Question 31

Children between the ages of 5 and 7 finally understand some basic tenets about death.All of the following are apparent to children at this age EXCEPT

A)what financial losses might mean to the family.
B)that death is irreversible.
C)that all living things die,making death universal.
D)all functions cease at death and cannot be revived.

Question 32

All of the following are stages of grief work EXCEPT

A)memories of the dead person are mingled with sadness rather than sharp pain.
B)there is a preoccupation with memories of the loved one.
C)family must rid themselves of all of the objects that bring painful memories.
D)overwhelming feelings of sadness and frequent crying over the loss occur.

Question 33

Many of the patients in Kübler-Ross's study went through the same five stages,but

A)men's stages were different than women's.
B)not necessarily in the same sequence.
C)women had more difficulty with the stages.
D)health care professional do not acknowledge the stages.

Question 34

The emotional loss that Anna felt when her son died kept her from eating,going to work,or caring for her other children.This emotional response is known as

A)denial.
B)bereavement.
C)resolution.
D)grief.

Question 35

Terri's dad has died after a long illness,and her mom,who is only 57,now must face the role of widowhood.Terri's mother can expect all of the following EXCEPT

A)experience financial hardship if he was the chief breadwinner.
B)to feel a huge emotional void if theirs had been a good marriage.
C)that friends will rally around and give her all of the support she needs.
D)serious depression,if her identity was structured around carrying for the dad.

Question 36

People's attitude toward death depends on all of the following EXCEPT their

A)personalities.
B)experiences with death.
C)cognitive development.
D)assessment of the situation the last time they saw the person who has died.

Question 37

Approximately _____ of women are widowed by age 65.

A)20%
B)30%
C)50%
D)60%

Question 38

Deaths resulting from the World Trade Center attacks were examples of ____________ loss,a situation where the loss was not clearly defined and therefore confusing and difficult to resolve.

A)ritualistic
B)ambiguous
C)immobilizing
D)anxious

Question 39

The text reported a study of married older adults whose spouses had died.The most prevalent pattern of grieving was __________.

A)resilience
B)delayed
C)rigid
D)natural

Question 40

Age plays a significant part in how we accept the inevitability of death.Which of the following best describes a middle-aged person's view of death?

A)Extreme frustration that turns to rage
B)Thoughts change,and the focus is on how many years are left and how they should be spent
C)The final crisis of integrity versus despair is resolved
D)Realization that their life has had no meaning causes despair

Question 41

What were the biggest fears that the Oregon patients had about the end of life experience?

A)Loss of autonomy and bodily functions
B)Pain
C)Family financial loss
D)Family involvement and suffering

Question 42

Because each person's experience in dealing with loss is unique,mourning a miscarriage may also lead to confusion about how to handle the loss.Most grieving women studied have found that

A)spouses were of no help and did not understand their feelings.
B)doctors had little understanding about what they were going through.
C)differences in the way they and their husbands grieved became sources of tension and divisiveness.
D)support groups were not especially helpful for miscarriages.

Question 43

The recent death of his father has sharpened Matthew's sense of mortality.As a result,he

A)has developed a greater appreciation of the value of his personal friendships.
B)has started far more arguments than usual with his wife.
C)feels the freedom to stop seeing people he never really liked that well.
D)is even more motivated to ignore the issues that he has with his own adult children.

Question 44

Older white American men have the highest rates of suicide;older African American men are much less likely to commit suicide partly because they

A)have strong family ties.
B)are more accustomed to coping during tough times.
C)are not very religious.
D)are seldom widowed because black women live so long.

Question 45

The state of Oregon passed the Oregon Death with Dignity Act in 1997,and a failed attempt to overturn it was made by Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2002.This law states that

A)mentally competent patients who have less than six months to live can request a lethal prescription from their doctor after all alternatives have been explored.
B)patients have the right to request lethal medication at any time.
C)patients' families can request lethal doses of medication for loved ones.
D)doctors have the right to decide when lethal medications are appropriate to initiate death.

Question 46

Advanced directives,often called "living wills," which are written while patients are still competent to make their own decisions,specify provisions with regard to all of the following EXCEPT

A)organ donation.
B)relief of pain.
C)mechanical respiration.
D)time and method that you wish for your death.

