Resident and Caregiver Dyads Talk About Death and Dying in Assisted Living: A Typology of Communication Behaviors.
Ann E Vandenberg, Alexis A Bender, Candace L Kemp and 1 others
PMID 38242860WHAT IT FOUND
Only 4 of 15 assisted-living resident-caregiver dyads talked openly about death.
Others blocked, avoided, or could not discuss it. Some residents tried to open talks, such as by reading obituaries, but were shut down.
Key findings
01Four dyads were concordant in talking with each other about death.
02Two dyads showed blocking, and three dyads were unable to talk because of dysfunctional relationships or assumptions about inability.
03Six dyads mutually avoided talking about death, each assuming the other did not want to discuss it.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 15 resident-caregiver dyads from three assisted-living communities in metropolitan Atlanta were studied, so the patterns may not apply to other settings. The analysis used secondary data from a parent study and was not a specific aim of that study. Residents were selected if they were 85 years or older, had multiple chronic conditions, had a life-limiting illness, or used hospice, so the findings may not apply to residents outside that group. The study described communication patterns from interviews and fieldnotes; it did not test whether any communication approach improves resident or caregiver outcomes.
Declared interests
The parent study was NIH-funded. No other conflict-of-interest statement is provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that assisted-living residents generally do not want to discuss death. Some residents tried to open conversations, such as by reading obituaries, but were shut down, and only 4 of 15 dyads talked openly.