Deck 15: Death and Dying

Question 1

The main worry families have in providing home hospice care revolves around _____ in the dying person.

Answer 1

controlling pain; pain control

Question 2

Argue for and against legalizing active euthanasia. Where do you stand on this question?

Answer 2

For active euthanasia: Why should people suffer needlessly when doctors can mercifully end life? People should have the power to control when they die. Against active euthanasia: By legalizing this practice, society might be opening the door to killing impaired people; or people could be pressured into this choice by relatives bent on getting an inheritance. Euthanasia also runs counter to the religious principle that only God can end a life.

Question 3

A living will spells out a person's own wishes for end-of-life care, and a power of attorney for health care designates a(n) _____ to carry out those wishes.

Answer 3

loved one; family member

Question 4

Today, dying suddenly from an accident is the _____ common pathway to death.

Question 5

Outline three major criticisms of Kübler-Ross's stage theory of dying. Which specific emotion is most common among people who have received a "fatal" diagnosis?

Question 6

When a bereaved person shows intense symptoms of mourning or an increase in symptoms more than 6 months to a year after a loved one's death, the diagnosis is _____.

Question 7

Your friend has recently endured the trauma of the death of a child. Based on this chapter, what forces might help her best come to terms with this most tragic of all events?

Question 8

_____ provides supportive services that allow U.S. families to care for terminally ill loved ones at home.

Question 9

Dying slowly, with ups and downs while battling a chronic disease is the _____ common pathway to death in the developed world.

Question 10

The Hmong approach to death features a _____ approach.

Question 11

_____ is the name for health-care interventions designed to promote comfortable dignified dying.

Question 12

Imagine you are a patient in a traditional hospital. Based on the text discussion, describe some of your worries and target your main wish. Finally, devise creative solutions to ensure health-care workers better address this concern.

Question 13

Construct a timeline charting how death has been approached and dealt with from the Middle Ages until today.

Question 14

Describe the two options available to competent adults who want to fill out an advance directive and identify and comment on issues with regard to choosing each alternative.

Question 15

The most important emotion that terminally ill people feel is _____.

Question 16

Kübler-Ross's idea that people go through stages in approaching death is _____.

Question 17

Describe home hospice care: its features, advantages, and fears that caregivers have when caring for a loved one at home. Explain why you would or wouldn't utilize this option if you were terminally ill.

Question 18

Good deaths involve feeling free from debilitating pain, being close to loved ones, and believing one's life has _____.

Question 19

List the defining goals of "good deaths" as outlined in the book. Then, rank and/or comment on the importance to you of each end-of-life goal.

Question 20

The idea that terminally ill people can be both aware and unaware of the reality, "I am dying," is called _____.

Question 21

If Sophia lived in the nineteenth century, she would probably die:

A) in middle age.
B) of an infectious disease.
C) in old age.
D) of a chronic disease.

Question 22

If Hildegard lived before the twentieth century, she would MOST likely die of a(n) _____.

A) infectious disease
B) broken limb
C) heart attack
D) chronic disease

Question 23

The main change in Western dying practices is that now people think it's important to:

A) discuss and plan their death.
B) die in a hospital.
C) have doctors heavily involved in terminal care.
D) witness death in person, or "in the flesh."

Question 24

The newest trend in care of the dying is to:

A) prevent death through heroic measures.
B) help ease people through the terminal phase of life.
C) rely more on doctors for diagnoses.
D) return to emphasizing primary care.

Question 25

In contrast to typical Western practices, the Hmong dying ritual features a(n):

A) hands-on approach to dying.
B) open discussion of dying.
C) short funeral.
D) no funeral.

Question 26

Which is the MOST common way people die today?

A) suddenly, due to an accident, heart attack, or stroke
B) after steadily declining from some illness, such as cancer
C) after a prolonged period of ups and downs when battling a fatal chronic disease
D) due to bacterial infections for which there is no medication

Question 27

If someone lived in the nineteenth century, death would probably come:

A) quickly after suddenly getting ill.
B) in a hospital surrounded by doctors.
C) during old age.
D) slowly, after years being ill.

