Questioning the value of present life: The lived experience of older people who see no future for themselves

OBJECTIVES: To describe the lived experience of older people who see no future for oneself in the context of aging and the possible development of a wish to die. METHODS: Data were collected from 34 interviews with people of 55-92 years. A phenomenological hermeneutical analysis was performed using crafted stories as an analytical device. RESULTS: Four intertwined constituents together with the essence of the phenomenon provide a layered description of what it means to see no future for oneself. In all constituents: 1) not sharing everyday life, 2) looking for new commitments, 3) facing present losses and future fears and 4) imagining not waking up in the morning, the essence losing zest for life seeped through their daily experiences. CONCLUSIONS: As their horizon of future possibilities is shrinking, older people in our study experience a loss of zest for life and start to questioning the value of their present lives. And although a certain languishing mood can be discovered, the phenomenon 'seeing no future for oneself' does not entail a wish to die

Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in Patients with Multiple Geriatric Syndromes

Importance: The Dutch Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTEs) reviewed and reported an increasing number of cases of euthanasia and physician-Assisted suicide (EAS) requested by older people with multiple geriatric syndromes (MGS). Knowledge of the characteristics of cases of EAS for MGS is important to facilitate societal debat

The effects of a two stage heat treatment process on the properties of particleboard

Steam pre-treatment can effectively improve the dimensional stability of panel products such as particleboard and fiberboard. At temperatures above 200-210 degrees C steam pre-treatment might result in a significant reduction of the bond strength of the panel product. The results of an effective two stage heat pre-treatment process, in which treatment temperatures below 200 degrees C are used, are given in this paper. The variations in process conditions which affect the particleboard properties are described in detail. A two-stage heat pre-treatment with temperatures below 200 degrees C appears to improve the dimensional stability of panel products. The process conditions used have an effect on thickness swelling and internal bond properties of the particleboard prepared, especially during the first process stage (hydrothermolysis). The best results were obtained with wood particles which were only thermolysed (without curing)

Still ready to give up on life? A longitudinal phenomenological study into wishes to die among older adults

Rationale: There is a paucity of empirical studies exploring wishes to die (WTD) in older adults without a life-threatening disease or psychiatric disorder, especially on how these WTD evolve over time. Objective: This study aims to deepen our understanding of living with a WTD by elucidating multifaceted trajectories of death wishes in older adults without a life-threatening disease or psychiatric disorder. Methods: Interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2019 with Dutch men and women aged 70 and older who expressed a WTD (preferably at a self-chosen moment). Using a phenomenological, longitudinal analysis approach, 35 serial interviews were analyzed. Results: This resulted in four thematic meanings following four trajectories, namely: 1) a realized WTD, facing the ultimate decision with both freedom and a sense of fate; 2) an intensifying WTD, reaching a deadlock; 3) a diminishing WTD, experiencing tentative space for new possibilities; and 4) a vanishing WTD, being surprised by an unexpected turn. In the cases examined, the individuals' WTD was characterized by ambivalence and subject to change over time. Fluctuating, often asynchronous patterns of physical, social, psychological, and existential distress were lived intertwined. The WTD should thus be understood as dynamic and unpredictable, often impacted by external circumstances. Conclusions: An important clinically relevant finding is that even persons with a pronounced WTD can experience openness to new possibilities, leading to a diminished or vanished WTD and/or desire to act on their WTD. Often such changes were related to (re-)establishment of connections with other people and/or society or with themselves. Since most research in this area is cross-sectional, the current longitudinal findings of this study are unique in providing insight into changes over time, thus contributing to the fields of death and suicide studies

Characterizing Adult Sleep Behavior Over 20 Years-The Population-Based Doetinchem Cohort Study.

To describe sleep duration patterns of adults over a 20-year period; to compare sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics across these patterns; and to relate the patterns to sleep quality