CH 28 - Caring for People Who Are Dying
Examples of terminal illnesses - CORRECT ANSWER-some heart conditions, emphysema,
dementia, and some types of cancers
Terminal illness - CORRECT ANSWER-an illness or condition from which recovery is not expected
Grief - CORRECT ANSWER-mental anguish, specifically associated with loss
Things to tell the nurse when caring for a terminally ill person - CORRECT ANSWER-- The person
refuses medications or other medical treatment
- The person cries constantly, refuses food, or cannot sleep
- There is tension and disagreement within the family
- The person or a family member requests the assistance of clergy or a grief counselor
- The person expresses interest in having a will made
As a terminally ill person comes to terms with the knowledge that she will eventually die as a result
of her disease, she will experience... - CORRECT ANSWER-stages of grief
The stages of grief were identified by... - CORRECT ANSWER-Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a
psychiatrist who worked with terminally ill people
The Stages of Grief - CORRECT ANSWER-denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance
* The terminally ill person may not pass through all of the stages of grief and may not pass through
them in order
What happens when family members are at different stages of the grieving process? - CORRECT
ANSWER-emotional upset or conflict within the family can occur
Throughout the grieving process, what is one emotion that usually persists? - CORRECT
ANSWER-hope
Hope is what helps a terminally ill person to... - CORRECT ANSWER-face another day or another
painful treatment
Hospice care - CORRECT ANSWER-care provided by a health care organization for people who
are dying, and their families
Terminally ill people become eligible for hospice care when their doctors tell them that they... -
CORRECT ANSWER-have approximately 6 months or less left to live
Hospice care is provided by a team of health care workers that includes... - CORRECT
ANSWER-nurses, nursing assistants, clergy, social workers, mental health providers, and others
Where can hospice care be provided? - CORRECT ANSWER-- Long-term care facility
- Hospital
- The person's home
- Special hospice facility
- Nursing home
, Although the person's illness cannot be cured, hospice workers provide... - CORRECT
ANSWER-supportive care and palliative care to keep the person as comfortable as possible as
death approaches
Hospice workers also provide ________________ support to both the terminally ill person and the
family. - CORRECT ANSWER-emotional
After the person dies, hospice workers continue to support the family by providing... - CORRECT
ANSWER-grief counseling and other types of assistance
Supportive care - CORRECT ANSWER-treatments that will not prolong life, but will make a person
more comfortable, such as oxygen therapy, nutritional supplementation, pain medication,
range-of-motion exercises, grooming and hygiene, and positioning assistance
Palliative care - CORRECT ANSWER-care that focuses on relieving uncomfortable symptoms, not
on curing the problem that is causing the symptoms; examples include pain medication,
chemotherapy or radiation to shrink a tumor, oxygen to make breathing easier, and some surgical
procedures
Denial - CORRECT ANSWER-the person refuses to accept the diagnosis or feels that a mistake
has been made
Effects on the person's behavior:
- The person may ask for a second opinion
- The person may act as if nothing is wrong
- The person may refuse medication or other treatments
Anger - CORRECT ANSWER-the person realizes that she is actually going to die as a result of
her illness and has feelings of rage, which may be directed toward herself or others
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may become moody and withdrawn
- the person may become uncooperative and hostile
- the person may lose religious faith
Bargaining - CORRECT ANSWER-the person wants to "make a deal" with someone he feels has
control over his fate, such as God or a health care provider
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may speak of wanting to live long enough to accomplish a goal or witness a specific
event (such as a wedding or a child's birth)
Depression - CORRECT ANSWER-the person fully realizes that death will be the end result of the
illness and experiences sadness and regret
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may be sad and cry a lot
- the person may withdraw and say little
- the person may refuse food or have trouble falling asleep
Examples of terminal illnesses - CORRECT ANSWER-some heart conditions, emphysema,
dementia, and some types of cancers
Terminal illness - CORRECT ANSWER-an illness or condition from which recovery is not expected
Grief - CORRECT ANSWER-mental anguish, specifically associated with loss
Things to tell the nurse when caring for a terminally ill person - CORRECT ANSWER-- The person
refuses medications or other medical treatment
- The person cries constantly, refuses food, or cannot sleep
- There is tension and disagreement within the family
- The person or a family member requests the assistance of clergy or a grief counselor
- The person expresses interest in having a will made
As a terminally ill person comes to terms with the knowledge that she will eventually die as a result
of her disease, she will experience... - CORRECT ANSWER-stages of grief
The stages of grief were identified by... - CORRECT ANSWER-Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a
psychiatrist who worked with terminally ill people
The Stages of Grief - CORRECT ANSWER-denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance
* The terminally ill person may not pass through all of the stages of grief and may not pass through
them in order
What happens when family members are at different stages of the grieving process? - CORRECT
ANSWER-emotional upset or conflict within the family can occur
Throughout the grieving process, what is one emotion that usually persists? - CORRECT
ANSWER-hope
Hope is what helps a terminally ill person to... - CORRECT ANSWER-face another day or another
painful treatment
Hospice care - CORRECT ANSWER-care provided by a health care organization for people who
are dying, and their families
Terminally ill people become eligible for hospice care when their doctors tell them that they... -
CORRECT ANSWER-have approximately 6 months or less left to live
Hospice care is provided by a team of health care workers that includes... - CORRECT
ANSWER-nurses, nursing assistants, clergy, social workers, mental health providers, and others
Where can hospice care be provided? - CORRECT ANSWER-- Long-term care facility
- Hospital
- The person's home
- Special hospice facility
- Nursing home
, Although the person's illness cannot be cured, hospice workers provide... - CORRECT
ANSWER-supportive care and palliative care to keep the person as comfortable as possible as
death approaches
Hospice workers also provide ________________ support to both the terminally ill person and the
family. - CORRECT ANSWER-emotional
After the person dies, hospice workers continue to support the family by providing... - CORRECT
ANSWER-grief counseling and other types of assistance
Supportive care - CORRECT ANSWER-treatments that will not prolong life, but will make a person
more comfortable, such as oxygen therapy, nutritional supplementation, pain medication,
range-of-motion exercises, grooming and hygiene, and positioning assistance
Palliative care - CORRECT ANSWER-care that focuses on relieving uncomfortable symptoms, not
on curing the problem that is causing the symptoms; examples include pain medication,
chemotherapy or radiation to shrink a tumor, oxygen to make breathing easier, and some surgical
procedures
Denial - CORRECT ANSWER-the person refuses to accept the diagnosis or feels that a mistake
has been made
Effects on the person's behavior:
- The person may ask for a second opinion
- The person may act as if nothing is wrong
- The person may refuse medication or other treatments
Anger - CORRECT ANSWER-the person realizes that she is actually going to die as a result of
her illness and has feelings of rage, which may be directed toward herself or others
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may become moody and withdrawn
- the person may become uncooperative and hostile
- the person may lose religious faith
Bargaining - CORRECT ANSWER-the person wants to "make a deal" with someone he feels has
control over his fate, such as God or a health care provider
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may speak of wanting to live long enough to accomplish a goal or witness a specific
event (such as a wedding or a child's birth)
Depression - CORRECT ANSWER-the person fully realizes that death will be the end result of the
illness and experiences sadness and regret
Effects on the person's behavior:
- the person may be sad and cry a lot
- the person may withdraw and say little
- the person may refuse food or have trouble falling asleep
