Why suicide? Elderly people who committed suicide and their experience of life in the period before their death

ABSTRACTBackground: The objective of this study is to acquire an understanding of the suicides among a group of elderly people by studying how they experienced their existence towards the end of life.Methods: This is a psychological autopsy study based on qualitative interviews with 63 informants in relation to 23 suicides committed by persons aged over 65 in Norway. Informants who knew the deceased persons well describe what the elderly person communicated to them about their experience of life in the period before the suicide and how they as informants saw and understood this. The informants comprise relatives, family doctors and home-based care nurses. The analysis of the interviews follows the systematic text condensation method.Results: The descriptions are divided into three main elements: the elderly persons' experiences of life, their perception of themselves, and their conceptions of death. “Experience of life” has two sub-topics: this life has been lived and life as a burden. Everything that had given value to their life had been lost and life was increasingly experienced as a burden. Their “perception of themselves” concerned losing oneself. Functional decline meant that they no longer had freedom of action and self-determination. “Conceptions of death” involve the following sub-topics: acknowledgement/acceptance and death is better than life. Life had entered into its final phase, and they seemed to accept death. For some time, many of them had expressed the wish to die.Conclusions: The results lead us to argue that their suicides should be considered as existential choices. The sum total of the different forms of strain had made life a burden they could no longer bear. Age meant that they were in a phase of life that entailed closeness to death, which they could also see as a relief.

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When elderly people give warning of suicide

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610212000312 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (9) ◽

pp. 1393-1401 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ildri Kjølseth ◽

Øivind Ekeberg

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

American Association ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

The Elderly ◽

Psychological Autopsy ◽

Autopsy Study ◽

Home Based ◽

Definition Of ◽

Home Based Care

ABSTRACTBackground: The study has a dual objective: (1) to investigate the extent to which, and how and to whom, elderly people gave warning (according to the definition of the term given by the American Association of Suicidology) prior to suicide; (2) to investigate how these warnings were perceived by the recipients of them, and what reactions the recipients had to the warnings.Methods: This is a psychological autopsy study based on qualitative interviews. Sixty-three informants were interviewed about 23 suicides by individuals aged over 65 in Norway. The informants comprised relatives, general practitioners (GPs) and home-based care nurses. In general, the analysis of the interviews follows the systematic text condensation method.Results: The interviews contained four main themes regarding reactions to the warnings: “not taken seriously,” “helplessness,” “exhaustion,” and “acceptance.” A total of 14 of the 23 elderly people gave warning before the suicides occurred. The warnings were given to relatives (11), home-based care nurses (5), and GPs (2).Conclusions: Even though more than half of the elderly people had given warning (most frequently to relatives) before the suicide, the warnings did not initiate preventive measures. Together with passive attitudes, the lack of recognition of both the risk of suicide and the opportunities for treatment prevented possible measures being implemented. The paper discusses the grounds for the reactions as well as how suicide warnings given by elderly people can be taken seriously.

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Home-based oral healthcare strategies of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia ◽

10.1590/1809-98232016019.160026 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 851-860 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandra Martins Ferreira Warmling ◽

Silvia Maria Azevedo dos Santos ◽

Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira de Mello

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Health Care ◽

Oral Health ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Oral Health Care ◽

University Graduates ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Home Based

Abstract Objective: To identify strategies used in the oral health care of elderly persons with Alzheimer's disease in the home. Method: an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach to collecting and analyzing data was performed. Data was collected through interviews with 30 caregivers and analyzed by the content analysis technique. Results: The majority of subjects were female, daughters of the elderly person, university graduates and aged 32-77 years. The strategies identified were grouped into categories according to the participation of the caregiver: does not participate in care actions or oral health assessments; reminds the elderly person about oral hygiene, demonstrates movements and assists with some procedures; directly carries out actions of care. Conclusion: The strategies employed are related to the degree of dependence of the elderly person, as the caregiver acts based on the need for oral health care and the difficulties in carrying out such care.

