After reading this chapter, the student should be able to address the following:

1. Identify the current leading causes of death in the United States.



2. Define the four types of death.



3. Provide the legal definition of death.



4. Discuss grief work and present what has been learned about the way we respond to the deaths of others.



5. Discuss the process phases of anticipatory grief when faced with the impending death of a loved one: avoiding shock and fear, future planning, expressing thoughts and feelings, and time to prepare for changes.



6. Explain the three types of pathological grieving: delayed grief, distorted grief, and complicated grief.



7. Discuss the roles of grief and the funeral in dealing with another's death; explore differences in funeral practices across different cultures.



8. Discuss some options for grieving.



9. Compare Kübler-Ross's five stage theory on death with Saunders's five states of the grief process.



10. Discuss dealing successfully with one's own death.



11. Describe the death with dignity law, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide.



12. Discuss the importance of a living will and a health care power of attorney.



13. Identify the philosophy of hospice care.



14. Examine alternative ways of dying "successfully" and the role of hospice professionals in such a process.



15. Investigate suicide rates at different ages across the lifespan.



16. Discuss suicide and the differences found by gender.



17. Define spirituality and discuss religious participation among adults.



18. Compare and contrast theories of spirituality by Frankl, Jung, and Wilson.