Facing Death Write a page for each statement. The Last Dance: Encountering Death and Dying, 8th edition, 2009. Lynne DeSpelder. Chapters 7 & 8. 1. Identify the financial, personal, social, and psychological costs of life-threatening illness. 2. Describe the possible reactions of the patient, friends, and family to news of a life-threatening diagnosis. 3. Define the purpose of the funeral, and assess current funeral practices in light of that definition. 4. Describe the psychosocial functions of death notification and funeral rites. Identify how these social activities fulfill the psychological needs of the bereaved.