About This Chapter
This assessment collection covers featuring exam questions on topics such as the attitudes toward death and the care for dying individuals. Assembles a set of presents practice questions with accurate answers, comprehensive explanations, and terminology definitions categorized by challenge grades including complete answers, thorough explanations, and definitional resources. Detailed terminology guides and precise definitions enhance comprehension and knowledge building.
The learning objectives include:
✓ Describe attitudes towards death.
✓ Evaluate issues involved in decisions about death.
Question 1
Angeline's husband passes away in a car accident. Her son, who is in high school, is deeply upset and refuses to speak to anyone. Angeline tries her best to console him and also gives him time to overcome his grief. Considering his age and the current situation, which of the following reactions can Angeline most likely expect from her son?
- He will tend to show anger about death.
- He will develop abstract conceptions of death.
- He will seek reassurance from Angeline that he will be loved even after his father's death.
- He will describe death as a painless ending of the life a person.
Correct Answer:
He will develop abstract conceptions of death.
Glossary:
Grief: The emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love.
Question 2
Most psychologists emphasize that ________ is the best strategy in discussing death with children.
- honesty
- evasion
- lying
- distraction
Correct Answer:
honesty
Glossary:
Hormones: Powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through the body by the bloodstream.
Question 3
In a recent study on children's conceptions of death, it was concluded that children as early as ________ of age understand the irreversibility of death and that it involves the cessation of mental and physical functioning.
- 4 to 5 years
- 1 to 2 years
- 9 to 10 years
- 6 to 7 years
Correct Answer:
4 to 5 years
Question 4
Cindy's mother passes away suddenly because of a heart attack. Cindy now wants to explain the concept of death to her 4-year-old twins as she is sure that they will ask for their grandmother. Considering their age, which of the following statements should Cindy mention when communicating her message to her children?
- Death is final and irreversible.
- All living things eventually die, and so will you.
- Death is a physical and biological process.
- You are loved and will not be abandoned.
Correct Answer:
You are loved and will not be abandoned.
Glossary:
Acceptance: Kübler-Ross’ fifth stage of dying, in which the dying person develops a sense of peace, an acceptance of her or his fate, and, in many cases, a desire to be left alone.
Question 5
According to Kalish and Reynolds, middle-aged adults actually ________ than do young adults or older adults.
- fear death more
- talk about death more
- think about death more
- accept death more readily
Correct Answer:
fear death more
Question 6
4-year-old Rebecca's grandfather died a few weeks ago. Rebecca is very fond of him and would wait for him to visit her house every weekend. Now that it has been a few weeks since he last visited, Rebecca has been asking her mother why her grandfather has not come over to visit her. Considering that Rebecca is only a child, which of the following approaches should her mother follow while answering her questions?
- reassure Rebecca that her grandfather will visit her every night in her dreams
- try to divert Rebecca's attention and avoid questions related to death
- explain that her grandfather has gone on a very long trip and will not be coming over anymore
- explain as simply as possible that her grandfather died and answer any questions Rebecca has about his death
Correct Answer:
explain as simply as possible that her grandfather died and answer any questions Rebecca has about his death
Glossary:
Grief: The emotional numbness, disbelief, separation anxiety, despair, sadness, and loneliness that accompany the loss of someone we love.
Question 7
7-year-old Matthew's mother met with an accident and passed away recently. He has started asking his father about his mother's whereabouts and cries for her all the time. His father is trying his best to pacify him with toys and other gifts, but he knows that sooner or later he must deal with this situation. Which of the following is the best strategy for dealing with Matthew's questions?
- The father should evade his questions for as long as possible.
- The father should treat the topic of his mother's death as unmentionable.
- The father should be honest about his mother's death.
- The father should distract him with other pursuits.
Correct Answer:
The father should be honest about his mother's death.
Question 8
Which of the following statements is true of young children and their perception of death?
- Children's views of death and their experiences with death seldom vary with the contexts and cultures in which they grow up.
- A recent study found that as early as 2 to 3 years of age, many young children understand the irreversibility of death and that it involves the cessation of mental and physical functioning.
- For some children, a parent's death can be devastating and result in a hypersensitivity about death, including a fear of losing others close to the individual.
- U.S. children are more exposed to death than children in other cultures.
Correct Answer:
For some children, a parent's death can be devastating and result in a hypersensitivity about death, including a fear of losing others close to the individual.
Glossary:
Perception: The interpretation of what is sensed.
Question 9
Which of the following statements is true of the attitudes toward death among older adults and younger adults?
- Younger adults lack any anticipation and hence death is usually emotionally less painful to them.
- Older adults are more likely to have children who need to be guided to maturity than younger adults and hence cannot accept death.
- Older adults are less likely to have unfinished business than are younger adults and hence are more likely to cope with death better than younger adults.
- Young adults think more about death and talk more about it than older adults.
Correct Answer:
Older adults are less likely to have unfinished business than are younger adults and hence are more likely to cope with death better than younger adults.
