Dialogues on Death: A Phenomenological Study on Views of the Elderly Toward Life and Death and End-of-Life Treatments

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to examine the ideas of elderly individuals on life, death and treatment at the end-of-life in order to understand what the basis for such views is.

Dialogues with eight individuals were conducted and analyzed according to the Vancouver School of doing phenomenology

All participants agreed on the necessity to limit life prolongation if there was no hope of recovery, much suffering, mental and physical ability compromised, no possibility of living a decent life and being a burden to others. The participants based their attitudes toward end-of-life treatment on the likely outcome in view of medical information; evaluation of their own lives by considering their age and health and views toward life and death; the impact on loved ones; experience of illness, death and loss and considering ethical aspects of such decisions.

A model of end-of-life discussion between a physician and a patient is presented: The discussion takes place within an ethical and cultural framework, which is sometimes discussed. Physicians give information on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and the likely outcome. The patient evaluates the information in view of his/her own life and considers the impact of his/her illness and the treatment on loved ones. The patient also considers the experience of illness and previous health care decisions whether his/her own or the experience of others. Each factor has a negative and a positive side toward treatment. The decision on treatment can then be made collectively.