Introduction
The meaning that people give to life and death affect how they conduct their lives and see death when it occurs. Death has an impact on the way people live. People who have been in a long relationship and family members can be affected by the death of their loved ones and need assistance to deal with the loss.
According to Epstein (1), people often feel they have lost the person physical and spiritually. This paper discusses how the different ways in which our everyday encounters with death are mediated.
Different ways in which our everyday encounters with death are mediated
Mediation can be in the form of religion. Hockings (9) states that Buddhists prepare for death when living. The state of mind plays an important role at the time of death. Those who spend time thinking about death have a likelihood of approaching death with calmness.
Death can occur at any time in one’s life. Buddhists meditate about own death and the death of others. They meditate on the death of those close to them while noting the feelings of death.
The meditation helps them deal with the loss of their loved ones when it happens. When they are aware that they will die, they maximize on living in the present as they await death.
Everyday encounters with death are mediated with counseling. Encounter with death causes people to become emotional. Emotions range from anger, revenge, remorse, guilt and regret, among others.
Counseling enables people deal with the loss and resolve pending issues. The counselor gives counsel on death before it happens. The counselor assists the aggrieved deal with social issues that emerge as well as psychological issues.
The counselor prepares to assist the grieved with unresolved issues that emerge after the loss. According to Epstein (1), counseling is preferred since the legal system is viewed as victimizing by those grieving.
Communication is a way of mediation. Making people understand the reality is necessary. Talking to people who have come close to death may give one a different perspective on life.
Those who have experienced being close to death claim to have felt calm, separated from the body, seen others who died, seen beautiful environment and returned. According to Hockings (20), near death experiences make those who experience it not to fear death and see life as important.
Counseling can be effective in mediating a case of sudden death and wrongful death. Wrongful death implies the loss of a child. The victims of sudden death have difficulties predicting the implications of the loss.
Their capability is tested and may seem unsettled. The grieving person is usually in a state of shock, denies the reality and then becomes angry. Thereafter, they begin bargaining and recalling what happened.
The aggrieved goes into depression before finally accepting death. Epstein (1) notes that in the case of anticipated death, the aggrieved has increased ability to cope with the changes that happen.
Remembering the life and times spent with the dead is a mediation process. Speaking of their success is a significant part of the healing process of the aggrieved. Mediating enables spiritual healing that is important for the aggrieved to be able to live. The loss of a close person changes a person’s perspective about life and death.
Mediation can be in form of medical intervention. The medical professionals have a duty to save the life of patients. They offer intervention where critical patients of accidents and terminally ill patients end up gaining health and living again. The patient’s attitude and perspective towards life changes after their death is mediated.
Hoffmann (1) notes that law and bioethics have been used in mediation. Patients, relatives and medical experts may differ in the choice of medical intervention that a patient will require to live. The courts have handled a number of disputes concerning death. Mediation has been based on bioethics.
Legal action is often the last result and often protects those who cannot speak for themselves (Silverstone 15). It is costly and can take long. When a lot of time is consumed, the patient may end up losing their life if they required urgent medical intervention.
Court cases can be challenging if personal issues and family problems hinder the mediation process. Moreover, court cases are likely to become public. Publicity may invite political interference and the process of mediation may become challenging.
Consequently, inability to keep matters private may cause further disputes within the family. Mediation in the family will involve the use of a mediator to deal with the individual family members and to make them realize their role as well as meaning in life and death (Stoller 3).
According to Noll (1), mediation helps people deal with the emotions that come with death. Events following death may be traumatic to the members of a family and a mediator would enable the people deal with the loss by initiating a conference. The aim of the conference is to assist people come to terms with reality and accept death has occurred.
Moreover, a conference with a mediator would help the individual to deal with personal issues. The conference can be effective in creating peace and resolving disputes that have remained unresolved.
The mediator individually meets the parties and discusses the events with an aim of assisting them realize the importance of restoring healthy relationships, while appreciating the existence of life and death.
The hospital ethical committee can be viewed as another way of mediating death. Stoller (3) reveals that the ethical committee in the hospital can meet while excluding the patient and the patient’s relatives. The committee consists of the medical team, the social workers and board member.
The course of medical intervention is discussed in the absence of the patient and the patient’s relatives. The decision on the heath and consequently life is made by the committee. The committee risks to be biased and may make a decision while avoiding litigation.
Another way of mediating is the use of an arbitration ethics committee. The arbitration ethics committee listens to the ethics committee on one hand and the patient, together with their family on the other hand. The decision taken by the arbitration ethics committee is adopted.
The treatment of the patient in hospital is ongoing and the relationship of the patient and the medical staff may be affected. The relationship is delicate and is guarded so that the patient does not loose trust in the medical staff.
Bioethical mediation is one of the ways our everyday encounters with death are mediated. The mediators, concerned medical staff, the relatives of the patient or the patient, assemble for the mediation.
The mediators who are neutral assist the parties make the conversation and help them create their own solutions. Mediation considers the contributions of different parties and helps maintain trust and healthy relationship between the patient, patient’s relatives and the medical team.
Disputes can be effectively resolved without aggression. Misunderstandings are clarified and enable the family of the patient make contributions. The process of mediation takes a shorter time than litigation.
Hernderson (17) notes that mediation could occur after the brain of a human being dies. There is a possibility that the human being could receive intervention after brain death.
The criterion used in medicine to pronounce death is after death of the brain is unsound. Medical practitioners who obtain organs for donation after brain death is pronounced are actually the cause of death. Brain death fall shorts of the biological notion of death.
Mediation at near death situation makes an individual develop a different perspective about life and death. According to Hockings (21), those who came close to death emphasize that they do not fear death and that life has a meaning for them.
Conclusion
Our everyday encounters with death are mediated by experiences of those who come close to death in accidents and are given medical assistance and remain alive. Buddhist religion tells believers to meditate on own death and that of loved ones to attain calmness when death comes.
Counseling for patients and family on death is also effective. Mediation happens for patients, family and medical teams in hospital on the illness and decision making for the patient. Ligation for cases concerning death is another way mediation occurs.
Counseling enables the aggrieved deal with loss and resolve unresolved issues and disputes. Those who come close to death give meaning to life and are not afraid of death.
Works Cited
Epstein, Joe. Mediating wrongful death cases. 2006. Web.
Hernderson, David Scott. Rethinking and donation: Mediating Death at the end of life in the wake of brain death’s failing, 2009. Web.
Hockings, Javier. Living with Death and Dying. Hope J: Gale Centre Publications, 1998.
Hoffmann, Diane. Mediating life and Death Decisions, 1994. Web.
Noll, Douglas. Mediating the Aftermath of Terri Schiavo’s Death. 2005. Web.
Silverstone, Roger. Complicity and Collusion in the Mediation of Everyday Life, 2002. Web.
Stoller, Sarah. Mediating in healthcare Context: challenges and Responses, 2008. Web.