Social acceptance of death and its implication for end-of-life care.

The social process that leads to the loneliness of the dying in our days has been theorized. However, social acceptance of death also influences healthcare professionals' attitudes towards death. Thus, healthcare professionals' own attitudes may affect the end-of-life care given to dying individuals and their families. The social patterns of death may contribute to the healthcare professionals' negative attitudes towards death. The concept of dignified death has been linked to the notion of humanization of healthcare. Death should be approached from a more naturalistic perspective by healthcare professionals, healthcare and academic institutions.