Question 28

In describing the Hmong death practices, what is the best phrase to use?

A) unusually involved
B) distant and removed
C) medically focused
D) scientifically correct

Question 29

Aliyah is living in 2018. Unlike her granddad who lived in the 1950s, Aliyah would probably:

A) openly discuss dying.
B) often see people die.
C) be kept alive when she decided on terminal care.
D) not be afraid of dying.

Question 30

How are people LEAST likely to die today?

A) suddenly, without warning, due to an accident, heart attack, or stroke
B) after rapidly declining for months from some fatal disease
C) after a prolonged period of ups and downs when battling a fatal chronic disease
D) after a few days from an infectious disease

Question 31

During the early to mid-twentieth century, doctors saw death as:

A) a symptom of failure.
B) normal.
C) rare.
D) predictable at every age.

Question 32

In affluent countries, most people die from:

A) infectious illnesses.
B) homicide or suicide.
C) age-related chronic disease.
D) an unknown cause.

Question 33

Selena, age 70, has terminal cancer. Unlike her grandma who had the same illness in the 1950s, Selena's doctors will:

A) openly reveal Selena's diagnosis.
B) hide Selena's diagnosis.
C) have assistants reveal Selena's diagnosis.
D) lie about Selena's diagnosis.

Question 34

A(n) _____ is the name for an advance directive filled out by doctors; it specifies that a nursing home patient should not be sent to the hospital if he gets ill.

Question 35

Dr. Terminal is describing the age-pattern of developed-world deaths. Which description should he use?

A) spread out fairly equally among age groups
B) most common in infancy and among the elderly
C) concentrated at the upper end of the lifespan (in old age)
D) most common in late middle age

Question 36

Today, people are LEAST likely to die _____.

A) slowly
B) in old age
C) in youth
D) of chronic disease

Question 37

Put the historical sequence of events in order: (1) before the twentieth century; (2) early through mid-twentieth century; (3) twenty-first century.

A) (1) death is familiar and all around; (2) death is hidden and never discussed; (3) death is discussed openly, and attention is paid to high quality end-of-life care
B) (1) death is discussed openly; (2) death is familiar and all around; (3) death is hidden and never discussed
C) (1) death is discussed openly, and attention is paid to quality end-of-life care; (2) death is familiar and all around; (3) death is hidden and rarely discussed
D) (1) death is hidden and never discussed; (2) death is discussed openly, and attention is paid to quality end-of-life care; (3) death is familiar and all around

Question 38

Kübler-Ross's ENDURING contribution to death and dying was to:

A) alert society to the need to pay attention to the emotions of terminally ill people.
B) show that terminally ill people progress through five stages.
C) highlight that everyone wants to talk about being terminally ill.
D) reveal that anger and bargaining are important emotions in terminal illness.

Question 39

For most of human history, death was common:

A) in old age.
B) at all ages.
C) during the middle of the lifespan.
D) in old age, but only among the affluent.

Question 40

_____ euthanasia allows a person to naturally die by withdrawing cure-oriented interventions.

Question 41

Generalizing from the text, dying patients often are:

A) passionate to talk about their illness.
B) passionate to know all the details about their illness.
C) in total denial about their illness.
D) wary about talking about their illness.

Question 42

When Ketifa was dying of lung cancer, she never wanted to discuss her condition with loved ones. The text implies this was MOST likely because Ketifa:

A) was seriously emotionally disturbed.
B) wanted to spare herself and her loved one's pain.
C) had no clue that she might die and did not want to pass along false information.
D) wanted to distance herself from loved ones.

Question 43

Kemal has a fatal disease. Based on the text, her main feeling is MOST apt to be _____.

A) hope
B) anger
C) depression
D) bargaining

Question 44

Which is the BEST criticism of Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's stage theory of dying?

A) People never understand they are dying.
B) People don't go through stages in coping with dying.
C) People go through 10 stages in coping with dying, not 5.
D) People either deny death or accept that fact.

Question 45

All things being equal, _____ people are LEAST likely to get upset when facing a fatal disease.

