Dying process and needs of dying persons.

The thesis studies the process of dying with a special focus on the needs of dying persons, aiming to provide a complete outline of typical needs. The first section compares and contrasts the process of dying in the past and the present, identifies the stages of the dying process and addresses the psychological issues of hope and human dignity. The next section clearly outlines the needs of dying persons, in particular it discusses the issues of pain management, conversations about truth, accompanying a dying person and understanding the meaning of life and suffering. In order to see how these needs are met, the thesis looks at hospice care, in comparison to euthanasia requested by the ill person