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What is death? What does it mean to be dead? Discuss several positions as noted by your authors, and discuss the pros and cons of each position. Which position most closely resembles your own belief about what it means to die? Why? |
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| 2 | |
A good friend has approached you with a difficult decision—his father is in the last stages of a terminal illness, and the medication he is on is not controlling the excruciating pain he experiences. Your friend tells you that his father has asked for help in dying, and your friend is torn between the anguish of watching his father suffer and his own moral reluctance to help his father die. What will you tell your friend? Discuss the circumstances in which a physician might consider terminating a patient's life. Finally, share your position on the issue of euthanasia. Justify and support your position. You are not required to adhere strictly to one side of the debate. Your position may validly include pros and cons from both sides. Just make sure to support your answer. |
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You have just learned that your favorite aunt is dying. Having no children of her own, she has always been extremely close to you. Your mother tells you that the doctor has not yet told your aunt of her diagnosis, as he wants to discuss it with the family first. To achieve the best possible outcome for your aunt, what should be done? Should she be told? If so, why; if not, why not? How would you advise the family to talk to your aunt about her impending death? |
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| 4 | |
Your friend shares with you that she has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer; by the time her cancer was detected, it was very advanced. Despite the fact that the doctors have told your friend that she will likely die within the next 6 months, she is optimistic that her treatment will be effective. She calmly tells you, "I'm not going to die. I'm too young to die." According to Kubler-Ross stages of death, what stage is your friend currently in? What changes in your friend's attitude can you expect as the cancer progresses and the end of her life nears? |
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Your friend calls you on the telephone and shares with you that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer; by the time his cancer was detected, it was very advanced. He informs you that it is likely that he will die within the next month, and he is feeling a very tumultuous mixture of emotions. Based on the suggestions given by your authors, what are several points that you should keep in mind when talking with your friend when you go to see him in person? |
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Imagine that you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. You have been given the option of seeking care via either a traditional hospital or a hospice program. Which would you choose? Why? Explain the philosophical differences between these two approaches to care and treatment. |
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| 7 | |
After the death of her father, your friend tells you, "I don't know how to respond. I feel numb. I don't even know how to grieve." How would you respond to your friend? Explain the range of normal grief reactions and the various dimensions of grieving. What can your friend expect in terms of her own reactions and adjustments to this loss? |
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