Death and dying
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| 3 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown.
Summary
How has the way society handles death changed over time? Where do most people die and who delivers care to dying people? Has palliative care radically transformed end-of-life care for all dying people? What are the ethical dilemmas that make decisions about care at the end-of-life so complex and how helpful are theoretical explanations about grief to bereaved people? This course considers these and other questions that concern all issues of death, dying and disposal practices. It was completely rewritten for 2009 and is relevant to people working in death and dying and those with an interest in this fascinating topic.
Course content
This fascinating course is underpinned by the following key themes:
- difference and diversity in attitudes and responses to death, dying, disposal and bereavement
- the rhetoric and reality of end-of-life care, and the limitations of care resources
- the extent to which death, dying and bereavement have become medicalised and professionalised
- the ethical nature of end-of -life decisions
- the social dimensions that impact upon experiences at the time of death and afterwards.
This course is divided into four blocks and the units in each block are equal to one week of study.
In Block 1– Society and death and dying you will consider how views of death have changed over time and the ways in which contemporary Western societies view and respond to death and dying. Central to this exploration is the extent to which public views and private experiences are in a dynamic relationship with each other. The rate, cause and place of death are illustrated through individual accounts that highlight the realities beneath the statistics for both service users and providers.
In Block 2 – End-of-life care in practice you will explore the ways in which the hospice movement has achieved its goals in providing good quality end-of-life care to all who need it and the challenges to this goal. You will also consider where care takes place and the role of carers in providing end-of-life care at home. The block also offers a critique of the theories that underpin communication and considers its central role at the end of life and after death.
Block 3 – Grief and bereavement keeps bereavement and mourning practices as its central theme to examine grief in different contexts. The block begins with a critique of theories of grief and moves on to explore experiences of individual and collective grief before considering the ways in which death is memorialised and commemorated and how this in turn contributes to the way that death is framed in society.
Block 4 – Decision making at end of life takes an ethical view of many of the decisions that face people at the end of life. You will be introduced to ethical theories that play a significant role in these decisions and consider adults’ and children’s rights at the end of life. As with the previous three blocks the study material is enriched by experiential case studies that provide the real context in which you can explore such issues and challenges.
The relevance of these ideas to reality is central to this course.
Entry
The course does not assume that you have done any study or had any experience beyond that which we all have in our lives: exposure to death, dying and bereavement. Our Level 1 course An introduction to health and social care (K101) (or the discontinued courses K100 or KZX100) would be ideal preparation.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
On a more personal level, the course authors and tutors are greatly concerned to support students in sensitive aspects of the subject of death and dying, but please remember that your tutor is not there to help you with bereavement. The course cannot fulfil that function, though we hope that this will not deter dying or bereaved people from taking the course.
Preparatory work
You will receive guidance of how to get started online in your first course mailing. This will provide you with information on using your computer for OU study and working with the Computing Guide. For example, it explains how to access and use your course website and online discussion forums. If you have time before the course starts, you can work through this and explore all the online services available to you.
Qualifications
K260 is an optional course in our
- Diploma in Health and Social Care (D10)
- Diploma of Higher Education in Health and Social Care (E40)
- Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care (G05)
- Foundation Degree in Counselling (G14)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Health and Social Care (B18)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Health Studies (B17)
- BA (Honours) Social Work (England) (B32)
- BA (Honours) Social Work (Scotland) (B41)
- BA (Honours) Social Work (Wales) (B42)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Nursing Studies (B47)
- BA (Honours) Social Work (Scotland) (B50) (graduate entry route)
- BSc (Honours) Nursing Practice (B53)
- BA (Honours) Social Work Studies (B59)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Large print versions of the course materials can be provided on request. The printed course material is available in a comb-bound format. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. A digitally recorded audio version will be available from February 2010. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, a DVD and CDs. You will have access to a course website through which teaching and library resources are available. Electronic versions of most of the printed course materials are provided on the course website.
You will need
A DVD/CD player.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Earle, S, Komaromy, C & Bartholomew, C (eds) Death and Dying: A Reader, Sage £20.99 - ISBN 9781847875105
- Earle, S, Bartholomew, C & Komaromy, C (eds) Making Sense of Death, Dying and Bereavement: An Anthology, Sage £19.99 - ISBN 9781847875129
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
The end-of-course assessment (ECA) must be submitted on paper. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all.
Professional recognition
This course can make a significant contribution to the continuing professional development of nursing practitioners. This is also one of a set of courses that together constitute an approved programme that leads to a DipSW qualification or our social work degrees. It may also help you to gain recognition from a professional body. This course has been mapped against the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework. It has also been mapped to the Core Competencies for End of Life Care which support the National End of Life Care Strategy.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2011. We expect it to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities, Health and Social Care and Science.
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