GERO 406: Death and Dying

For further assistance with your assignment, ask at the Belzberg Library Reference Desk or contact Nina Smart, Liaison Librarian for Gerontology (778.782.5043 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) or nsmart@sfu.caMonday to Thursday.

Course description

 

"The focus of this course is to provide the student with an in-depth understanding of the process of dying. By examining the process of dying, one's personal response to death as well as society's reaction and responsibilities toward dying, the student will gain new insights in caring for the dying person.." [Note: for more information see the GERO 406 course outline and page in Canvas. If there are discrepancies between  information listed on this page and that in Canvas or instructor handouts, please refer to the latter.]

Term paper (finding articles and books)

Researching and writing an essay

Start your research here 
Follow this SFU guide to researching and writing a term paper.  

Do you already have a good article (HINT: as in a reading from a module in Canvas) and want more? Try citation pearl-growing, as shown on this Youtube tutorial either using an EBSCO database like Ageline right below or using Google Scholar

Finding journal articles

Ageline 
the major social gerontology database.Guide:  An Introduction to the Ageline database

CINAHL Complete 
Nursing and allied health (sample subject term: Terminal Care)

Philosopher's Index 
(sample subject term: Assisted Suicide; Palliative Care; End of Life)

Sociological Abstracts 
major sociology database 

You can also browse a major journal in the area such as  Omega: journal of death and dying or Death studies

Finding books

Reference sources - handbooks and encyclopedias
for an overview of concepts and terms

Macmillan encyclopedia of death and dying [online
for understanding concepts

Handbook of family resilience [online
See part 4: Resilience, Loss and Grief

Handbook of thanatology: the essential body of knowledge for the study of death, dying, and bereavement [online]

Other titles

  • Dying and Death in Canada [online]
  • What dying people want: practical wisdom for the end of life [print]
     
  • Canadian health law and policy [print] Chapter 9 "Death dying and decision-making about end of life care" includes relevant cases
    [coming soon: MEDICAL LAW IN CANADA 2020]
  • Death: Current perspectives [print]
  • Death, dying and Canadian families [online]
  • Dying and death in Canada [online]
  • End of Life Care: a national dialogue [online]
  • End of Life Stories [online]
  • Older Adult’s Views on Death [online]
  • End-of-life decision-making report from Royal Society of Canada
  • World of Bereavement: Cultural Perspectives on Death in Families [online]

Presentation links

Giving Effective Presentations
SFU guide providing detailed instruction on how to succeed in university presentations

How to Give a Short Presentation Competently
describing  "how to create an Awesome presentation"

Sites

Beware the 5 Stages of Grief 
TLC Group

The Canadian Law Reform Commission’s definition of death (1979)

Compassion and Choices 
"a nonprofit organization, improves care and expand choice at the end of life. We support, educate and advocate." (U.S.)

Dealing with Sudden Death
 (Help Starts Here) BC Ministry of Justice

Death with Dignity Act 
(Oregon)

The Definition of Death 
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Discussion paper on a provincial strategy for end-of-life care in British Columbia British Columbia 
BC Ministry of Health Services

Dying with Dignity 
"improve quality of dying and to expand end of life choices in Canada"

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide 
overview from the Library of Parliament, Canada

Meaning of Life and Meaning of Death in Successful Aging 
Paul Wong, International Network on Personal Meaning

Of Life and Death - Final Report 
the Special Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Medical assistance in dying: Overview F\ Government   

Provincial Framework for End-of-Life Care 
BC Ministry of Health Services

Quality of Death: Ranking end-of-life care across the world 
Economist Intelligence Unit

Quality End-of-Life Care: The Right of Every Canadian 
Senate of Canada

Medical assistance in dying: Overview
Government of Canada

Palliative Care and Hospice Associations

Canada

BC Centre for Palliative Care 
"advance care planning and serious illness conversations, integration of a palliative approach to care, and building Compassionate Communities"

BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
"to ensure quality of care for British Columbians faced with a life-threatening illness, death and bereavement"

Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA)
 "That all Canadians have access to quality end-of-life care"

Canadian Virtual Hospice 
information and support on hospice and end-of-life care, loss and grief

Delta Hospice Society 
selection of pamphlets

United States

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 
(AAHPM) - The professional organization for physicians taking care of people at the end of life

Caring Community 
resources, publications, and advocacy 

Center to Advance Palliative Care 
"provides clear, comprehensive palliative care information for people coping with serious illness"

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

International

European Association for Palliative Care 
"to act as a focus for all of those who work, or have an interest, in the field of palliative care"

International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care 
providing education about palliative care and hospice in the developing world
 

Statistics

Statistics Canada

Deaths and age-specific mortality rates, by selected grouped causes 
Leading Causes of Death 
Life Expectancy and deaths 

Statistical Reports on Deaths in British Columbia
BC Coroners Service

Leading Causes of Death and Hospitalization in Canada  
Public Health Agency of Canada
 

Other sites

Death and Culture 
Wikipedia entry

Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross 
official site

Human Mortality Database 
providing detailed mortality and population data (requires registration)

LGBT End-of-Life Conversations 
Gerontology Research Centre (SFU)

Longevity Game 
find out how long actuaries think you will live

Palliative Care Coalition of Canada 
(PCCC) "The National Voice for Hospice Palliative Care in Canada"

Right to Die Society of Canada [updated 2021...]

What Every Funeral Director Needs to Know About Green Funerals: A Handbook for Funeral Directors 
by the Green Burial Council