Death and bereavement

medicine could do little to prevent or cure illness or extend life, and

living to a reasonably old age seemed to come merely with luck. Dying

was generally a religious event, not a medical one. Because many

deaths took place at home, usually family took care of their dying

relatives, and usually had a personnel and direct relationship with the

dying, and death in general. These days most people live their lives

without thinking of the reality that they might face this kind of reality,

or in general “a wake up call”. I will explain to you a profile of dying

and death in the United States, and overview of research on attitudes

and practices related to the end of life. I will also explain cultural

characteristics that influence attitudes and practices related to the end of

life, and the technological and organizational characteristics of health

Americans, on average live much longer than than they did by the

end of the 19th century, and death in infancy is now very rare. The

major causes of death now, and a 100 years ago are very different. The

dying process today seems to be much more extended due to medical

. . .