What you would consider a “good death” to be? A very difficult and complex question and I am wondering is death ever good? I suppose each person may have a different view. In my opinion, I will consider as a “good death” a death with a minimum amount of physical suffering and a minimal loss of dignity. I believe that the quality of the living years is more important than the quantity. This kind of deaths has fewer implications not only for the person but the families as well. Knowing that a family member of mine or a friend has a life threatening illness or is suffering from long term pain would be devastating. As we have said, though, to the seminar about the chronic illness experience, we should show strength and learn how to live with our illness or help a close-to-us person to deal with the problem and carry on. As I am writing, I am thinking the question for another aspect. A “good death” might be a death of a person, who is not alone, has fulfilled his/ her aspirations and goals and feels grateful for his/ her life.
"A good death depends on one's society and culture" (Walter, 2003). Walter states further that in our society a good death stands for making one's own choices about how to live and die.
I very much agree on your last few sentences as I also think that a "good death" is defined by more aspects than a high level of personal authority: being able to look back on a fulfilled life and not being alone seems to apply to more than one society or culture.
What I found particularly interesting from the reading is how societies have evolved to be more individualistic, giving the patient more 'autonomy' when it comes to death-related decisions. But also religion places a massive emphasis on death, and I didn't know that Hindus preferred to die on the floor! It just shows how culturally/religiously aware medical staff need to be when trying to meet the needs of patients.
From an Islamic perspective however, much emphasis is made to always remember death during life, resulting not only in living one's life to the 'full', but almost being prepared for the moment death does happen. With the strong belief in the afterlife, and this life only being a 'test', Muslims would consider a good death being one where the testimony of faith is recited as their last words (la ilaha illa allah... just movement of the tongue needed to say it, so not much effort), and as a result it is said paradise would be guaranteed for them. Having family present to urge them to recite it would be beneficial, and it is said that suffering in this world increases reward in the Hereafter. Also Muslims don't really ask about how the death itself went, but rather if they were a good person when alive. So from this perspective, a good death, regardless of how long or painful it is, is good when only a few words are recited before death.
As Marina said, I think a good death impacts the family too. From my own experience, the death of someone that feels unfair or unjust because they have died in a painful way makes it harder to accept.
I found the paper by Walter really interesting, highlighting the role of societal norms and increasing individualism. Although he describes how this increasingness of slow degenerative death is harder to accept by our society, I think that this is not always the case. One that is unexpected and at a young age is more difficult to accept than an elderly person for whom death has been expected for months/years. In the latter case, people often console themselves saying that "at least they are at peace now".
Death has been so medicalised now that a quick, painful death is seen as unjust, and possibly more of a shock than say the Middle ages.
