Chapter 27: Nursing Assistant, A Foundation in Caregiving

anticipatory greif

a period when the dying person or their family is expecting the death

autopsy

an examination of a body by a pathologist to try and determine the cause of death

bereavement

the period following a loss in which mourning occurs

complicated greif

intense, long lasting grief that does not seem to improve even after time has passed

cremation

the process of burning a dead body until it turns to ash

death

the end of life, the cessation of all body functions

greif

a deeply emotional process that is a response after someone has died

greif counseling

therapy to try and help a person cope after someone has died

grief process

the varying emotional responses to grief

mourning

the period in which people work to adapt to a loss; influence by culture, tradition, and society

palliative care

care that focuses on pain relief, controlling symptoms, preventing side effects and complications, and maintaining quality of life for a person who is very ill/dying

pathologist

a doctor with advanced training in the examination of organs and tissues

postmortem care

care of the body after death

rigor mortis

the latin term for the condition after death in which the muscles in the body become stiff and rigid

terminal illness

a disease or condition that will eventually cause death