Life-sustaining treatment: a comparison of the preferences of Taiwanese older adults and their family caregiver.
BACKGROUND
Written advance directives are not common practice in Taiwan; thus, when older adults are critically ill, family members are usually the ones to make decisions regarding life-sustaining treatment.


OBJECTIVE
This study determined how well the preferences of the family members for the older adults match the preferences of the older adults themselves with regard to life-sustaining treatment.


METHODS
A cross-sectional comparative descriptive research design was used in this study. Ninety-five pairs of older adults and their families were included in the final analysis. The Life Support Preferences Questionnaire was used to measure life-sustaining preferences. Paired- sample t tests were performed to compare the mean differences between the older adults' preferences and the family members' preferences for these older adults.


RESULTS
Family members scored higher on life-sustaining treatment preferences than the older adults for all 32 examined items, with 23 (72%) of these items showing statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Communication between older adults and their family members regarding life-sustaining treatment may help prevent older adults from receiving unwanted treatments.
1PhD, RN, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC; 2MD, Vice Superintendent, Chi Mei Hospital, Liouying, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC; 3PhD, RN, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA.
Lee-Jen W
LJ
Suen
Hao-Hsien
HH
Lee
Diana Lynn
DL
Morris
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan