Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life Research Paper

Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life - Research Paper Example Death is not a feared and neither does it worry these people. This is because in several these people, death is generally embraced and besides, others celebrate its occurrence. It is of paramount importance to note that the same way other events taking place among the Hispanics are treated as family affairs, death of individuals is similarly viewed as a family issue, and all family members are always involved irrespective of their religions. In the funeral homes that specialize in their burial ceremonies, several families bring clothes as well as dresses to the departed, while a good number of them prepare the hair of the deceased by stitching it. In addition, inside the casket is lined with fabrics and the photos of Virgin Mary are pinned in the casket, moreover, Rosaries together with jewelry, books, as well as poems are also included. A wake generally takes place just before the commencement of the funeral, which is a social event whereby time is taken in order to recall the good times the family members had with the deceased. It is very hard for Hispanics to donate the bodies of the deceased or their organs in the event of death. They are usually not willing to donate based on their religious beliefs, as they believe that an individual cannot make to heaven when some parts of his body are lacking. The rights conducted before death of an individual entails anointing the sick person and confession of sins by the individual who is dying. Besides, absolution is also conducted and a prayer as well as communion is offered to the individual, and after all these, the individual is blessed. During the death of an individual, another person must be with him or her until he dies; this is to make sure that the death does not occur when the individual is alone. They always insist that a person who is on the deathbed has company. The devotion as well as care provided by these people cannot be compared with any other culture. During the final moments of an individual, he/ she receives utmost love and care (Van, & Meleis, 2003). Burial arrangement usually commences after the demise of a person and it starts with the wake. During the wake, the family of the departed person will sit the departed’s body just to provide the dead with company. The wake is very important for these people. The family gathers just to recall the good times they had with the departed. As the wake goes on, several people will play cards. Usually, individuals are served with food as well as drinks (Cuevas, n.d). During the funeral, which priests conduct, individuals pay final respect to the departed person. People usually speak their thoughts as they also bid goodbye to the departed. In several cases, personal effects are placed into the casket together with the departed individual. Hispanics represent a huge array of cultures who may be immigrants from countries that are culturally diverse like Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Per u. Because there is no one culture for the Hispanic, there may be variations in the manner in which grieving as well as bereavement are carried out. The Hispanics usually value and have respect for those in their deathbed. In the Hispanic culture, entire families are always involved when critical life decisions are made, as they usually have very strict hierarchies in their families and these have to be honored