Prenatal Development

Prenatal Development

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Terminal Illness

Terminal & Life-Threatening Illness

Terminal and Life-Threatening Illness

Many people learn that they are suffering from a terminal or life-threatening illness from a doctor, at a stage when they may still feel only a little unwell and the idea that they may be going to die is completely unexpected. Most of us remain completely unprepared for our own deaths and the shock of having to confront it, particularly if you are younger, maybe with a dependent family, leads to a turmoil of emotions and feelings.

Everyone has to find their own way of coping and whilst everyone handles things in different ways, the reactions and range of emotions and feelings of most people can follow a fairly typical path. By understanding and acknowledging these wide ranging emotions, it can help the sufferer, their carers and friends and family to cope with the situation. It also gives an opportunity, however painful to plan, prepare and say goodbye. 

1. Shock and Disbelief Like a bereavement, the first reaction is usually one of disbelief - the feeling that it is all some terrible dream. This is a very normal response for both the person who is ill and those closest to them and may last for several days or even longer. 

2. Denial The shock of the initial diagnosis usually gives way to denial for both the person who is ill and those closest to them. They may try and get on with their lives and convince themselves that nothing is wrong. This period also helps to give time to come to terms with what is happening and cope with the range of emotions they will be feeling. Again, this phase may last days, week or months and occasionally people may refuse to accept the situation to the very end. 

3. Anger and Grief Acceptance of the diagnosis and the situation may introduce feelings of anger, sometimes directed at the doctor giving the bad news or the people providing daily care. There may also be a sense of grief for what is being lost - the healthy, happy years that are past and the lost years of the future, particularly when people are younger and may have young children The carer may also experience these emotions, sometimes tinged with guilt and even relief that they are not the one with the illness.. 

4. FearMost people have a natural fear of death, as well as fear of the pain and symptoms of the illness they have been diagnosed with. In addition, there will be fears about what will happen to partners and family after their death, particularly if dependent children are involved. People with a terminal illness, as well as often their carers, need someone to talk to about their feelings and fears. Towards the end of the illness, some people are able to come to terms with their own death and may be able to make positive plans, such as what type of funeral they would like. Others never reach this sort of acceptance. 

Helping People with Terminal Illness

The diagnosis of a terminal illness creates great feelings of powerlessness and lack of control. There are a number of positive ways that can be taken to help and support the terminally ill person and their carer, which will help increase the feeling of taking control. The following ideas have been adapted from books by Dr Robert Buckman 'I Don't Know What to Say' and 'Caring For Someone Who Is Dying' by Penny Mares. 

• Accept your relatives feelings and be prepared for them to want to cover the same ground again and again. There may also be sharp swings in mood and outlook which is a reflection of part of the process of coming to terms with what is happening. 
• Acknowledge and recognise your own feelings. Try and sort out the feelings that are helpful from the ones that are not so helpful. 
• Encourage your relative/friend to talk about their feelings and try to be open and honest about your own. You may find it hard to know what to say - most people do - but just showing that you want to listen and understand is a way of giving support. 
• If you find it very difficult to talk openly to each other, encourage your relative to find someone she can open up to - perhaps another member of the family, a friend, or a doctor or nurse. 
• Encourage your relative to draw on the strength of her own past experience, to think back to difficult and threatening situations that they have coped with and to use this strength to face the illness. 
• Work out the most practical way in which you can help. Avoid the temptation to rush in and take over with help that you can't keep up in the long term. 
• Let your relative make the decisions, don't make them for him or her. Find out what they want to do and let them take the lead in deciding what support they want. 
• Being there may be more important than doing things. Rushing around may help you to feel better but your relative might rather have your company for a couple of hours. 
• Get more information. People who are under a great deal of stress find it very difficult to take in information. You can help your relative understand their illness, ask questions when they want to know more and make informed decisions about treatment or care. 
• Try to help the carer, by making sure they don't become isolated and that they have access to and accept the help that is available. 

