“Who would want to die like that?” Perspectives on dying alone in a long-term care setting

Abstract

The discourse of dying alone is negatively weighted and models of a good death identify not dying alone as a key outcome. Understanding why dying alone is viewed negatively and its effects on care is a priority. In separate focus groups with long-term care residents, family caregivers, and staff, we identified evidence for four different perspectives on the importance of presence at the time of death. However, while each individual had their own unique perspective on dying alone, the predominant view expressed across respondent groups was that having human connection near the end of one’s life was important.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participants for sharing their thoughts and insights into providing palliative care in long-term care.