In a new study, researchers have revealed the key characteristics of a “good death.”

They focused on the views of the patients themselves, family members — who were quizzed before or during bereavement — and healthcare providers.

They identified 11 core themes of a good death, which included a choice of a specific process while dying, being free of pain and with the appropriate religious or spiritual rituals they wanted.

The other key characteristics included dying with a sense of emotional well-being, passing away with dignity and feeling as though one has “completed” one’s life. The study was published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. It comes after a shocking report revealed thousands of British patients are routinely being left dehydrated and in pain during their final hours.

Another study recently urged doctors to send cancer patients home to die, as this may give them a few extra days of life.

The University of Tsukuba study found people given between two and eight weeks to live survived 36 days at home, but only 29 in hospital.

Often, people prefer to spend their final days at home but end up dying in hospital because doctors do not want them to leave, researchers said.

From floating in space to being administered a fatal dose of morphine, Reddit users share how they would like to die.

“I want a meteor to kill me,” one user called Turd Burgleson wrote. Another user called “themoosehatguy” said, “Floating in a space suit while looking down at the earth. One last good view.”

One patient, a recent cancer survivor, said, “When it gets to the point that I can no longer care for myself, I want my significant other to crawl into bed with me and administer a lethal dose of morphine.

“We have fallen asleep with his arm around me and my head on his shoulder every night of our long relationship. He held me this way during the long nights after chemo, and I felt as if it was the safest place in the world. That is where I want to die.”

在一项新研究中，研究人员揭示了“善终”的几个关键词。

他们针对病人、丧亲前后的家属和医护人员做了问卷调查。

通过调查，研究人员确定了“善终”的11个核心主题，包括临终选择的流程 — 没有痛苦地死去以及举行自己想要的适当的宗教或心灵仪式。

其他的核心主题包括怀着幸福感死去、有尊严地死去以及感到人生圆满。该研究发表在《美国老年精神病学期刊》上。

一份令人震惊的报告披露成千上万的英国病人临死时常规性地处于脱水和痛苦的状态。

此前另一项研究敦促医生让癌症病人回家等死，因为这样也许能让他们多活几天。

日本筑波大学的研究发现，被医生诊断还能活两到八周的病人在家休养可以活36

天，在医院治疗只能活29天。

研究人员称，人们通常更愿意在家度过最后的时光，但由于医生不同意往往死在医院。

从漂浮在太空到服下致命剂量的吗啡，社交新闻网站Reddit的用户们分享了自己想要的死法。

一位名叫特德•巴格尔森的用户写道：“我希望被流星击中。”

另一位名为“驼鹿帽男人”的用户写道：“穿着航天服漂浮在太空中俯视地球。最后好好看一眼。”

一位近日战胜癌症的幸存者说：“如果我不能再照顾自己，我希望另一半能躺在我身旁给我注射致命剂量的吗啡。

“在多年的夫妻岁月中，每天晚上我都是在他的臂弯中，枕着他的肩膀睡着的。

“化疗后的一个个漫漫长夜里，他也是这么抱着我睡觉的，我觉得那是世界上最安全的地方。我希望就这样死去。”

Words to Learn 相关词汇

   【丧亲】sàngqīn bereavement state of sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one

    【老年医学】lǎonián yīyué geriatric a branch of medicine that deals with the problems and diseases of old age and aging people