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Center for Excellence in Assisted Living

Center for Excellence in Assisted Living CEAL@UNC

Advancing the well-being of the people who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy.

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American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Resident and Caregiver Dyads Talk About Death and Dying in Assisted Living: A Typology of Communication Behaviors

Jan 1, 2024
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Interviews and fieldnotes from 15 resident-family caregiver dyads in 3 Atlanta AL communities found that conversations about death and dying were conducted in four patterns: open discussions (both partners were talking with each other about death), blocked conversations (one partner wanted to talk about death, but the other did not), avoidance due to assumptions (each partner perceived that the other did not want to talk about death), and inability to engage in conversations due to cognitive decline or strained relationships. While 60% of residents wanted to talk about end-of-life, caregivers often avoided it.

Resident and Caregiver Dyads Talk About Death and Dying in Assisted Living: A Typology of Communication Behaviors

January 1, 2024 by Lea Efird-Green

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Interviews and fieldnotes from 15 resident-family caregiver dyads in 3 Atlanta AL communities found that conversations about death and dying were conducted in four patterns: open discussions (both partners were talking with each other about death), blocked conversations (one partner wanted to talk about death, but the other did not), avoidance due to assumptions (each partner perceived that the other did not want to talk about death), and inability to engage in conversations due to cognitive decline or strained relationships. While 60% of residents wanted to talk about end-of-life, caregivers often avoided it.

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