A) elderly
B) poverty-level
C) wealthy
D) religious

Question 46

Which quality is MOST important in having a good death?

A) believing in an afterlife
B) feeling one's life had meaning and purpose
C) feeling cleansed of sins
D) feeling totally calm

Question 47

If Sasha is dying she will MOST likely:

A) experience many different feelings.
B) quickly accept her fate.
C) totally deny reality.
D) no longer care about her family.

Question 48

According to the text, which quality is LEAST important in having a "good death"?

A) feeling close emotionally to loved ones
B) being as free as possible from debilitating pain
C) believing that one's life had purpose
D) being religious

Question 49

Which is a basic problem with adopting a "stage model of death"?

A) It ignores the fact that stages occur at different rates.
B) It ignores the fact some people die more quickly than others.
C) It allows other people to distance themselves emotionally from dying loved ones.
D) It gets people too emotionally involved with dying loved ones.

Question 50

Chandi, a writer, is dying and accepts that fact. According to the text, Chandi will MOST likely:

A) give up planning for the future.
B) still have future plans, hoping her work makes a difference in the world.
C) give up writing completely.
D) just want to die quickly.

Question 51

Generalizing from the text, which is the BEST strategy for a health-care professional to follow with terminally ill patients?

A) Bring up the topic of dying so that people fully express their emotions.
B) Take cues from individual people as to whether they want to talk about dying.
C) Try to get people to move from bargaining to anger, to depression, to acceptance.
D) Avoid discussing dying and death.

Question 52

Some days Mituo accepts the fact that she is dying, and sometimes she still talks about taking that cruise she planned for next year. The name for this psychological process is _____ knowledge.

A) partial
B) middle
C) shallow
D) final

Question 53

Henri is visiting a dying friend. Generalizing from the text, Henri can expect this person to:

A) talk about death in the abstract, but shy away from discussing dying.
B) go through stages in coming to terms with death.
C) avoid any mention of impending death.
D) openly discuss all of his feelings about death and dying.

Question 54

The elderly are MORE _____ of dying than younger adults.

A) accepting and less fearful
B) terrified and phobic
C) depressed and frightened
D) angry and rejecting

Question 55

Imagine you are giving physicians advice for approaching the terminally ill. Based on the text, what is the best suggestion?

A) Keep patients fully informed about everything.
B) Take your cues from patients about what they want to hear.
C) Withhold any negative information from patients.
D) Withhold positive information so as not to give false hope

Question 56

When discussing death with terminally ill patients, the text implies that the best approach is to:

A) be sensitive to the person's feelings.
B) discuss everything openly and honestly.
C) be as positive as possible.
D) avoid the topic.

Question 57

Which word or phrase(s) BEST describes Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's idea that dying people progress through stages?

A) wrong
B) on target
C) applies to some people, not others
D) needs more research

Question 58

All things being equal, the age group MOST likely to have trouble coping with a fatal disease is in their _____.

A) twenties
B) fifties
C) seventies
D) eighties

Question 59

According to the text, doctors ideally should:

A) take their cues from dying patients about how much they want to know.
B) shy away from offering information to dying patients.
C) be totally open with dying people about their fate.
D) leave discussions of death to nurses.

Question 60

Martin is in hospice. Generalizing from the text, he is MOST likely to feel:

A) just unbelievably depressed.
B) terrified all of the time.
C) depressed, but hopeful his life has made a difference in the world.
D) completely hopeless as his illness is terminal and there is no cure.

Question 61

In counseling couples whose son has died, which advice might a psychologist recommend?

A) "Give the child's death meaning by working to improve other people's lives."
B) "Get rid of the child's possessions, as keeping reminders around is too upsetting."
C) "Don't discuss your feelings to keep from upsetting your spouse."
D) "Assume that this tragedy will weaken your marriage."

Question 62

Generalizing from the text interviews, a child's death often:

A) makes marriages closer.
B) makes marriages more distant.
C) has little impact on a marriage.
D) is easier if a bereaved parent is single.

Question 63

Which grief pattern is universal?

