The Social Nature of Dying and the Social Model of Health

This chapter outlines the reasons to believe that dying is a predominantly social experience and that a predominantly social model for its care is both logical and essential. Themes for the major research traditions studying dying are summarized. This is followed by an explanation of the 95% rule—time spent by dying people outside of the formal healthcare encounter. The next sections describe how a public health palliative care approach is a quintessential social model of palliative care suitable and relevant to today’s experience of dying and its care. This model places both the social experience and the pursuit of health and well-being at the heart of its approach.