Final answer:
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross identified five stages of grief that individuals typically experience before dying: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not everyone goes through these stages in the same way or at all, and hospice care offers support during this process by providing comfort and pain management in a non-hospital environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, individuals facing the prospect of death tend to go through five stages of grief. These stages include:
- Denial: A state where the individual refuses to accept the reality of death, often thinking "This cannot be happening to me."
- Anger: This stage is marked by feelings of frustration and rage about their impending death, perceiving it as unfair and unjust.
- Bargaining: At this point, individuals may attempt to negotiate with a higher power or promise to make significant life changes in hopes of delaying the inevitable.
- Depression: A profound sense of sadness prevails as the person begins to confront the impending end of life.
- Acceptance: Ultimately, the individual comes to terms with their mortality and may experience a sense of peace in recognizing death as a natural part of life.
Not everyone experiences these stages in the same order or at all, and they can manifest differently from person to person. The objective of hospice care is to support individuals in the terminal phases of illness by providing comprehensive comfort, pain management, and dignity outside of the hospital setting. Hospice care aligns with the stage of acceptance, but it can also provide support through the other stages of grief.