BMJ 2000;320:1205 ( 29 April )

Letters

A good death

    Sharing control in death: the role of an "amicus mortis"
    Research on dying is scanty
    Quality of death can be measured outside hospices
    Principles of palliative care are yet to be applied in acute hospitals
    Care pathway in Wales aims to improve care of dying patients

Sharing control in death: the role of an "amicus mortis"

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR---May I offer one further ingredient to a good death as discussed by Smith in his editorial1---having an "amicus mortis," a friend at death. Most items on his list of principles use the word control or imply it, yet the very process of death entails losing control. Control of strong drugs is especially difficult for the one who is dying. An amicus mortis makes it easy. I wrote the following within days of my wife's death from cancer four years ago, and it was read at her funeral.

"Towards the end I was given the privilege of care. I don't want to belittle the role of the care team. None the less, I was the lucky one in charge, especially at night, and my task was an easy one, aided by small doses of morphine towards the end.

"She had no pain, no distress, no loss of . . . [Full text of this article]
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Relevant Articles

Key challenges and ways forward in researching the "good death": qualitative in-depth interview and focus group study
Marilyn Kendall, Fiona Harris, Kirsty Boyd, Aziz Sheikh, Scott A Murray, Duncan Brown, Ian Mallinson, Nora Kearney, and Allison Worth
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A good death
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Kendall, M., Harris, F., Boyd, K., Sheikh, A., Murray, S. A, Brown, D., Mallinson, I., Kearney, N., Worth, A. (2007). Key challenges and ways forward in researching the "good death": qualitative in-depth interview and focus group study. BMJ 334: 521-521 [Abstract] [Full text]  
  • Kehl, K. A. (2006). Moving Toward Peace: An Analysis of the Concept of a Good Death. AM J HOSP PALLIAT CARE 23: 277-286 [Abstract]  
  • Jubb, A M (2002). Palliative care research: trading ethics for an evidence base. J. Med. Ethics 28: 342-346 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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