Paper short abstract:

This research explores End-of-life of the residents in a Japanese Nursing Home. The question are how nursing home care workers are changed by the End-of-life care that is given to the residents, and in turn how other residents are influenced by sharing the process of death in the nursing home.

Paper long abstract:

The aim of this research is to describe the End-of-life experience at the nursing home in Japan. The question explored is how nursing home care workers are changed by the End-of-life care that is given to the residents, and in turn how other residents are influenced by sharing the process of death in the nursing home.

The context is the gap between reality and ideal in terms of where to die for the baby boomer elderly. In 2025 the population of baby boomer elderly will be about twenty million. Several options of where to die, hospital, home, or nursing home are now available. An incentive was introduced in Japan in 2006 called "Mitori Adding" for nursing homes. This means when the institution practices End-of-life Care in their facility, they can get financially added premiums from the country's universal care insurance system.

In Sociological review, the change of value from modern to postmodern, is explained in part by place of death. In modern, elderly people had only one option that they would die at the hospital with medical professionals totally in charge of their care. On the other hand in postmodern, they have several options that include hospital but also their own houses with their family or the nursing home with the staff and other residents.

This research is focused on a model case. Qualitative data was collected by the interview from care workers and administrators who engaged End-of-life Care in a nursing home. Content analysis brought several insights. The administrator could secure a physician who had expertise in End-of-life Care. The care workers gradually built confidence to provide End-of-life Care. The other residents could observe and participate in the death of others in the nursing home. As a result an End-of-life Care Culture developed inside the nursing home community.