Providing Care in the End of Life: Ethical and Therapeutic Considerations

As modern technology advances, people live longer and are more likely to face death later in life from chronic or degenerative diseases. The location of death has also changed, resulting in more people dying in impersonal settings. The final months in the life of George, a terminally ill 89-year-old Caucasian male are discussed from four perspectives: existential approach, the stage model of death and dying, the reinforcement model, and an integrated model. Therapeutic interventions, aimed toward assisting George in dealing with his medical condition and existential issues, consisted of the following three major components: family therapy, religiosity, and preparation for death. Ethical and therapeutic considerations related to issues of death and dying are addressed.