Older Adults' Attitudes Toward Death: Links to Perceptions of Health and Concerns about End-of-Life Issues

The current study had two primary goals, to determine whether: 1) self-rated mental and physical health, pain, and experience with health problems were predictors of elderly adults' attitudes toward death; and 2) death attitudes predict end-of-life medical treatment concerns. Participants were 109 adults, 65 years of age and older ( M=78.74 years), recruited from the local community. Regression analyses indicated that poorer perceived physical health predicted a greater likelihood of viewing death as an escape, and poorer perceived mental health predicted a greater fear of death. Viewing death as an escape and fearing death predicted end-of-life medical treatment concerns; a greater endorsement of either attitude predicted more concern. Possible explanations for the links between perceived health, attitudes toward death, and concern about end-of-life issues are suggested.

Download Full-text

10. Dying and Death

Medical Law and Ethics ◽

10.1093/he/9780198846956.003.0010 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 532-622

Author(s):

Jonathan Herring

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Medical Treatment ◽

End Of Life ◽

Assisted Suicide ◽

Definition Of Death ◽

Life Issues ◽

The Law ◽

End Of Life Issues ◽

Definition Of ◽

Complex Cases

This chapter examines the legal and ethical aspects of death. It begins with a discussion of the difficulty of the choosing a definition of ‘death’. It then sets out the law on a range of ‘end-of-life issues’, including euthanasia, assisted suicide, and refusal of medical treatment. It considers some particularly complex cases in which the law is not always easy to apply. These include the administration of pain-relieving drugs, the treatment of severely disabled newborn children, and the position of patients suffering from PVS. Next, the chapter considers the ethical debates surrounding euthanasia, assisted suicide, and terminating treatment. This is followed by a discussion of palliative care and hospices.

Download Full-text

End of Life Issues Action: Impact of Education

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship ◽

10.2202/1548-923x.1189 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Jane M. Kurz ◽

Evelyn R. Hayes

Keyword(s):

End Of Life ◽

Death Anxiety ◽

Control Group ◽

Death Attitudes ◽

General Systems ◽

Life Issues ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Attitudes And Knowledge ◽

End Of Life Issues ◽

And Control

There is an increased momentum to improve nurses' expertise in dealing with end of life issues via a standardized education program, ELNEC. This program has not been evaluated systematically. This quasi-experimental, longitudinal study's goal was to measure ELNEC Program's impact on registered nurses' death anxiety, death attitudes, and knowledge over time. General Systems Theory provided the foundation. Nurses completed surveys prior to and 3 times after the program. Research and control groups were similar. Research group's death anxiety scores increased immediately post- program, decreased 6 months later (t=-2.65, p=.02) and returned to pre-program levels at 12 months. Death attitudes varied. Knowledge levels improved significantly. The control group had steady increases in death anxiety scores. The program was associated with decreased death anxiety. Recommendations include timing evaluations after participants have time for reflection and planning "booster programs" to sustain effects. Future studies should include larger samples, incentives, and research method triangulation.

Download Full-text