A Good Death is A Peaceful Death

Sjaak van der Geest Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam studied what residents in Kwahu-Tafo, a rural town in Southern Ghana, considered to be a Good Death.

For the Southern Ghanaians the characteristics of a Good Death included:

• A good death was a peaceful death.
• "Peaceful" in this community meant:
  • The dying person had finished up all of his or her business.
  • The dying person had made peace with others before his or her death.
  • The dying person was at peace with his or her own death.

• A good death is one that does not occurs as a result of:
  • Violence
  • Accident
  • Fearsome disease
  • Foul means (play)

• A good death is one that occurs without much pain.
• A good death comes naturally after a long and well-spent life.
• A good death takes place in the home, surrounded by children and grandchildren.
• A good death is a death which is accepted by the relatives.

For these residents of this rural community in Ghana the epitome of a Good Death is a peaceful one that occurs at home, surrounded by children and grandchildren.

Common Requirements of a Good Death
Their requirements of a Good Death are very similar to those wished for by people in the United States, or in the United Kingdom. Perhaps there are some common characteristics of a good death that defy many cultural and national boundaries.

Source:
Van der Geest, S. Dying peacefully: considering good death and bad death in Kwahu-Tafo, Ghana. Social science & medicine 58:55, 899-911. March 2004. 8 November 2006.