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Waiting to Die: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Older Adults

Ogle, Kimberly K.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2334-3802
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542731170804458

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Gerontology.
For the first time in human history, older adults will out number younger people on our planet. By 2060, nearly one-quarter of Americans will be ages 65 and older (Population Reference Bureau, 2015). Being an older adult implies a finite amount of years left in one’s life. Death is inevitable. Today, according to Dr. Joanne Lynn, “people really die by inches rather than by miles” (Webb, p. 52, 1997). Prolonged serious physical illness, physical dependence, and dementia are now common facts of later life (Byock, 2012). Compared to previous centuries and generations, dying is neither necessarily quick nor easy in contemporary times. Over the past twenty years, research has been lacking regarding the feelings and thoughts of the person who is “soon to die” and who knows this as fact. Previous research has mainly been in the realm of nursing care and has focused on comfort or end-of-life decision-making. An untapped population, which has been given an opportunity to contemplate imminent death, is older adults with terminal prognoses. Exploratory qualitative research was used in this study. Thirteen older adults, age 65+ in hospice care were interviewed regarding 1) how they found out they were dying, what that experience was like, to learn they were dying, 2) what it is like to be diagnosed as dying, 3) how the individual foresees dying and 4) what does it mean to die a “good death.” Findings suggest a lack in knowledge about hospice, physician communication skills in talking to patients about end-of-life care, and general conversations about what people consider to be a “good death.” More importantly, it was found that people were living until dying rather than waiting to die. More research needs to be conducted with demographics, socioeconomic state, age ranges and ethnicities and races to have a clearer understanding of what it is like to be dying as an older adult.
Kate de Medeiros (Committee Chair)
Jennifer Bulanda (Committee Member)
Lee Harrington (Committee Member)
Jennifer Kinney (Committee Member)
Liz Wilson (Committee Member)
102 p.
Gerontology
Older Adults; Hospice; Qualitative Study; Good Death; Physician-Patient Communication

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ogle, K. K. (2018). Waiting to Die: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Older Adults [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542731170804458

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ogle, Kimberly. Waiting to Die: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Older Adults. 2018. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542731170804458.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ogle, Kimberly. "Waiting to Die: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Older Adults." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1542731170804458

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1542731170804458
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This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.