Ways of relating to death: views of older people resident in nursing homes.

Few studies shed light on what older people themselves consider a good or dignified death. This study is part of a larger project where interviews were used to follow 12 nursing home residents over time. The aim of the present study was to reach a deeper understanding of seven older people's thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards death. The participants were interviewed on four occasions across 18-24 months, and the interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic method. The findings revealed three main themes: 1. Zest for life, 2. Indifferent attitude, 3. Longing for death. The themes mirror the complexity of what ageing and nearing the end of life can mean. A strong desire among the participants was to be more involved in their own personal care and in everyday life at the nursing home. Person-oriented care based on the philosophy of palliative care, and including conversation as a natural component, might promote the older person's possibilities to obtain a good death.