Abstract
Introduction: One of the most important goals of medical care in patients having a life limiting illness is achieving a ‘‘good death’’. To achieve this, components of a good death should be identified.Objectives: To identify the components of a good death in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka.Methodology: A qualitative, prospective serial study was done. The study sample included patients diagnosed as having life limiting illness and being followed up at the ENT, Palliative care and Oncology units at General Hospital Ratnapura.Results: There were 42 participants in the study. Thirty five (83.33%) of the patients had cancer and 7(16.67%) had non cancer life limiting illnesses. The study identified attributes which fall to 15 categories as common components of ‘‘good death’’.Conclusion: The main categories of good death in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, were having a good family relationship, having a good relationship with medical staff, Not being aware of death, Fighting against the disease, Dying at ones favourite place, Having faith, Maintaining hope, Maintaining dignity, Freedom from Pain, Physical & Psychological symptoms, Not being a burden to others and Maintaining sense of control. Home was considered the best place to die.Ceylon Journal of Otolaryngology Vol.4(1) 2015 pp. 20-25
Highlights
One of the most important goals of medical care in patients having a life limiting illness is achieving a ‘‘good death’’
In palliative care management in the Australasia region euthanasia is not considered as a part of a good death
Studies show that terminally ill individuals experienced a “good death” if they actively participated in how, when, and where they chose to die[5]
Summary
The main categories of good death in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, were having a good family relationship, having a good relationship with medical staff, Not being aware of death, Fighting against the disease, Dying at ones favourite place, Having faith, Maintaining hope, Maintaining dignity, Freedom from Pain, Physical & Psychological symptoms, Not being a burden to others and Maintaining sense of control. Studies show that terminally ill individuals experienced a “good death” if they actively participated in how, when, and where they chose to die[5]. It was not until the 1980s when researchers and clinicians began to focus on issues related to death and dying (e.g. autonomy, palliative care, and dying with dignity) that the term “good death” moved beyond the confines of a synonym for euthanasia and was seen as a complex and individualized phenomena. Previous findings reveal that the characteristics of a good death differ among age groups[3,6], men and women[7], patients[8] and clinicians.But no research has been done regarding what a good death is in Sri Lanka.
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