Psych 216 Unit Exam 4 Notes

Stages of Dying

Psychological process of dying including Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Palliative Care

An approach aiming to reduce suffering and improve quality of life for individuals with life-limiting illnesses.

History of Palliative Care

Development milestones including key figures like Cicely Saunders, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.

Palliative Care Framework

Canada's approach involving advance care planning, pain management, and support in various domains.

WHO Definition of Palliative Care

Relief from pain, affirmation of life, integration of psychological and spiritual aspects, and support for families.

Bowtie Model

Canadian model emphasizing disease management and life quality in advanced illness stages.

Myths about Palliative Care

Common misconceptions like needing to be dying to receive care or that it shortens life.

Equity in Palliative Care

Importance of integrating palliative care into various healthcare settings for improved access.

Namaste Care

Program offering gentle care for residents with advanced illness, focusing on physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects.

SPA-LTC Practice Model

Model emphasizing continuous quality improvement and capacity building in long-term care for a palliative approach.

Grief and Memory

Constant thoughts and feelings about loss can lead to sadness and anger, compromising attention and memory recall. Distraction by grief may cause individuals to forget cherished moments, renewing grief.

Social Effects of Bereavement

Bereavement can alter one's position in the family and community, change support networks, and increase financial strain due to changes in income. This can be stressful to navigate alongside grief.

Attachment Theory

Strong bonds may lead to a difficult adjustment to loss, with no predictable timeframe. Maintaining bonds through actions like speaking to the deceased or keeping special objects is a healthy way to cope with grief.

Dual-Process Model of Grief

Balancing practical adaptations with emotional responses to loss is essential for adjustment. Over time, individuals can rebalance their lives by managing practical tasks and allowing time for emotions like sadness and anger.

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

MAID involves a physician or nurse practitioner administering a substance to end a person's life upon request. It replaces terms like assisted suicide, active euthanasia, and passive euthanasia in defining ways to hasten death legally.

Eligibility for MAID

To access MAID, individuals must be eligible for public health services, at least 18 years old, have a grievous and irremediable medical condition causing enduring suffering, and provide informed consent independently.

Implications for Psychologists

Psychologists may assess competency for MAID, engage in discussions about end-of-life concerns, but must be cautious not to counsel or encourage suicide. They should respect clients' autonomy and only engage in MAID discussions if initiated by the client.

Reasons for Choosing MAID

Factors like loss of control, impact on loved ones, and inadequate palliative care may lead individuals to consider MAID. Psychologists can help restore autonomy and dignity, address social support needs, and explore alternatives to hastening death.

Conscientious Objection

Health care professionals can refuse to provide MAID based on personal values or moral discomfort. They have the right to decline involvement but must ensure timely referrals for patients seeking MAID.

Theoretical Approaches to Optimal Aging

Theoretical approaches include healthy aging, successful aging, active aging, positive aging, and the narrative approach, each emphasizing different aspects like prevention, risk management, and treatment for optimal aging.

Successful Aging

Defined as the absence of disease and disability, high cognitive and physical functioning, and engagement with life, according to the MacArthur Foundation study of aging in America by John Rowe & Robert Kahn.

Cognitive Superagers

Individuals 80 and older with superior episodic memory and cognitive test performances above same-age peers, characterized by thicker cortex volume and high levels of C-reactive protein.

Active Aging

The process of optimizing health participation and security to enhance quality of life as people age, focusing on social, political, and economic participation in communities.

Positive Aging

Emphasizes growth, generativity, and development in older adult years, in contrast to traditional views of aging that focus on decline and problems.

Paradox of Wellbeing

Older adults maintain high subjective wellbeing despite facing objectively challenging circumstances, contrary to predictions of the social indicator model.

Lifespan Diamond

Encompasses evidence that enriching one aspect of life (physical, relational, mental, activity) can lead to positive changes in others, highlighting the interconnectedness of different life domains.

Life Story, Identity, and Narratives

Older adults construct narratives that serve an adaptive function, potentially embellishing their life story to maintain self-esteem and wellbeing in later life.