homework

1

Weekly Activity 2

Weekly Activity 2

Dominique Lampton

University of Upper Iowa

Running head: WEEKLY ACTIVITY 2

EFFECTS OF AGE 2

I finally read the book “Being Mortal”, and I must say that I was really intrigued. Gawanda, a surgeon, now has to suddenly deal with the fact that his dad is suffering with a deadly illness. Ironically, his dad is also a Surgeon too. This experience that Gawanda went through with his dad made him have another perspective on the process of death not only for the family, but also the patient. This made me wonder about the mindset that healthcare professionals have while observing patients during their final days. For this assignment, I decided to interview a Catholic Priest. Father Muli is a Catholic Priest who has over 20 years of experience is hospice experience. I must say, the interview was quite interesting.

Interview questions:

1. Do you ever feel fully prepared to comfort someone who is in hospice?

Yes, Its challenging at times, but this is what I was trained to do. As a Roman Catholic Priest, this is one of the things that I specialize in. So, I am already mentally prepared before entering the room.

2. Have you visited someone in a nursing home? If so, what has been your experience?

Yes. It’s hard to see someone in a nursing home, especially if they are not being treated right. It just shows you how life can change in a split second. It makes you think about your own death, and how your life may turn out when you get older. It makes you re-evaluate the meaning of life.

3. Do you think that nursing homes are ethical?

It depends. Some are ethical, some are not. Some may or may not practice the ethical code.

4. Are you prepared for your own death? How do you feel about the process of death in your own beliefs?

No one is ever prepared for death because you never know how and when you will go. According to my religion, I was taught to always be ready. I’ve seen the process of death. It can be very scary. I’ve seen some people fight to stay alive, and I’ve seen others go in peace. To me, death is only the spirit leaving the shell.

5. When someone is about to perish, what are your thoughts? How do you find the words to comfort that individual?

Someone who is faith practicing is easier to talk to for me. Its because although they are about to leave, they are at peace, and that makes it more comforting. But if I can’t find the words to say, the power of touch is strong. The power of touch does a lot because they realize that its still life and that in itself is very comforting to them.

6. Do you think that nursing homes/hospice facilities help individuals or hurt them?

It depends. In reality, some people do not have a choice but to send there loved ones to a nursing home. It depends on if the place is ethical, and how the staff treats the patients.

7. Would you want to live in a nursing home or die in a hospice facility? Why? Why not?

No. I want to die in my own home because I am family oriented. I rather die around my family to still feel connected up until my death. That’s the problem with nursing homes. Even if staff is treating the patient well, the patient still loses the connection with their families, no matter how many visits they get.

8. What are your thoughts while watching other perish? Does it impact your thoughts on healthcare? It depends on the cause of their death. In my experience, when a patient is in pain, the doctor just gives them medication to feel better, but that’s it. In my opinion, this does nothing for the patient. Doctors do not understand that it is mentally challenging more than anything when someone is about to die, and they know that nothing can be done about it. I do not believe that medical doctors are trained enough on catering to the mental health of the dying patient. They just shove them with drugs and leave the room until the patient is in pain again.

After the interview was over, it changed my perspective on the process of death. Seeing someone die knowing that there is nothing that can be done about it has to be challenging for some. Father Muli made me realize that death is not just something that happens for some folks, it can actually be a lengthy, difficult process. I realize that medical doctors are trained for medicine only. However, I do not fault them on not being trained in the area of mental health simply because that is not what they specialize in. Doctors are human beings like everyone else. This is why I believe to be in the medical profession, someone seriously has to be called. The story in the book “Being Mortal” made me realize how sudden death can be, and it may be too late to reverse it.

Reference:

Gawande, A. (2017). In Being mortal. essay, Anchor Canada.

Reference:

Is temperament determined by genetics?. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/traits/temperament

Cherry. (2019). Observational Learning Is Used by Copying Behavior of Others. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-observational-learning-2795402

Gender Roles. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/gender-roles