What class?
LSTD 4700 – Death and Dying
Why is it cool?
Death is something we all face at some point in our lives, yet it’s something many of us are uncomfortable talking about. This hasn’t always been the case.
Not too long ago, people generally died at home while being cared for by family members. Children interacted with the dying in the course of daily life and were not shielded from death. Over time, death became more institutionalized. Instead of dying at home, people died in nursing homes or hospitals. As the dying were hidden away from the healthy, death became a taboo subject.
By 2030, one in five Americans will be age 65 or older. But, it’s not only in the geriatric population that caregivers will be facing the task of helping patients and families through the death process. As hospice becomes a more widespread practice, death is becoming more commonly planned for and talked about.
In Death and Dying, students will see how cultures and religions around the world deal with death. They’ll look at death from a perspective of the last stage of lifespan development. For those going into lifespan care, or medical and helping professions, it’s imperative to be educated about the death process as it will undoubtedly affect their work and personal lives.
As students examine death, along with controversial topics such as hospice, advance directives, and physician-assisted suicide, students will learn to work through their own feelings in order to be fully present for clients and their families as they deal with this final stage of life.
Talk to your advisor to see if this class might be right for you, or see what else is offered by the College of Professional and Continuing Studies.
