抄録
The aim of this study was to elucidate dignified and undignified deaths, as recognized by professionals involved with the elderly living in long-term care and local communities. To this end, an interview survey was administered to 14 professionals; two medical practitioners, two visiting nurses, two nurses working in facilities, three care managers, three care workers, and two counselors. With regard to dignified deaths of elderly requiring long-term care, five categories were identified: “keeping one’s personality until the end of life,” “calmly dying without pain in one’s natural course,” “following one’s intention of do-not-resuscitate,” “the family of an elderly person accepts their death with preparedness,” and “dying while being surrounded by one’s family.” Meanwhile, six categories were identified for undignified deaths of elderly requiring long-term care: “death in a hospital,” “appearance without one’s personality,” “cooperation of one’s family cannot be obtained,” “sudden death without building a relationship of trust,” “the family of an elderly person cannot accept their death,” and “the death of an elderly person whose wish does not come true.”
