The limits of 'community' for people dying in advanced age

What is it about?

We show that people dying in advanced age have very little support from their community in the months prior to their death. This is for many reasons, including peers and friends dying, poor health and disability leading to reduced mobility/ability to socialise, and lack of public transport. However, it is also due to many older people themselves 'only wanting to see family' at this time. Limited support from community groups was accessed. Family carers also felt isolated by caring. Specific issues for indigenous Maori were identified, including the support that some kaumatua (Maori elders) could access through their networks.

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Why is it important?

This is an important study because it demonstrates the need for 'new public health approaches' to palliative care, which foreground the role of community, to recognise that not everyone has the same access to community resource. It also demonstrates a need for collaborative research, and service provision, between gerontology and palliative care. Finally, our findings confirm the need to address the issue of social isolation for people dying in advanced age and their family carers.