Respond and Refocus
Older Adults and End-of-Life Terminology: A Focus on "Allow Natural Death" and "Do Not Resuscitate" View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jodi Erickson
The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of adults ages 65 and older who are not terminally ill regarding the meaning of the term Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) as compared to the term Allow Natural Death (AND). This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in 24 one-on-one interviews via Zoom. Participants were interviewed to 1) determine how older adults describe their understanding of the terms AND and DNR, and 2) identify preference for AND or DNR among older adults. The data from this qualitative descriptive study generated four themes: 1) Control; 2) Emergency versus Calm; 3) Communication is Key; and 4) Quality of Life. The results of this study inform patients, loved ones, and healthcare professionals about how older adults understand DNR and AND to be similar and different, and provide insight into which term may be preferred in which EOL settings.
Measuring Multidimensional Deprivation for Older People in Europe: The Voronoi Method as an Alternative Ranking Method
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Mariateresa Ciommi, Francesca Mariani, Maria Cristina Recchioni, Giovanna De Santis, Marco Arlotti
Over the last years, a growing interest about the study of older people deprivation across countries has emerged in the literature. Usually, to evaluate it, composite indicators aiming at capturing different aspects have been defined to analyse such phenomenon. However, different indices produce different country rankings and it is not always feasible to combine them. Consequently, it is not possible to unambiguously define an order among the countries that takes into account the different aspects. To overcome this problem, here, we propose an iterative procedure, the so-called Voronoi algorithm. Thus, we define deprivation by means of two composite indicators, the first one capturing the physical-economic aspect of deprivation and the second the social one. The Voronoi algorithm combines the two dimensions of deprivation into one, generating a single, unified country ranking. Data come from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and refer to the COVID-19 period, that is 2019-2020 and refer to European Countries, grouped into Mediterranean countries, Continental countries and Nordic countries.
