Preferences for end-of-life care and decision-making among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A comparative cross-sectional study in Hong Kong and Wuhan in China

Cheng, Hui Lin, Kwong, Enid, Chan, Kitty and Lee, Paul , et al. (2023) Preferences for end-of-life care and decision-making among Chinese community-dwelling older adults: A comparative cross-sectional study in Hong Kong and Wuhan in China. Nursing and Health Sciences, 25 (1), 63-72. (doi:10.1111/nhs.12990).

Abstract

This study aimed to describe and compare end-of-life care and decision-making preferences among Chinese community-dwelling older adults between Wuhan and Hong Kong in China. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlation design and recruited a convenience sample of 259 older adults, aged ≥65 years old from five community centers in Wuhan and Hong Kong. Participants completed a validated structured questionnaire that measured their end-of-life care and decision-making preferences. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results showed that Wuhan participants were significantly more likely to view “trying every means to extend the life span” as very important/important; and they perceived “support from religious personnel” as unimportant/very unimportant. Different from those older adults in Hong Kong, the Wuhan participants significantly chose their home as the preferred place for end-of-life care and death. They also tended to prefer family members to enact the decision-maker role in end-of-life decision situations. The study suggests older adults in Hong Kong and Wuhan have some differences in preferences for end-of-life care and decision-making, which provides the basis for future development of culturally relevant community-based end-of-life care.

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Contributors

Author: Paul Lee

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