Some Thoughts For Positive Action From People Facing Terminal Illness 

1. Establish some goals to help yourself achieve something each week 2. Plan some things to look forward to in the longer as well as shorter term 3. If you haven't done so already, make a will and arrange your financial affairs 4. Discuss any worries you may have about pain and symptom control with your medical carers at an early stage.

5. Have a look at our page on Living Funerals, to see if this is something worth considering.

Have a look on a very helpful website we have recently come acrosswww.terminalillness.co.uk for further practical information.

The CarerTerminal and life-threatening illness means that the carer may have to take on many of the roles and responsibilities that the ill person an no longer manage alone, such as cooking or caring for children. Both parties may find this frustrating and upsetting, as well as the increasing dependence of the ill person. The main carer may also have less time to spend with other members of the family, and other family members may have to take on additional responsibilities such as chores and helping in the home. 

Coping with conditions such as incontinence can also be difficult for both the carer and ill person and the illness may also cause loss of physical or mental faculties and alter behaviour or personality. 

Carers may begin to feel worn down by the daily demands and feelings of frustration and resentment are very common. The extra responsibilities placed on the whole family can put a huge strain on the whole family. Contact www.carersuk.org for support.

As the illness progresses, the ill person is likely to become more dependent on other people for the help and care that they need. 

• Look after yourself and your own health. Try to get enough sleep and rest and talk to your GP or nurse about getting enough support and breaks from caring. 
• Try to make some regular time for yourselves as a family, away from the person you care for. Try to talk openly about the situation and everyone's feelings. 
• Be flexible and be prepared to change your plans. It may be necessary to get more help with the caring than you had originally planned and this should not be seen as a failure. 
• Think ahead and plan for the time when you may not be able to care for your relative at home. 

Care in the CommunityProvision under Care in the Community may differ greatly from area to area, and may also depend on how supportive and informed your local GP and social worker is. Anyone who needs care can ask for an assessment from their local social services department. A social worker or 'care manager' will come to assess your needs and work out a basic 'Care Plan'. This should take account of personal and physical needs in areas such as washing, dressing and food preparation, as well as aids needed such as wheelchairs and ramps. The needs of the carer should also be assessed, such as breaks through respite care. 

The local authority will make a charge for the care, mostly through a contribution from additional benefits such as Disability Living or Attendance Allowance. 

The Care Plan will need to be reviewed from time to time, depending on changed needs 

Get help and advice from your GP as well as from your local Carers Centre. Contact the Carers National Association (see charities and counselling page for details), which should also be able to give you information about other charities and grant-giving bodies which may also be able to help. 

Benefits and Allowances AvailableThe most common benefits available which can be claimed through the Benefits Agency are; 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - tax free benefit for those between the ages of 5 and 65 who have difficulty or need help getting around. It is not means tested and does not require the payment of National Insurance contributions. 

Attendance Allowance (AA) - a similar benefit for those aged over 65. 

Constant Attendance Allowance - for those who also receive either an Industrial Injuries Benefit or a War Pension. 

Incapacity Benefit - For those who are terminally ill, of working age and who have paid National Insurance contribution. They should receive a low rate of non-taxable Incapacity Benefit for the first 28 weeks and thereafter a taxable higher rate. 

Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) - a similar benefit for those between the ages of 16 and 65 that does not depend on having worked or paid National Insurance contributions. 

Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) - can be claimed by carers between the ages of 16 and 65 years of age, who are not earning more than a certain amount each week, after expenses (including National Insurance and tax) and are not in full-time education. The carer must be responsible for looking after someone with a severe disability for at least 35 hours per week and already receiving one of the first three benefits above.

Scope of the blog

           The theory of evolution manifests  the process of how man revolutionized from ape to man. However, this hypothesis was not able to grip a hold on veracity when Charles Darwin abjured his belief right after he suffered on his deathbed. To track on a more valid and scientific ground for human growth and development, this blog will render and lay on the different stages and processes concerning the life of man from conception to death. The site will also furnish and impart any arguments, subject matters, issues, divisions,fields and factors that comprise, involve and relate to the development and growth of man throughout the course of his living.

