Towards Death with Dignity by Sylvia Poss

Author:Sylvia Poss [Poss, Sylvia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Social Work
ISBN: 9781000438697
Google: 9yVEEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2021-11-07T04:26:46+00:00

This striking example of bargaining occurred very shortly before death. In most of her cases, Kübler-Ross (1970a), has observed bargaining earlier on in the terminal crisis and especially preceding a period of depression. Mrs D, however, experienced these two emotions in reverse order (see case illustration 16, p. 74).

Responding to depression. The effective way to respond to terminal depression is to permit it. Skill is needed here simply in order not to block its expression. Both the patient and his relatives require that the social worker understands the naturalness of their depression concerning what is to be lost. She can then help them to acknowledge their sadness. Much of this work may take place non-verbally. The social worker’s ability simply to be there, to contain these often intense emotions and to tolerate the patient’s anguished feelings constitutes her catalytic function of enabling the patient and his family to move towards acceptance. She may need to stay there until the patient withdraws, as he will, when he is ready to meet what is to come.

Working with dying people who are depressed also frequently leads to discussion of the religious or spiritual issues involved in the situation (Hinton, 1968a; Kübler-Ross, 1974; Saunders, 1976). The patient may initiate such discussion or, in some cases, the worker may sensitively offer such topics for consideration (Leslie, 1960). The patient’s response will determine whether or not to pursue the subject further.

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