Essay Example on To even begin the basic understanding of Death

What is death To even begin the basic understanding of death in our society opens a box of questions and uncertainty Unless one is faced with an incurable illness the idea that death does not cross our mind too often Death in America is a conversation left for the dead and not the living It's as if discussing its reason or meaning will bring it closer to our lives and the thought of it can only mean something negative While conversations of death were more in fashion centuries ago today it's saved for funerals or when something tragic happens in current events Why the shift in conversation Death is one of life s few certainties Everyone will eventually die and all individuals with loved ones will ultimately become widowed Although death is universal the nature of death and dying has transformed greatly throughout history and these fluctuations have significant consequences for how people think feel and act Before the 20th century deaths usually happened in childhood or young adulthood due mainly to transmittable illnesses catastrophes or violence The circumstances of death have loosened intensely over the previous two centuries In the 19th century death was usually more visible As mentioned Death tended to occur at a moderately early age 

The death of a loved one was displayed by what appeared as theatrical exhibitions of grief among the living and intricate actions to remember the deceased Through the late 19th and most of the 20th century death became hidden Doctors and healthcare organizations governed over the dying death and grief became secluded the treatment of bodies and funeral rites were transported from private homes to funeral business and individuals were encouraged to reject the predictability of death and put their expectations on the potential of promising medical technology Taking care of dying patients in separation was thought to help smooth the shift beyond death Lowering the social standing of those who were about to die would minimize disturbance of social relationships In the late 20th and early 21st centuries death has once more become noticeable and the dying process became gradually controlled by sick patients and their loved ones Common acknowledgement that dying is often a isolated doctor controlled practice has put efforts to promote patient and family independence In modern society death may attack at any time in life yet death usually occurs to older adults Most late life deaths occur subsequent a lengthy period of enduring illness or even mental damage and the dying patient often has conventional care from a loved one or has used up some time in a medical organization For most older adults in the modern America the dying procedure is prolonged and estimated taking place after a long term chronic illness often an illness that is least somewhat associated to controllable factors such as diet exercise or life style 

The hospice evolution which began in America in the early 1970s to encourage palliative care at the end of life also has grown in status Although a large number of adults still pass away in hospitals or nursing homes the use of both in home and in hospital hospice facilities has amplified Also many patients and family members want everything humanly possible done to fight off death despite having received a terminal prognosis This issue is only going to become more widespread as the Baby Boomer generation which includes a whopping 78 million people sweeps through the already overburdened healthcare system in the coming decades TheCommuter 2015 Death in the past was not essentially less heartbreaking to those who lost loved ones but death was more rampant more communal more visible and more a normal part of life than it is today The reality is that life will end and how people decide to handle with this certainty gives us an global depiction of our civilization s situation on death normally speaking the American perception is one of avoidance Basically we live in a death defying death denying nation As stated by Michael Gemignani in his article Hospice in a Death Denying Society Fitness centers alternative medicines an endless supply of diets are the order of the day Consumers want the fountain of youth