Objectives

 This blog will let the readers/followers be able to:

• Identify basic human needs that are met through work, environment, socialization, and family relationships.
• Write an “action plan” to assist another person cope with changes caused by aging.
• Identify three stages of development between conception and birth.
• Identify ways to encourage independence.
• Identify and discuss your feelings about terminal illness.
• Identify three stages of development between conception and birth.

... to sum it all up, they will be able to get acquainted with the factors that affects human growth and development.

Reflection

    When we heard of this online activity, it made each of us more interested in venturing this summer class in Educ. There are various reactions from among us but it was smoothen out later. Typically, a person who is new to a field will find it hard to operate in that activity. Similarly, most of us are alienated in configuring the use of web blogging especially for being time-pressured and for the lack of resources. Nevertheless, browsing the web offers a handy access to several information we could get in exploring this blog. Likewise, the activity gave us a deep or broad understanding on the use of the blog. We have been unacquainted with it for so long not until Dr. Robles has taken the initiative to expose us to it. While doing it, our experience has answered some of our questions: What is blogging all about; How does it work; and What does it serve. Hence, this activity gave birth to cooperation and collaboration among the GEEK CLIQUE. Making the blog is not easy as counting 123. It is as difficult as driving a bicycle for the first time, however, when you see the output, it is so fulfilling. It is something beneficial. It has an internal benefit as well. One heart meets other hearts. Yeah, friendship develops. :)

How to cope with the changes cause by aging

Aging Gracefully

Enjoy a Vital, Fulfilling Life Regardless of Age

A quick web search on the term “graceful aging” brings up phrases like:

“Combat the signs of aging…”

“Who said that we have to age…”

“Defy the aging process…”

More often than not, aging is viewed as something to be fought off for as long as possible. Regardless of how liberated we’ve become, many women and men still experience aging as a threat to their sense of self worth and quality of life. It is pretty much expected that middle age will bring a “crisis” and far too often we hear seniors lament that “I thought these were supposed to be the golden years.” Whole industries are built on the attempt to stay young – from hair colors to face lifts to Viagra.

Women come into their greatness after menopause.

There is a place for all of these things, of course, but if your reaction to the aging process has you racing to beat time, I’d like to ask you to take a deep breath, relax, and give yourself some space to shift into a different perspective on aging.

What if aging were equated with getting better rather than worse? What if you lived in a culture which reveres the elderly and views them as a repository of power and wisdom? What if it was understood that women really come into their greatness after menopause? Since how we age has so much to do with our attitudes and beliefs, such a shift in perspective could make a world of difference.

Aging Well in the Culture of Youth

To age “gracefully” in a culture which idolizes youth requires inner strength and wisdom. Hopefully we can ask questions together about our common notions and experiences with aging, so that we can not only do away with some myths about aging which limit our quality of life, but also discover some of the “perks” of aging that we often ignore. There are lots of role models who have led the way for us. Did you know, for example, that:

Martha Graham danced professionally until she was 76?

Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals at the age of 78?

Georgia O’Keefe continued painting well into her 90s?

Vitality in “later life” is not just for the famous. Undoubtedly everyone knows at least one person who is living a vital, fulfilling life “despite” their age. This is really the way it should be – life should become better as we age.

Two Basic Requirements of Graceful Aging

What I’ve discovered is that there are two “basic requirements” of graceful aging. To borrow from the “Serenity Prayer”, graceful aging requires the “serenity to accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and wisdom to know the difference.”  Certainly acceptance of aging is a key to aging gracefully – but which of the changes that commonly come with age are the “things we cannot change” and which are the “things we can change?”

What You Can and Cannot Change — Importance of Relaxation

These two major requirements of successful aging – accepting the aging process and not accepting what we can change — may at first seem contradictory.  Sometimes success in life involves the ability embrace the paradox that when we accept life at it is at the moment, it paradoxically opens a doorway for positive change. A common example of this is the couple who finally “get pregnant” when they’ve given up and decide to adopt a child.

The bottom line, as I see it, is the ability to relax with whatever challenges us at any given time and that includes the changes aging brings. When we are relaxed, we are open to different ways of looking at things.

