Reactions to Death in Residential Homes for the Aged

Abstract

Results are reported of a preliminary research among non-nursing staff, working in residential homes for the aged in the Netherlands, concerning the reactions of residents and of staff towards death. Feelings about the death of an individual resident, and about the continuous confrontation with death, and the ways these feelings become expressed in behaviour are discussed. The results suggest that the feelings are related to interaction patterns, and that the attitude of the staff develops over time.