A) yearning for a deceased loved one for decades
B) keeping one's emotions in check around family and friends
C) being terribly upset during the first 6 months, and then slowly reconnecting with life
D) having no pattern, as people and cultures grieve in different ways

Question 64

According to the text, which quality is LEAST important in having a good death?

A) having reached integrity
B) feeling that one has been generative
C) feeling one's life has been meaningful
D) having a strong religious faith

Question 65

The diagnosis of persistent complex bereavement-related disorder is:

A) controversial.
B) firmly established.
C) only relevant when a child dies.
D) totally wrong.

Question 66

The main sign of "recovering" from mourning is:

A) no longer feeling upset about the death.
B) finding meaning and taking pleasure in life.
C) stopping crying.
D) not missing the person who has died.

Question 67

In coping with a child's death, its best to:

A) throw out reminders of the child.
B) keep physical reminders of the child around.
C) move on by constructing a totally different life.
D) avoid thinking about the child.

Question 68

Generalizing from the text, which loved one's death is most apt to PERMANENTLY change how people think about life?

A) death of a spouse
B) a parent's death
C) death of a friend
D) a child's death

Question 69

All things being equal, who will have the MOST difficult time coming to terms with death?

A) Mrs. Brancusi, who just lost her husband
B) Mr. Barker, who just lost his wife
C) Mr. Blanco, whose sister just died
D) Mr. and Mrs. Bui, whose child just died

Question 70

A teenage girl understands she is dying of cancer. Based on the text, what is the best advice to give her distraught parents?

A) "It might help ease your pain if you discuss death with your daughter, so don't be afraid."
B) "You'll feel better not bringing up that stressful topic, so don't discuss death with your daughter."
C) "Don't discuss death with your daughter; you'll feel guilty later on."
D) "You'll be adding to your child's distress, so don't discuss death with your daughter."

Question 71

According to the Western psychiatric manual, intense mourning should last for about:

A) 6 months to a year.
B) 2 years.
C) 3 months.
D) no set length of time, as predictions are impossible.

Question 72

Generalizing from the text, if a widow says, "It was a relief that my husband died," MOST likely this woman:

A) cannot love.
B) was in a bad marriage and is being honest.
C) is reacting normally if her spouse was suffering greatly.
D) is denying reality and will get very upset later on.

Question 73

If a psychologist has diagnosed a widow with persistent complex bereavement-related disorder, what does this means?

A) A year or so after losing her husband, this woman still is totally immersed in grieving.
B) Three months after her husband's death, this woman is still totally immersed in grieving.
C) This woman never loved her husband.
D) A year after the death, this woman continues to say that her husband is the love of her life.

Question 74

Teyo still yearns for her son who died in an accident 4 years ago. According to the text, this response is:

A) normal, as losing a child is life's most traumatic event.
B) pathological, as by now Teyo should have come to terms with her loss.
C) a sign that Teyo was an excellent mom.
D) a sign that Teyo had an ambivalent relationship with her son.

Question 75

Good deaths are _____.

A) rare
B) free from debilitating pain
C) common among religious adults
D) full of debilitating pain

Question 76

Which emotion is MOST characteristic of early bereavement?

A) getting upset on special occasions
B) focusing on the loved one's final days and hours
C) feeling distant from other family members
D) feeling angry at the person who died

Question 77

Which is NOT a typical reaction during the first months of bereavement?

A) ruminating about the dead loved one
B) sensing the dead person's physical presence
C) feeling angry about one's loss
D) obsessing over the person's last days

Question 78

Which adult is MOST likely to be viewed as having a good death?

A) Manny, who dies accidentally while on vacation
B) Mellissa, who dies surrounded by her family at age 95
C) Margaret, who dies alone in a nursing home
D) Molly, who dies in intensive care

Question 79

Which man is suffering from pathological grief?

A) Ted can't function at all 3 years after his wife's death.
B) Terry began to date 3 months after his wife's death.
C) Tom was relieved after his wife died of Alzheimer's disease.
D) Tim didn't cry much after his wife died.

Question 80

According to the text, which death is LEAST likely to evoke prolonged mourning?

A) murder
B) suicide
C) a child's death
D) death of a spouse