Elderly with Greater Social Support More Likely to Prepare for End of Life, Such as Writing Wills

Eulji University Healthcare Management Team Analyzes Elderly Survey Data
Findings Highlight Importance of Social Support in Death Preparedness

The study found that elderly individuals who receive higher levels of 'social support' are more likely to prepare for their own death in advance, such as by writing a will, completing an advance directive for life-sustaining treatment, or making funeral arrangements.

According to the Korean Public Health Association on July 22, researchers from the Department of Healthcare Management at Eulji University reached this conclusion by analyzing the results of the 2023 Survey on the Elderly.

An elderly person engaged in crafting activities at a local government facility. This photo is for illustrative purposes only and unrelated to the content. Asia Economy DB.

The research team measured the level of social support based on the number of people available to provide help, assigning a total score ranging from 0 to 3 points. They then categorized all 9,955 elderly survey participants into three groups: those with a score of 1 point or less, those with a score in the 2-point range, and those with a score in the 3-point range.

The results showed that, compared to the group with 1 point or less, the group with 2 points was 1.33 times more likely, and the group with 3 points was 1.38 times more likely, to engage in death preparation.

The researchers defined 'death preparation' as answering 'yes' to at least one of eight items, including writing an advance directive for life-sustaining treatment, preparing a will, or making funeral arrangements. An advance directive for life-sustaining treatment is a system that allows individuals to decide in advance whether to receive life-sustaining treatments such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemodialysis, chemotherapy, or mechanical ventilation in anticipation of the end of life.

The study also found that the higher the level of education, the better individuals prepared for their own death. Using graduation from a junior college or higher as the reference point, the likelihood of death preparation was 0.81 times for high school graduates, 0.78 times for middle school graduates, and 0.72 times for those with an elementary school education or less.

In addition, elderly individuals who did not participate in social activities such as clubs or religious gatherings were 0.63 times less likely to prepare for death compared to those who did participate in such activities.

The research team concluded that the likelihood of preparing for death increased significantly with higher levels of social support, indicating that social support is a key factor that goes beyond providing simple emotional comfort and actually facilitates practical preparation for death. They further suggested, "Education on death preparation for the elderly should be tailored to take social support networks into account," and added, "In particular, it is necessary to strengthen community-based support systems for elderly individuals at high risk of social isolation."