Glossary:
Ageism: Prejudice against others because of their age, especially prejudice against older adults.
Question 10
The type of care that is designed to reduce pain and suffering and help individuals die with dignity is known as ________ care.
- curative
- palliative
- terminal
- compassionate
Correct Answer:
palliative
Glossary:
Palliative Care: The type of care emphasized in a hospice, which involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity.
Question 11
Which of the following does a "good death" involve?
- avoiding the fact that death is imminent
- dying in a hospital away from family and friends
- religious or community death rites
- appropriate medical care
Correct Answer:
appropriate medical care
Glossary:
Palliative Care: The type of care emphasized in a hospice, which involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity.
Question 12
Which of the following statements is true of better care for dying individuals?
- Many health-care professionals have received little training to provide adequate end-of-life care or to understand its importance.
- In every case, doctors usually provide ample information to the dying individuals about how long they are likely to live.
- Scientific advances have always made dying easier by hardly delaying the inevitable.
- Care providers are increasingly losing interest in helping individuals experience a "good death."
Correct Answer:
Many health-care professionals have received little training to provide adequate end-of-life care or to understand its importance.
Question 13
Which of the following statements is true of hospice care?
- Hospice care emphasizes the need to limit the administration of painkillers to terminally ill patients.
- Hospice care mainly emphasizes efforts to cure an illness.
- Hospice care focuses on efforts to prolong life.
- Hospice care emphasizes palliative care.
Correct Answer:
Hospice care emphasizes palliative care.
Glossary:
Palliative Care: The type of care emphasized in a hospice, which involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity.
Question 14
Martha, who is 80 years old, has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. Over the last few weeks, her pain has increased tremendously. Her doctor is trying his best to cure her illness, but the cancer cells have spread and chemotherapy is taking a toll on Martha's overall health. Considering her age, Martha is reluctant to be admitted in the hospital for long as she wants to die peacefully surrounded by her family. She has been advised by her family to consider hospice as it would
- cure her illness and prolong her life.
- make the end of her life as free from pain and anxiety as possible.
- emphasize death as a process that takes place over years and even decades.
- convince her to avoid the truth that her death is imminent.
Correct Answer:
make the end of her life as free from pain and anxiety as possible.
Glossary:
Hospice: A program committed to making the end of life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible. The goals of hospice contrast with those of a hospital, which are to cure disease and prolong life.
Question 15
Wilma is considering hospice care for her elderly father. She reaches out to a few hospice care agencies to know more about this program. She is aware that the idea behind this program is to make the end of life for a patient as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible and not to find a cure for an illness. The agencies inform her about another important purpose of this program. In this scenario, which of the following is most likely a purpose of hospice care?
- to eliminate Americans' fear of death
- to provide high-quality medical intervention in a homelike setting
- to aid dying patients to face death with dignity
- to reduce wasteful expenditures on aggressive medical treatments for patients with little hope of survival
Correct Answer:
to aid dying patients to face death with dignity
Glossary:
Hospice: A program committed to making the end of life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible. The goals of hospice contrast with those of a hospital, which are to cure disease and prolong life.
Question 16
Which of the following individuals would most likely be considered for hospice care?
- Monica who suffers from terminal cancer and has only 2-3 months to live
- Brad who has been diagnosed with AIDS and has just begun treatment for his condition
- Martha who suffers from high cholesterol levels that have caused cardiovascular disease
- Nigel who has a genetic disorder from birth and hence needs special attention at home and school
Correct Answer:
Monica who suffers from terminal cancer and has only 2-3 months to live
Glossary:
Hospice: A program committed to making the end of life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible. The goals of hospice contrast with those of a hospital, which are to cure disease and prolong life.
Question 17
Hospice advocates emphasize
- that it is possible to limit the administration of pain medication and prevent addiction.
- finding new treatments for many incurable diseases.
- finding a cure for all dying individuals.
- the advantages of controlling pain for dying individuals.
Correct Answer:
the advantages of controlling pain for dying individuals.
Question 18
For hospice services to be covered by Medicare, a patient must be
- diagnosed with curable illnesses such as heart problems.
- deemed by a physician to have 6 months or fewer to live.
- deemed by a physician to have between 1 and 2 years to live.
- suffering from a nonfatal condition.
Correct Answer:
deemed by a physician to have 6 months or fewer to live.
Question 19
Currently in the United States, approximately 90 percent of hospice care is provided
- in special units in hospitals.
- in nursing homes.
- in the patients' homes.
- in free-standing hospice facilities in the community.
Correct Answer:
in the patients' homes.
Question 20
James is suffering from liver cancer and has been informed by his doctor that he has only a few weeks left to live. He is not able to cope with the pain and is also aware that there is no medication to treat his condition at this stage. Which of the following options will James most likely choose if he wishes to make the end of his life as free from pain, anxiety, and depression as possible?
- an asylum
- hospital stay
- hospice
- compassionate care
Correct Answer:
hospice