The Need to Revise Assumptions about the End of Life: Implications for Social Work Practice

During the 20th century the experience of dying changed dramatically. At the beginning of the 1900s, dying and death were integral parts of the life experience of most people at any age. Many deaths occurred at home following a short course of illness largely unaffected by the limited medical care available. At the beginning of the 21st century, in many cases, the process of dying has become invisible. Today, most deaths occur in old age. …