Dignified Life & Death

General

Individualistic/Communal

Basic family unit-what does this look like?

City versus rural differences

 

Economic

What are the costs of end of life care? Who pays for these costs?

Wealth/Income level (High, medium, low)

General economic issues

Health Care related issues

Financing Mechanism for Palliative/hospice care (e.g. policies similar to Medicare)

Many studies say that palliative care "may" reduce the financial burden on families: is this true?

 

Immigration

Immigration laws; How does this affect the healthcare system?

Cultural perspective on immigrants-good or bad; why?

 

Religion

Primary

Secondary

Religious practices/beliefs regarding the end of life?

What is the level of enculturation for the specific faith?

What are the specific EOL teachings for the faith? Is it different depending on region?

What is the degree of Sacramental Care

History or Religion/Missions in the area? Or lack thereof?

How is the cause of death perceived? As scientific? As the result of sin? Karma? Reflections on funeral practices? Sustainability?

 

Rhetoric

Dignity (Choice, Religious Values, etc.): is this concept valued?

What does the concept of dignity signify in this specific culture? What rights are attributed to this term?

Is this concept given to only certain groups of people and not others? Is there a scale?

What aspects of this understanding of dignity are the same or different?

How do other countries view the concept of dignity? In an individual sense? Communal sense? Is it related to faith? Ethical understandings?

 

Ethics

Value of individual choice and autonomy?

What is the main ethical theory or theories in this culture? (Natural Law, Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Contractarianism)

What are the secondary Ethical Theories? Are there conflicts between groups?

How does these ethical decisions affect perspectives on end of life care?

Are there certain groups whose deaths are valued more than others in different cultures? Why or why not?

 

Specific Areas of Interest/Cultural Inquires

Hospice care-what other countries have this and in those countries what does it look like?

How much does space and design play into the dying process? Is a well designed hospital or nursing home important? For whom? (families, patients, workers)

Environment of Death (Layout/Structure/Color etc.)

Where do people wish to die?

Do they actually die there?

Surrogates: who are the surrogates for patients?

Happiness/satisfaction of families and of people dying?

How do people manage grief? Family members? Healthcare professionals? The dying patients?

Impact of Gender

What are the illnesses/difficulties/issues people are dealing with at the end of life? What are the same? What are different?

 

Treatment Specific

Advanced Directives: are these used?

Are there advanced care directives and living wills in other countries?

Brain Death/Heart Failure

Hospice Services

Receptivity? By Whom?

Palliative Care

Receptivity? By Whom?

Autopsy (Yes/No); Is there discussion around doing autopsy? Does religion in certain communities affect this? What about socioeconomic status?

Resuscitation;

Who decides?

Is there consensus in these communities or debate?

Dementia: how prevalent is this in these cultures/communities?

Is it defined the same way in different cultures?

Age of death? Does dying earlier rather than late in life affect how valued your death is perceived?

Any consensus on inadvisable treatments?

Dealing with mental illnesses?

Alzheimer’s?

How is this viewed in other cultures?

How are people treated in their communities?

What are the models?

Can they be replicated in other cultures/systems?

 

Doctor Patient Relationship

How is this viewed? (greater or lesser autonomy)

Does it differ in regards to EOL care?

Any historical factors to note?