Course Description
Provides a foundation for understanding death, dying, and bereavement, with a focus on older adults. We will examine the end of life in the socio-cultural, interpersonal, and public health context. Foundational knowledge will be applied to current controversies.
Athena Title
End of Life and Aging
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in GRNT 3050
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Prerequisite
(PSYC 1101 or PSYC 1101E or PSYC 1030H) and (SOCI 1101 or SOCI 1101E or SOCI 1101H)
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will learn to summarize the major theories of death and dying.
- Students will learn to examine societal attitudes toward death.
- Students will learn to categorize the dying process, specifically as it relates to older adults.
- Students will learn to evaluate end of life care in the context of the healthcare system and the legal system.
- Students will learn to analyze how the diversity of ethnicity, religious preferences, gender, culture, and other factors affect the perspectives, attitudes, practices, and experiences of individuals and their families at the end of life.
Topical Outline
- Meaning of death and societal attitudes about the end of life
- Theories of death and dying
- Historical and philosophical perspectives of the end of life
- Cross-cultural death, dying, and bereavement rituals
- The principles of palliative care
- End of life and the legal and healthcare systems
- Epidemiology and patterns of care at the end of life
- Controversies at the end of life