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Geriatric health related problems in an urban area of southern Rajasthan

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20194527 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (10) ◽

pp. 4545

Author(s):

Nitesh Mangal ◽

Dilip Kumar L. ◽

K. A. Varghese ◽

Meet Chauhan ◽

Matariswa Samanta

Keyword(s):

Urban Area ◽

Elderly People ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Elderly Male ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Chi Square Test

Background: There is a paradigm shift in the social values towards the elderly people due to urbanization and higher educational linked migration. Consequently, problems like loneliness, lack of emotional support, economic insecurities are faced by the elderly population. The objectives of the study were to assess the socio-economic dimensions and to examine the morbidity and mortality patterns of elderly persons in the study area.Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted among 536 elderly persons from May to August 2019 in an urban area of Udaipur. A pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic details, morbidity profile and socio-economic problems of elderly persons. The data was analyzed using class frequencies, ‘t’ test for equality of gender difference in mortality ages and Chi-square test for association of age class with morbidity.Results: A majority of study subjects were females (52.05%). There was significant difference in proportions of elderly male and female persons across their educational levels. The chi-square test for association of age classes with number of health problems revealed significant association. About 56.34% of 536 elderly people were leading an unsatisfactory life.Conclusions: The major morbidities included arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, cataract, dental problems, cardiovascular problems etc. Financial problems were more severe among elderly. The availability of trained paramedical professionals for home care and day care units and legal bindings on family members for safety and security of elderly person can be effective measures to overcome the problems being faced by them.

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Elderly Suicide in Finland

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610200006335 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 209-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Kristiina Pitkälä ◽

Erkki T. Isometsä ◽

Markus M. Henriksson ◽

Jouko K. Lönnqvist

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Suicide Prevention ◽

Health Care Services ◽

The Elderly ◽

Suicide Mortality ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Psychological Autopsy ◽

Autopsy Study ◽

Care Services ◽

Elderly Suicide

Suicide mortality among the elderly is high in most Western countries. We investigated the characteristics of suicide victims 65 years or older in a nationwide psychological autopsy study, the research phase of the National Suicide Prevention Project in Finland. This study population included all completed suicides (N = 1,397, of whom 211 were 65 years or older) that occurred in Finland during a 12-month research period in 1987-1988. The elderly suicide victims were found to have used violent suicide methods more often than the young. Although almost 70% of the elderly persons who had committed suicide had been in contact with health care services during the month before their death, their suicidal intentions were rarely communicated in these contacts. They had been referred to psychiatric services less often than the young, and only 8% had received adequate antidepressive medication. The fact that most elderly suicides have contact with health care services during their final month suggests a potential for suicide prevention. However, the major obstacle to this is the poor recognition of mental disorders and suicidal ideation among the elderly.

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The fabric of resilience among the elderly and the reinvention of the self despite the difficulties faced

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia ◽

10.1590/1981-22562018021.170118 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 312-319

Author(s):

Daniel Rocha Silveira ◽

Karla Cristina Giacomin ◽

Rosângela Correa Dias ◽

Josélia Oliveira Araújo Firmo

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Religious Experience ◽

Frail Elderly ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Religious Community ◽

The Self ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Belo Horizonte

Abstract Objective :To seek an understanding of how frail elderly persons construct resilience. Method: The “signs, meanings and actions” model was used. The population was randomly selected among elderly persons classified as robust or pre-frail in the FIBRA-study, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Thirteen elderly persons (aged 69 to 86) were interviewed. Results: a) the construction of bonds - a healthy relationship with spouses, sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren brings meaning to and sustains life and contributes to its organization; b) the reinvention of oneself - when suffering trauma, elderly people seek paths that can give sense to life, even if difficult memories persist; c) religiosity: catholic, evangelical or spiritualist experiences strengthen; cures, protections and so-called miracles are valued, and the religious community represents a space for belonging. Conclusion: Resilience is constructed through the bonds between the elderly person and those close to them, and in the search for solutions, including through the religious experience.

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Family and social vulnerability: a study with octogenarians

Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/s0104-11692009000300015 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 374-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sofia Cristina Iost Pavarini ◽

Elizabeth Joan Barha ◽

Marisa Silvana Zazzetta de Mendiondo ◽

Carmen Lucia Alves Filizola ◽

José Fernando Petrilli Filho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Social Vulnerability ◽

Family Members ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Vulnerability Index ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Social Vulnerability Index ◽

Ethical Guidelines ◽

The Social

In order to guide the development of dementia-related public policies for the elderly, it is important to identify factors that vary together with the social vulnerability of this population. This study aimed to identify the relationship between the São Paulo Social Vulnerability Index (IPVS) and various indicators of family support for elderly people over 80 years of age, who presented cognitive alterations (N=49). All ethical guidelines were followed. Data were collected at the homes of the elderly people. A large majority of the respondents lived with family members (88%). In half of the cases, the respondents lived with one (41%) or two (9%) other elderly persons. On average, there was one more non-elderly person living in the high vulnerability family context (M = 3.6, sd = 1.70) than in contexts of very low vulnerability (M = 2.4, sd = 1.07), F(2.43) = 3.364, p < 0.05. However, the functionality of the support provided by these family members needs to be verified, in each of these contexts.

