How Family Members Respond to Residents' Wish to Die

Living and dying are inextricably associated in nursing homes. It is not unusual for old nursing home residents to express a wish to die. This article examines interwoven patterns of family responses to resident's wish to die. As part of a multi-site ethnographic study of bereavement in long-te...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Omega: Journal of Death and Dying 2005-01, Vol.51 (4), p.301-321
Main Authors: Moss, Sidney Z., Moss, Miriam S., Black, Helen K., Rubinstein, Robert L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Avoidance
Death & dying
Death Attitudes
Families & family life
Family Relations
Family support
Nursing Homes
Qualitative research
Wish to die
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Living and dying are inextricably associated in nursing homes. It is not unusual for old nursing home residents to express a wish to die. This article examines interwoven patterns of family responses to resident's wish to die. As part of a multi-site ethnographic study of bereavement in long-term care, we analyzed themes in audio-transcribed in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 family members in two religiously and culturally diverse nursing homes. Rooted in the contexts of the nursing home, the family system, and the socio-cultural milieu, three patterns of family responses emerged: avoidance, disconfirmation, and acceptance of the wish to die. The family members' responses reflect their efforts to make meaning of the resident's wish both for the resident and for themselves. Rather than viewing the wish to die as a symptom of mental health problems, they perceive it as reflecting the existential situation of the resident.
ISSN:0030-2228
1541-3764
DOI:10.2190/3PNW-W6G4-V1P9-J98Y