Legacy MattersMost people would trade a few months of life if it meant a more comfortable death. As reported in the May issue of the journal Medical Care, University of Pittsburgh researchers found that 75% of the respondents in a study were willing to live a shorter life so as to have a better care at the end of life.
What does good care at the time of death mean? Clearly there are medical considerations such as pain relief, emotional support by and for family members, and, for most, spiritual considerations. Tibetan Buddhists for example spend much of their lives preparing emotionally for the passage of death. American Indians would prepare for death before battle and then sing, "It's a good day to die". Catholics have the sacrament of Extreme Unction and pray to the Virgin Mary to be with them "now at the hour of our death." When my father was dying, he told us not to worry as death was a natural part of life. I suspect that as boomers age, there will be much more open discussion about what a good death is.
As the study noted, how to measure the medical and non medical considerations of good end of life care, is beyond the reach of the researchers until better measurement tools are developed.
Posted by Jill Fallon at May 29, 2004 7:20 PM | Permalink