Question 47

Although the American Medical Association opposes physician aid in dying because it is against the doctor's oath to "do no harm," doctors can

A)give aid if a patient puts it in writing.
B)allow hospital personal to direct the aid under their guidance.
C)give drugs that will shorten a life in order to relieve pain.
D)disconnect equipment that has no possibility of bringing the patient back to a conscious state.

Question 48

Statistics on suicide are probably understated for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A)traffic "accidents" are often a method of suicide.
B)medication overdoes can oftentimes be noted as "accidental."
C)there is pressure on reporting agents (police,doctors)to protect insurance claims.
D)None of these

Question 49

According to your text,survivors of people who take their own lives have been called

A)pragmatists
B)suicide's other victims
C)emotionally stagnant
D)None of these.

Question 50

Deliberate action taken to shorten the life of a terminally ill person,in order to end suffering and allow death with dignity,is called

A)assisted murder.
B)active euthanasia.
C)passive euthanasia.
D)assisted suicide.

Question 51

According to your text,_________ of Americans favor euthanasia for a patient who is incurably ill and wants to die.

A)25%
B)50%
C)75%
D)90%

Question 52

Ethical arguments against assisted suicide include one of the following principles:

A)concern for the protection of the disadvantaged
B)belief that adult children should not be a part of the decision
C)concern for the protection of all older adults
D)All of these

Question 53

Many people who are treated in hospital emergency rooms for nonfatal,self-inflicted injuries were probably making suicide attempts,especially

A)the elderly.
B)teenage girls.
C)unemployed men.
D)chronically ill patients.

Question 54

Polls done in the United Kingdom found that 80 percent of the _________ physicians considered active euthanasia to never be ethically justified.

A)family
B)emergency room
C)intensive care
D)geriatric

Question 55

The two groups that have the highest suicide rates in the United States are

A)whites and Native Americans.
B)Native Americans and Hispanics.
C)African Americans and Hispanics.
D)Asian Americans and African Americans.

Question 56

Lucas is 94 years old and his children have all passed away.He is concerned that the doctors will not honor his wishes at the end and wants his granddaughter to be able to make decisions.Lucas should encourage her to

A)develop a relationship with his doctor now so the doctor will listen later.
B)keep a copy of his living will handy.
C)go and get a medical durable power of attorney.
D)create a fuss at the hospital to get people to listen to her.

Question 57

The U.S.Supreme Court has held that people are clearly within their constitutional rights if they

A)ask to be permanently put to sleep with heavy doses of narcotics.
B)arrange to die how they wish,as long as arrangements are in writing.
C)defy hospital rules and have family members disconnect feeding tubes.
D)request passive euthanasia.

Question 58

Increases in life expectancy have changed views of suicide to include the view that

A)mature adults have a right to self-determination.
B)besides no longer a crime,there is also no longer a social stigma against it.
C)religious beliefs no longer define suicide as sinful.
D)persons who choose to take their lives are always mentally ill.

Question 59

When Tanya asked the doctors to stop life-prolonging treatment of her dying mother and just make her comfortable so that she could die with dignity,she was asking for the doctors and health care workers to take part in

A)assisted murder.
B)active euthanasia.
C)passive euthanasia.
D)assisted suicide.

Question 60

Caroline is a first-year teacher in a school where there have been several reported suicides among the student body in the past several years.Which of the following student behaviors should she watch for as a warning sign of potential suicide?

A)Withdrawal from family or friends
B)Abstaining from drugs and alcohol
C)Going about the daily activities,acting as if nothing is amiss
D)Describing hopes and plans for the future in class assignments or general conversation

Question 61

A life review is

A)a process that enables a person to see the significance of his or her life.
B)the process of telling family stories so they won't be lost.
C)the work to find closure by saying what you need to say to family members before it is too late.
D)the cause of most serious depression in old people when they see what their life has been.

Question 62

The textbook states,"Even dying can be a ______ experience."

A)developmental
B)wonderful
C)painful
D)bitter

Question 63

Kübler-Ross states that in the overall process of death

A)those who had purpose in life had the least fear of death.
B)facing the reality of death is key to living a meaningful life.
C)those who have little purpose in life have little fear of death.
D)avoiding a focus on the reality of death makes life more pleasant and meaningful.