Paper short abstract:

This paper problematizes the notion of ageing and dying ‘at home’. It will offer ethnographic examples from the UK and shows some of the challenges that older people living alone face. Older people’s perspectives are often not incorporated in policy yet are essential in creating more adequate practices.

Paper long abstract:

In the UK the home is often conceptualized as the most preferred place of death(Gomes et al. 2013) with little understanding of the actual implications of older people ageing and dying at home. Neither is there sufficient understanding of what 'home' means to people in later life. Dying at home has been theorised as being part of a 'good death' (Seale & van der Geest 2004) whereas dying alone is considered a 'bad death'(Seale 2004).

This paper will problematize the current emphasis on ageing and dying 'at home'. As the majority of older people are living alone in their own dwellings this poses real questions to what extent older people feel 'at home' in these places in present time, and how they anticipate their future within these dwellings. Furthermore it poses questions on the types of care and social contact that is available for older people ageing in place.

This paper will draw on ongoing ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the South West of England amongst older people living alone. Older people's perspectives on ageing and dying in their own dwellings or on 'ageing in place' are often not incorporated in policy yet are essential in creating more adequate end-of-life care practices.