![]() Coping after death is thus relatively easier for the survivors, and the dying person has time to take care of unfinished business such as preparing a will. In the case of dying, there is anticipation that death will ultimately result, hence the loved ones have time to prepare both emotionally and cognitively for death when it eventually occurs. Whereas the grieving process begins before death occurs in the case of a dying person, the process begins after death if the death occurred suddenly or unexpectedly. In both cases, the loved ones are left behind to go through the grieving process albeit differently. In the case of expected death, that is dying, the individual goes through a process of gradual termination before death occurs whereas in unexpected (sudden) death, this process is either absent or is relatively short. The processes of unexpected (sudden) death and expected death (dying) are quite different. ![]() Thus, death according to the proponents of Epicurian ethics, being merely the cessation of sensations, is nothing to be afraid of. However, according to the great philosopher Epicurus, the human soul perishes with the body at death, bringing to an end all sensation and conscious existence. Even the dying person goes through periods of fear, anger, and grief, once the inevitability of death becomes apparent. ![]() This affords individuals the opportunity to exercise their rights regarding their medical care in advance.ĭancy and Davis assert that death is a “universal, natural, persistent, inescapable, unavoidable, and undeniable fact of life.” When death occurs, there is usually an impact on the family and friends of the deceased, the magnitude often depends on whether death was expected or unexpected. It may also contain the names of persons to make decisions on a person's behalf, on what kind of treatment would be desirable, in situations that the person concerned may be incapable of making such decisions personally. Hence, the need for culture sensitivity which makes it imperative that patient's family and loved ones are carried along as far as possible, without compromising the autonomy of the patient in question when utilizing advance care directives.Īn advance care directive is a person's oral or written instructions about his or her future medical care, if he or she becomes unable to communicate. Coupled with the communitarian nature of African societies are issues such as lack of awareness of advance directives, fear of death and grief, and the African cultural belief system, which are potential barriers to the utilization of advance care directives in the African setting. Advance care directives are considered to be too individualistic for communitarian societies such as Africa. Becoming an ancestor after death is a desirable goal of every individual, a feat which cannot be achieved if an individual asks for an unnatural death by attempting to utilize advance care directives. According to the African belief system, life does not end with death, but continues in another realm. ![]() Africans ordinarily do not encourage the contemplation of death or any discussion about their own or their loved ones’ death. An advance care directive is a person's oral or written instructions about his or her future medical care, if he or she becomes unable to communicate.
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