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Long-term care for elderly people in the UK

Reviews in Clinical Gerontology ◽

10.1017/s0959259899009491 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 383-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Norman J Vetter

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Royal Commission ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Term Care ◽

Set Up ◽

The Uk

The recent Royal Commission report on funding long-term care was produced following more than 100 visits and evidence from 400 organizations. It was set up following concern at the costs of long-term care for elderly people and what was seen to be the anomalous position of elderly people cared for by the NHS in long-term beds, where all costs were found by the state, albeit that elderly persons themselves lost most of their benefits. This contrasted with those in the social or independent sector, where payment has to be made unless the elderly person is poor.

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Mourning and Reminiscence: Parallel Psychotherapeutic Processes for Elderly People

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.2190/27d3-vwd6-5rkq-dcg7 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 239-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Linda L. Viney ◽

Yvonne N. Benjamin ◽

Carol Preston

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

The Elderly ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Theoretical Explanation ◽

Personal Construct ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Personal Construct Theory ◽

Psychotherapeutic Processes ◽

Construct Theory ◽

The Relationship

Mourning and reminiscence are therapeutic processes common in therapeutic work with the elderly. However, a theoretical explanation of why they are effective has been lacking. Personal construct theory accounts for both in terms of the search of elderly persons for validation of their construct systems. In this article, this explanation of the parallel psychotherapeutic processes is explored, together with relevant information from the literature on mourning and reminiscence. Therapeutic case studies illustrate the characteristics of the two processes and the relationship between them.

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A Context-Aware Accurate Wellness Determination (CAAWD) Model for Elderly People Using Lazy Associative Classification

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s19071613 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (7) ◽

pp. 1613 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Farhan Sabir Ujager ◽

Azhar Mahmood

Keyword(s):

Elderly People ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Contextual Information ◽

Elderly Person ◽

The Elderly ◽

Sensor Nodes ◽

Behavior Patterns ◽

Context Aware ◽

Classification Rules ◽

Training Time

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) based smart homes are proving to be an ideal candidate to provide better healthcare facilities to elderly people in their living areas. Several currently proposed techniques have implementation and usage complexities (such as wearable devices and the charging of these devices) which make these proposed techniques less acceptable for elderly people, while the behavioral analysis based on visual techniques lacks privacy. In this paper, a context-aware accurate wellness determination (CAAWD) model for elderly people is presented, where behavior monitoring information is extracted by using simple sensor nodes attached to household objects and appliances for the analysis of daily, frequent behavior patterns of elderly people in a simple and non-obtrusive manner. A contextual data extraction algorithm (CDEA) is proposed for the generation of contextually comprehensive behavior-training instances for accurate wellness classification. The CDEA presents an activity’s spatial–temporal information along with behavioral contextual correlation aspects (such as the object/appliance of usage and sub-activities of an activity) which are vital for accurate wellness analysis and determination. As a result, the classifier is trained in a more logical manner in the context of behavior parameters which are more relevant for wellness determination. The frequent behavioral patterns are classified using the lazy associative classifier (LAC) for wellness determination. The associative nature of LAC helps to integrate spatial–temporal and related contextual attributes (provided by CDEA) of elderly behavior to generate behavior-focused classification rules. Similarly, LAC provides high accuracy with less training time of the classifier, includes minimum-support behavior patterns, and selects highly accurate classification rules for the classification of a test instance. CAAWD further introduces the ability to contextually validate the authenticity of the already classified instance by taking behavioral contextual information (of the elderly person) from the caregiver. Due to the consideration of spatial–temporal behavior contextual attributes, the use of an efficient classifier, and the ability to contextually validate the classified instances, it has been observed that the CAAWD model out-performs currently proposed techniques in terms of accuracy, precision, and f-measure.

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