Thinking About the End of Life When It Is Near: A Comparison of German and Portuguese Centenarians.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_0F716D0BBAF0
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Thinking About the End of Life When It Is Near: A Comparison of German and Portuguese Centenarians.
Journal
Research on aging
Author(s)
Boerner K., Jopp D.S., Kim K., Butt A., Ribeiro Ó., Araújo L., Rott C.
ISSN
1552-7573 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0164-0275
Publication state
Published
Issued date
03/2019
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
41
Number
3
Pages
265-285
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
This study examined how common thinking of and planning for the end of life (EOL) is among German and Portuguese centenarians, and whether patterns of EOL views are shaped by cultural and individual characteristics. A significant portion of centenarians in both countries reported not thinking about the EOL, not believing in the afterlife, and not having made EOL arrangements. Latent class analysis identified three EOL patterns: Class 1 (EOL thoughts with EOL arrangements and afterlife beliefs), Class 2 (EOL arrangements and afterlife beliefs without EOL thoughts), and Class 3 (Overall low endorsement of EOL items). The proportion of Portuguese centenarians was higher in Class 1 and of German centenarians higher in Classes 2 and 3. Centenarians' demographic, social, and health characteristics were significantly different across EOL patterns. As lack of EOL planning can result in poor EOL quality, enhancing communication among centenarians, family, and health-care professionals seems imperative.
Keywords
Advance Care Planning, Aged, 80 and over, Attitude to Death/ethnology, Female, Germany/ethnology, Humans, Male, Portugal/ethnology, Religion, Social Networking, Terminal Care/psychology, cultural context, death, end-of-life planning, very old adults
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
13/11/2018 16:24
Last modification date
12/08/2020 5:22
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