Factors Related to Care Workers’ Terminal Care Attitudes: Personal Attributes and Views on Life and Death

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to reveal the relationship between the terminal care attitudes, personal attributes, and views on life and death of care workers in nursing and group homes. Method: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was mailed to 772 staff members at nursing and group homes. We used the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale Form B (Japanese version) and the Death Attitude Inventory, which is a scale of views on life and death, to form the questionnaire. Results: After excluding missing data, 338 staff responses were analyzed (valid response rate: 43.8%). The total terminal care attitude scores were significantly higher among managers compared to other staff members (β=0.182, p=0.001), and among those having provided end-of-life cared to 10 or more people (β=0.155, p=0.003). Additionally, the total terminal care attitude scores were significantly higher among those with lower scores in the “death avoidance” subscale (β=−0.183, p=0.001) and higher scores in the “afterlife beliefs” subscale (β=0.168, p=0.001) of the Death Attitude Inventory. Conclusion: Terminal care attitudes were influenced by job position, the number of persons provided with end-of-life care to, and views on life and death. We need to investigate factors that affect terminal care attitudes to ensure provision of high quality care in nursing homes.