Relaxation brings us out of the “fight or flight” mode that causes us to act impulsively, and gives us more ability to reflect on things. Instead of running out to buy some new anti-aging product, we can spend some time examining our fears and learning whether they are based in reality or on some cultural programming that we’d be better off ignoring. (Read Debunking 5 Common Myths about Aging.)

What We Can Change — The Role of Attitude and Lifestyle

It’s been discovered that attitude has an enormous role in how we age. Much of the decline that people experience with aging comes about due to the belief that decline in function and quality of life is part and parcel of aging. In addition, many of the problems of age are not due to the process of aging itself, but rather due to the effects of a lifetime of stress and poor health habits.

It’s never too late to change the two most important ingredients to graceful aging – attitude and lifestyle.

What We Cannot Change — Coming to Terms with Our Mortality

One thing we absolutely cannot change is the fact that every day brings us closer to death. This one fact alone may account for a great deal of our difficulty with aging.  As soon as we see signs of aging, we are reminded that this body is eventually going to die. As we age, we come face to face with our mortality, and to deal with this we are thrown upon our spiritual resources. Our “spiritual health” may well be measured by how we face the fact of our mortality.

With the rest of the things we cannot change, there is more of a gray area, as we are only now starting to make scientific discoveries about the aging process. Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that aging will bring change.  With menopause, both male and female, we begin to live with a different hormonal environment. The appearance and function of our body changes and requires that we adapt. Our roles change dramatically as our children grow older and leave home, and we become grandparents rather than parents. At some point, many of us become parents to our parents as they enter their final years.

Growing older also brings more loss. Not only is there loss of many aspects of being young, more people we know die. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of aging.  If we haven’t learned to grieve earlier in life, the all important task of learning to live with loss must be learned to avoid psychological and health problems.  

Finding a Balance

Finally, graceful aging means finding a balance between acceptance of the inevitability of aging and doing what we can to remain vital and healthy as long as possible. Once again, we emphasize the importance of relaxing. Acceptance involves relaxation into life and the ability to flow with change. When we are relaxed, we stop fighting the inevitable. At the same time, relaxation is a key to better health and greater vitality.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Psychologist Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation"¹ and his subsequent book, Motivation and Personality.² This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to other needs.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is most often displayed as a pyramid. The lowest levels of the pyramid are made up of the most basic needs, while the more complex needs are located at the top of the pyramid. Needs at the bottom of the pyramid are basic physical requirements including the need for food, water, sleep and warmth. Once these lower-level needs have been met, people can move on to the next level of needs, which are for safety and security.

As people progress up the pyramid, needs become increasingly psychological and social. Soon, the need for love, friendship and intimacy become important. Further up the pyramid, the need for personal esteem and feelings of accomplishment take priority. Like Carl Rogers, Maslow emphasized the importance of self-actualization, which is a process of growing and developing as a person to achieve individual potential.

Types of Needs

Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in motivating behavior. Physiological, security, social, and esteem needs are deficiency needs (also known as D-needs), meaning that these needs arise due to deprivation. Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid unpleasant feelings or consequences.

Maslow termed the highest-level of the pyramid as growth needs (also known as being needs or B-needs). Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather from a desire to grow as a person.

Five Levels of the Hierarchy of Needs

There are five different levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

1. Physiological Needs
   These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need for water, air, food and sleep. Maslow believed that these needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met.
2. Security Needs
   These include needs for safety and security. Security needs are important for survival, but they are not as demanding as the physiological needs. Examples of security needs include a desire for steady employment, health insurance, safe neighborhoods and shelter from the environment.
3. Social Needs
   These include needs for belonging, love and affection. Maslow considered these needs to be less basic than physiological and security needs. Relationships such as friendships, romantic attachments and families help fulfill this need for companionship and acceptance, as does involvement in social, community or religious groups.
4. Esteem Needs
   After the first three needs have been satisfied, esteem needs becomes increasingly important. These include the need for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment.
5. Self-actualizing Needs
   This is the highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested fulfilling their potential.