Comparison of attitudes towards death and perceptions of do‐not‐resuscitate orders between older Korean adults residing in a facility and at home

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare and analyse attitudes towards death and perceptions of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders between the elderly living in a facility and those living at home, in order to provide basic data for effective nursing interventions to help the elderly prepare for death in a positive manner. The subjects of this study were 300 persons over 65 years old who lived in a facility or home in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and data were collected from 1 April to 15 August 2012. Descriptive analysis, χ(2)-test, and ANCOVA were conducted on the data using the SPSS version 20.0 program. With regard to attitudes towards death, the elderly in a facility reported that physical pain relief was most necessary for a comfortable death, and the elderly living at home reported that psychological stability was most required. With regard to perceptions of DNR orders, most of the participants agreed that DNR is sometimes necessary (institution: 86.7%, home: 78.7%). About 8% more of the elderly living in a facility considered DNR to sometimes be necessary compared with the elderly living at home. In conclusion, the elderly living in a facility were interested in physical pain relief or physical health, and the elderly living at home were focused on psychological stability or psychological health. Based on the findings, basic data for development of effective nursing interventions to help the elderly prepare for death in a positive manner can be provided.

Asian patients’ perspectives on advance care planning: A mixed-method systematic review and conceptual framework

“…38 These findings contrast with two studies among older people with serious illnesses in which individualistic decision-making was preferred: in Hong Kong (14% vs 55%) 37 and South Korea (32% vs 39%). 31…”

The Attitudes of Progressive Neurological Disease Patients and Their Family Members to End of Life Care: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…More than half of the respondents would request a DNR order for themselves. Support for euthanasia has been identified in people of lower age (Cat et al., 2005) and those with higher education (Park et al., 2015). Our research confirmed a more frequent preference for keeping patients alive in family members of higher age and with lower education.…”

“…Fifty-six percent of patients favored having medicine available to end their lives. Park et al (2015) evaluated the attitudes of older Korean adults to do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and death. More than half of the respondents would request a DNR order for themselves.…”

“…Despite this, there is little available research on the identification of PND patients' attitudes to end-of-life care issues. Some investigators focused on assessing attitudes and preferences for end-of-life care among the oldest old (Fleming et al, 2016), older people (Catt et al, 2005;Hunt et al, 2014;Kwak & Salmon 2007;Park et al 2015), oncology patients (Wolfe et al, 1999), patients in intensive care units and their family members (Sprung et al, 2007) and low-income urban African Americans (Born et al, 2004). Only one study was found that evaluated opinions of patients with PND on end-oflife care, namely attitudes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to assisted suicide.…”

Development and psychometric evaluation of a new tool for measuring the attitudes of patients with progressive neurological diseases to ethical aspects of end-of-life care

“…The AEOLI questionnaire assesses attitudes of older people to death, palliative treatment, and hospice care [29] on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" in the following areas: decision making, pain, care environment, living wills, euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide, ageism, psychological needs including religious/spiritual, quality versus quantity of life, and societal awareness. Park et al [30] investigated the attitudes of older people to death and do-not-resuscitate orders in Korea. Hunt et al [31] investigated the experiences of end-of life care in the elderly and their preferred places of dying.…”