In the past, dying was perceived as a natural process, and people anticipated it as part of life (Freeman, 2015). People had contact with the dying and had knowledge of the process. Today, medical professionals and hospitals have developed to the point where the process of dying is uncertain. Besides, death has become medicalized (Kaufman, 2005). Health care professionals spend many years studying their crafts. Citing Freeman (2015), doctors value life and ensure that they preserve it even people around the patient start contemplating of death. The desire to heal the patient leads physicians to perceive death as an enemy that should be eliminated at all costs. In the past generations, the doctor’s desire to cure patients contribute to dying people being subjected to aggressive treatment whether they wanted it or not (Kaufman, 2005). Death was regarded as a failure of medical professionals.

During the 20th century, death in the U.S moved out of homes into hospitals. Currently, reports show that more people die in hospitals compared to anywhere else. According to Kaufman (2005), medical institutions try to fight death with sophisticated technology. Moreover, reports show that about one-quarter of all hospitalized patients are treated under intensive care before they pass on (Freeman, 2015). Although there are cases of most people dying in hospitals, medical institutions are not designed for kind of deaths that people would like. For instance, the reimbursement method of Medicare portrays what happens to patients at the end of their life. As a way of curbing expenditure, Medicare has been eliminating its cost-based payment to health institutions. Therefore, hospitals do not get reimbursements for offering palliative care.

References

Freeman, B. (2015). Compassionate person-centered care for the dying: An evidence-based palliative care guide for nurses. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Kaufman, S. (2005). And a time to die: How American hospitals shape the end of life. Simon and Schuster.

 
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