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| ▲ Necessity of Hospices. Provided by adsoftheword.com. | ||
Death eventually approaches everyone; ironically, however, most people experience a vague and even irrational fear of dying. This anxiety mainly has to do with the perception of death as a sudden occurrence, thereby having to leave all loved ones and belongings behind when confronted. Recently, though, a social phenomenon in the name of Well Dying has come to the fore. Through this new trend of Well Dying, a notable number of people are literally preparing to die, so that the actual encounter of death would not be so abrupt, but rather peaceful and calm.
The term dying is synonymous with living; as we continue on with our lives, we are simultaneously facing death closer and closer,” explained Lim Byung Sik (President of Korea Thanatology Association). In other words, preparing to die well is in direct relation with living well, and carrying on a purposeful life. Utilizing the concept of backward thinking by Martin Heidegger, a renowned German philosopher, Well Dying brings about a future event (death) into presence, establishing our priorities on the hypothesis that we would come face-to-face with death in a near time.
Well Dying: Why is it Necessary?
Well Dying, in a narrow sense, is a term that refers to the social trend of preparing to confront death in a calm and dignified manner, utilizing the method of educating and assisting the older generations with appropriate programs, palliative care, or hospices. In a broader perspective, however, Well Dying encompasses a wider range of significance: discovering the authentic and intrinsic worth of one’s own life. “Though most people may have witnessed death at some period of time within their lives, no one has ever experienced that of their own,” explained Lim.
To elaborate, the passing of others, to an individual, is merely embraced as an inauthentic event, where one cannot truly sympathize. That is, the incapability of being able to face their own death restrains most people from questioning themselves on the essence of their existence. Seeking Well Dying, on the other hand, provokes people to reflect and deliberate on the quality and value of their own lives, by assuming that they, in the near future, will encounter a passing of their own. “This reflection of pondering upon the purpose of our lives is precisely why Well Dying is necessary,” added Lim.
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Calculating the Quality of Death
Along the same line as this social interest in Well Dying, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a research and consulting agency affiliated with The Economist, conducted the “2015 Quality of Death Index”, a measure of the quality of palliative care in 80 countries around the world. This index particularly aroused the public’s attention, in that it could serve as an effective measurement for calculating the quality of death. Its ranking consists of mainly four compositions: comprehensive national policies, extensive integration of palliative care into the National Health Service, strong hospice movement, and deep community engagement on the issue.
South Korea, meanwhile, ranked 18th in the research, a noticeable growth compared to its 32nd place out of 40 countries in the “2010 Quality of Death Index.” Limitations do exist, such as solely centering on the availability and quality of palliate care and medical treatment regarding the physical well-being, while neglecting the psychological and spiritual cares. Even taking these into account, however, the significance of the research is still undeniable, in that South Korea has finally initiated upon increasing the overall rate of Well Dying among their citizens.
Commendable Countries to Die in
The countries that occupied the upper ranks were clustered around European countries, with the United Kingdom (UK) ranking first place, followed by Australia and New Zealand in second and third place. From this result, it could be inferred that wealthy countries were more prone to providing the opportunities for Well Dying. This is because higher income levels generally lead to higher quality and availability of medical care.
“These countries, which were highly rated when measuring the quality of death, withhold the similarity of having keen scholarly interest in thanatology, a study of death,” said Lim. Thanatology is a scientific study of death, which investigates the mechanisms and forensic aspects of death, as well as educating the public of how to prepare and encounter death in a proper manner. It also examines other wider aspects concerning death, such as the psychological and social backgrounds that accompany the passing away of an individual.
“Thanatology, ever since its introduction in England around the 1940s, has primarily been utilized in countries where Well Dying is firmly settled, regarding their welfare services,” added Lim. One of the examples includes hospices, which are special hospitals that deal with practical and emotional needs, as well as medical needs, for people whose remaining days are numbered. Adding on, death education programs aimed at the general public as a whole are also briskly being carried out.
South Korea: Endeavoring to Die Well
It seems that South Korea, too, is keeping in track with this rise in Well Dying as a social phenomenon. In fact, a significant number of local autonomous entities are carrying out numerous programs of death preparation, and the central government is also establishing new laws aimed at the overall enhancement of the public’s Well Dying. One such law is the so-called “End of Life Care Decision Law,” a legislation that grants patients with the right to choose upon whether to receive lifeprolonging medical treatments or not.
This act was initially brought about on the basis of Jeremy Bentam’s Utilitarianism Ethics, where the greatest happiness is derived from benefiting the biggest number of people. “Meaningless prolongation treatment only leads to a waste of welfare budgets, since the spending could have been more efficiently utilized elsewhere,” Lim asserted. Besides, this pointlessness of merely prolonging life without consciousness leads people to introspect upon the true meaning of a human life.
Well Dying: Where to Head?
In another aspect, some have expressed concerns, in that the purpose of enacting “End of Life Care Decision Law” may not be fully carried out. This is because the patient’s decision may be aggravated by his or her family; in other words, although the patient is willing to receive adequate treatments, patients may cease to accept cures, just so that they would put fewer burdens on their family. Adding on, artificially determining a person’s life could lead to distaining the value of one’s life.
Nevertheless, the fact that numerous countries, including South Korea, are endeavoring to maximize the value of Well Dying among their citizens should highly be regarded. Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, once said, “Discovering the purpose, the value of one’s life, is far stronger than faith; I constantly urged myself to survive by searching for the qualities, the meaning of my life as a human being.” Here in Frankl’s words, the crucial significance of Well Dying could be found; striving to live well through the eye of death.
Kim Hye Ri
dnflehdtod3@korea.ac.kr