"I live my own life": relationship between will to live and wish to die in nursing home residents and their opinions about actions to promote their will to live.
5 affiliations
- 1Palliative and Supportive Care Service and Service of Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Chair of Geriatric Palliative Care, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Av. Pierre-Decker 5, Lausanne, CH-1011, Switzerland. [email protected].
- 2Palliative and Supportive Care Service and Service of Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Chair of Geriatric Palliative Care, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Av. Pierre-Decker 5, Lausanne, CH-1011, Switzerland.
- 3Service of Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- 4Palliative and Supportive Care Service, Chair of Palliative Psychology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- 5Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract
Background
The will to live (WTL) is a crucial marker of nursing home residents' subjective psychological state. Previous studies have indicated that nursing home residents express a relatively strong WTL, and the link with their wish to die (WTD) is ambiguous. There is a lack of literature exploring nursing home residents' experiences of the co-existence of WTL and WTD and whether and how residents want their WTL to be enhanced. This study aimed to explore (i) the link between WTL and WTD in nursing home residents, (ii) their opinions about support to improve their WTL, and (iii) their suggestions for interventions to achieve this goal.Method
Participants were nursing home residents aged 70 + living in a nursing home for ≥ 1 month, who maintained decision making capacity. Intensity of WTL and WTD was measured with a single-item numerical rating scale (0 to 10). Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore residents' opinions about WTL interventions.Results
One hundred and nineteen residents participated in the study. Results showed a significant negative association between WTL and WTD (r=-.58, p=.001), and insights into this relationship are provided through the analysis of qualitative data. 49% expressed that they did not want interventions to support their WTL; 39% were favorable to interventions, and 9% had reservations about accepting such interventions. Regardless of their desire for intervention, most participants provided suggestions regarding the mechanisms through which such interventions could increase WTL: (i) increasing quality human contact, (ii) reducing pain and disability, (iii) facilitating personalized activities, (iv) promoting adaptive institutions with caring and trained staff, (v) promoting opportunities to contribute to others and society and (vi) strengthening their own attitude and levers.Conclusion
Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the relationship between WTL and WTD, their coexistence, and of the subjective needs and concerns in older nursing home residents, thus providing insights into ways to improve their care and, where desired, their WTL.
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BibTeX
@article{ruedin2026live,
title = {{"I live my own life": relationship between will to live and wish to die in nursing home residents and their opinions about actions to promote their will to live.}},
author = {Samira Ruedin and Laura Jones and Eve Rubli Truchard and Gian D Borasio and Ralf J Jox and Marc-Antoine Bornet and Mathieu Bernard},
journal = {BMC palliative care},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12904-026-02238-2},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902220},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - "I live my own life": relationship between will to live and wish to die in nursing home residents and their opinions about actions to promote their will to live.
AU - Samira Ruedin
AU - Laura Jones
AU - Eve Rubli Truchard
AU - Gian D Borasio
AU - Ralf J Jox
AU - Marc-Antoine Bornet
AU - Mathieu Bernard
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC palliative care
DO - 10.1186/s12904-026-02238-2
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902220
AB - Background The will to live (WTL) is a crucial marker of nursing home residents' subjective psychological state. Previous studies have indicated that nursing home residents express a relatively strong WTL, and the link with their wish to die (WTD) is ambiguous. There is a lack of literature exploring nursing home residents' experiences of the co-existence of WTL and WTD and whether and how residents want their WTL to be enhanced. This study aimed to explore (i) the link between WTL and WTD in nursing home residents, (ii) their opinions about support to improve their WTL, and (iii) their suggestions for interventions to achieve this goal.Method Participants were nursing home residents aged 70 + living in a nursing home for ≥ 1 month, who maintained decision making capacity. Intensity of WTL and WTD was measured with a single-item numerical rating scale (0 to 10). Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore residents' opinions about WTL interventions.Results One hundred and nineteen residents participated in the study. Results showed a significant negative association between WTL and WTD (r=-.58, p=.001), and insights into this relationship are provided through the analysis of qualitative data. 49% expressed that they did not want interventions to support their WTL; 39% were favorable to interventions, and 9% had reservations about accepting such interventions. Regardless of their desire for intervention, most participants provided suggestions regarding the mechanisms through which such interventions could increase WTL: (i) increasing quality human contact, (ii) reducing pain and disability, (iii) facilitating personalized activities, (iv) promoting adaptive institutions with caring and trained staff, (v) promoting opportunities to contribute to others and society and (vi) strengthening their own attitude and levers.Conclusion Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the relationship between WTL and WTD, their coexistence, and of the subjective needs and concerns in older nursing home residents, thus providing insights into ways to improve their care and, where desired, their WTL.
SN - 1472-684X
ER -