Today, only a small minority of canadians typically those who are in advanced old age or who are gravely or terminally ill die in their own homes. Simply listening and being supportive is a wise course of action. We parcel thoughts about death and dying into a mental file cabinet to be opened later in life, along with terms like retirement, old age security, and varicose veins. But death can occur at any age by accident, violence, or illness. We can also be affected deeply at any stage of life through the deaths of others. Denial of death is deeply embedded in our culture. L01: define death and dying, and evaluate views on stages of dying. Death is commonly defined as the cessation of life. Many people think of death as a part of life, but death is the termination of life and not a part of life.