Death anxiety: a comparison of nursing home and independently living elderly people.

Abstract

A review of the literature revealed that elderly persons residing in nursing homes generally displayed a lower degree of death anxiety than elderly persons residing independently in the community. Considering the recent increase in life expectancy and decrease in mortality rates, the present study sought to provide a current investigation of the relationship between death anxiety and living arrangements. Attitudes toward death were measured using Templer's Death Anxiety Scale among 31 elderly men and 31 elderly women over the age of 65, half of whom resided in nursing homes and half of whom resided in apartment complexes. A significant difference in age was found between the 2 groups, with the oldest age group being the nursing home residents. Because of the significant difference in age between the two groups of elderly individuals, an analysis of covariance was performed. The results of the analysis revealed a nonsignificant relationship between death anxiety and residence, as well as between death anxiety and gender. The Residence X Gender interaction was also found to be nonsignificant. Results of the current study are consistent with previous research, which reports that as a group, aged persons express low levels of death anxiety. Several possible explanations for this finding were explored, including denial, the potential inaccuracy of the assessment technique employed, and subject-selection problems.